Enable/Disable Numlock at Windows Startup

Solve a problem where Numlock is enabled in Microsoft Windows at startup with these steps.

Method 1 – Registry Setting

1. Hold the Windows Key then press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
2. Type “regedit“, then press “Enter“.
3. Navigate to the following location in the registry:
   • HKEY_USERS
   • .Default
   • Control Panel
   • Keyboard
4. Change the value of InitialKeyboardIndicators
   • Set it to 0 to set NumLock OFF
   • Set it to 2 to set NumLock ON

Method 2 – Function Keys

You may have inadvertently pressed a key combination on your keyboard to cause certain letters on your keyboard to be used as a numeric keypad. This is normally the case for laptop users.

In most cases, you will have a “Fn” and “NumLk” key that can be used to toggle this setting on or off. Hold the “Fn” key, then press “NumLk” to toggle the numeric keypad on or off.

Method 3 – BIOS Setting

Most computers, including virtual machines will have a BIOS setting that controls whether or not NumLock is enabled or disabled at startup. You can usually enter the BIOS by pressing a certain key such as “Delete” or “F1” at startup before Windows loads. Once in the BIOS, you should be able to find a setting that controls NumLock.