How to Fix: Numlock Windows 7, 8, 10 on Startup / Boot

Infopackets Reader Samir R. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I recently did a clean install of Windows 10 on my machine and now my numlock on the keyboard keeps shutting off during bootup, even though I have numlock enabled in the computer's BIOS. When I was running Windows 8 (which I later upgraded to Windows 10), I did a registry hack to keep the numlock enabled after Windows is loaded. Can you help? "

My response:

I've had this issue before. I had to do a bit of digging and testing to make sure the registry hack you're referring to is compatible with Windows 10, but I managed to find the answer. I've also automated the instructions using a registry script via the command line, which means you won't have to dig through the registry to make this work. Below I'll explain how to keep the numlock enabled during Windows boot.

How to Fix: Numlock Windows 7, 8, 10 on Startup / Boot

Please note that these instructions work on Windows 7, 8 and 10.

1. The first thing you should do is bookmark this page as you will need to reboot the machine, possibly multiple times, in order to get this fix to work. To do so: press CTRL + D on the keyboard now; the page will either be automatically bookmarked or your browser will ask for confirmation - click OK if necessary.
    
2. Next, open an administrative command prompt: click Start, then type in "cmd" (no quotes); wait for "CMD.EXE" or "Command Prompt" to appear in the list, then right click it and select "Run as Administrator".
    
3. Use your mouse to highlight the text below:
   
   rem default is 2147483648
   reg add "HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Keyboard" /v InitialKeyboardIndicators /t REG_SZ /d 2 /f
   echo this is a dummy line
    
4. Right click over top of the highlighted text, then select "Copy" from the dialogue menu.
    
5. Next, take your mouse pointer and right click in the middle of the administrative command prompt window and select "Paste" from the dialogue menu. The text you copied in Step #3 should now be output to the command line.
    
6. Bookmark this page if you have not done so already as you will need to reboot the computer, then come back to this page to continue on with the rest of the instruction. As the computer restarts, pay attention to the numlock light on the keyboard to see if it lights up / the light stays on just before you sign into Windows (and stays on after signing into Windows). If it does not, then you will need to try another setting. Go ahead and reboot now and come back to this page.
    
7. If your numlock light remains on after you've signed into Windows, then you are all set and nothing else needs to be done. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done! If the numlock still isn't working, you can try another setting described below. These instructions are pretty much the same as what you already did, though the "reg add" instruction below is different.
   
   First, open an administrative command prompt: click Start, then type in "cmd" (no quotes); wait for "CMD.EXE" or "Command Prompt" to appear in the list, then right click it and select "Run as Administrator". Use your mouse to highlight the text below:
   
   reg add "HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Keyboard" /v InitialKeyboardIndicators /t REG_SZ /d 2147483650 /f
   
   echo this is a dummy line
   Right click over top of the highlighted text, then select "Copy" from the dialogue menu.
   
   Go to the administrative command prompt and right click in the middle of the windows and select "Paste" from the dialogue menu. The text you copied above should now be output to the command line.
   
   Reboot the computer and pay attention to the numlock after you sign into Windows. The light should be on after you sign in.

I hope that helps.

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About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.