# Dodgy keyboard typing numbers in place of letters



## ci1

Hoping someone can help.

I took my laptop home to do some work over the weekend.  But when I was typing some letters were coming out as numbers.  Very frustrating as I could not even google the problem because half of the sentences were numbers.

I use a separate keyboard in work which is fine but if I just want to use the laptop keyboard its causing problems.

Anybody ever experience this problem? and how is it fixed?

thanks


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## demoivre

Are you sure numbers lock isn't on?


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## z109

Try hitting the shift key 5 times. It should bring up "sticky keys" and you can then switch them off.


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## ci1

Hi tried both those things.

When Num lock is on the numbers along the top of the keyboard don't work which is fine but some letters are still coming out as numbers.
tried the sticky keys thing too.  Heres how it looks when I type a sentence on the laptop keyboard.

0y 2eyb6ard 5s n6t w6r25ng beca4se s60e 3etters are be5ng re-3aced w5th n40bers.


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## ClubMan

When the _Num Lock _is on/engaged on a laptop some of the keys on the right hand side of the keyboard become the numeric keypad. From the sentence typed above it looks to me like the _Num Lock _is on and you need to switch it off. _demoivre _already suggested this in the first reply to this thread. If the _Num Lock_ is off an you are still having problems then that's another matter. Please clarify the situation with and without _Num Lock _on.


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## ninsaga

ci1 said:


> 0y 2eyb6ard 5s n6t w6r25ng beca4se s60e 3etters are be5ng re-3aced w5th n40bers.



ci1, If this is an experiment on our ability to read this... then it works just fine!


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## ci1

happens with Num lock is on.  I've tried this all weekend.


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## ClubMan

If the _Num Lock _is on then the keys appearing as digits above double up as a numeric keypad. If the keyboard works normally with it off then I don't see what the problem is. You only use the _Num Lock _on a laptop if you want to have the relevant keys double up as a numeric keypad while entering a large amount of numeric data. Otherwise you want to leave it off (e.g. when typing text).


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## ci1

I know what your saying but on or off it doesn't make any difference.

I couldnt' even google the problem over the weekend because I couldn't type a proper sentence

6 month old laptop, very frustrating


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## ClubMan

You mean whether or not the _Num Lock _key is on/engaged the keys which double up as keypad numeric keys are generating digits and not letters? Maybe the _Num Lock _key is stuck engaged? Is there a light which shows when it's engaged? If so is it lit all of the time? If the laptop is a _Dell _then run the _Dell _diagnostics for the machine - one of the keyboard tests will check for stuck keys.


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## ci1

There is no light on mine to indicate if its on or off & it doesn't appear to be stuck.

its a packard bell and they're support is not great from what I've tried to find out this morning.

I'm still under warranty and have receipts etc. I'll just take it back today because I cannot get any work done from home and I'm planning on working from home 2 days a week so need to get it sorted.

Thanks for the help anyway.


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## nai

whay type of laptop ? most laptops (if < 17") have a numeric keypad inbuilt as a function of the qwerty keypad - you have probably enabled this using a function key - just turn that off - eg on a Toshiba it would be Fn + F10 or Fn + F11 - see here `

other laptops will have a similar key combination.


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## ClubMan

nai said:


> whay type of laptop ? most laptops (if < 17") have a numeric keypad inbuilt as a function of the qwerty keypad - you have probably enabled this using a function key - just turn that off - eg on a Toshiba it would be Fn + F10 or Fn + F11 - see here `
> 
> other laptops will have a similar key combination.


Yeah:


demoivre said:


> Are you sure numbers lock isn't on?





ClubMan said:


> When the _Num Lock _is on/engaged on a laptop some of the keys on the right hand side of the keyboard become the numeric keypad. From the sentence typed above it looks to me like the _Num Lock _is on and you need to switch it off. _demoivre _already suggested this in the first reply to this thread. If the _Num Lock_ is off an you are still having problems then that's another matter. Please clarify the situation with and without _Num Lock _on.


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## ci1

Figured it all out now, thanks everyone...


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## ClubMan

ci1 said:


> Figured it all out now, thanks everyone...


So - what was the issue/solution?


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## ci1

Took ages, I held down shift and pressed all the buttons on the keyboard and nothing, then I held down alt and done the same thing, then I held down FN and still nothing and last of all I held down Control and Num Lock and it unlocked.

That function and how to turn it on and off is nowhere on PB support website!!


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## car

[broken link removed] on packard bells support site.


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## ci1

Thanks for finding that after I'd fixed the problem!


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## car

It was in response to this comment 



ci1 said:


> That function and how to turn it on and off is nowhere on PB support website!!



rather then your initial problem which Id only seen today.  Its one thing not to be able to find a solution on a support website, its another to say it doesnt exist.


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## ClubMan

ci1 said:


> Thanks for finding that after I'd fixed the problem!





car said:


> It was in response to this comment
> 
> ...
> 
> rather then your initial problem which Id only seen today.  Its one thing not to be able to find a solution on a support website, its another to say it doesnt exist.


And it's yet another to be so rude and ungrateful to somebody who bothered to post some useful info in response to a question once they had seen it!  Fair play for following up _car_. Somebody else might find the info useful and may be more grateful to you for having posted it...


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## ZOLTAN28

I'd like to thank you guys evne if the OP felt it wasn't needed (can you believe that guy?) - had the same problem on my laptop - tried googling the nonsense and got to this page as the OP had typed something similar as an example - when I saw num lock I couldn't believe how stupid I had been - had this laptop for a couple of years and didn't even realise there was a num lock on it (I am fairly technically savvie) - mine is a Dell Inspiron 1501 by the way and those little numbers in 'blue' are on the affected letters key - hope this is useful for anyone else.


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## blueelastic

to nai- thank you so much for posting this comment. My keypad was locked for weeks before I was able to follow your instructions to unlock it and fix it.  thank you so much.


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## valentinenze

The Problem usually starts with plugging in an external keyboard like an usb keyboard or wireless keyboard. The external keyboard enables the num lock and leaves the light on after you have unplugged the keyboard from you laptop. 

To resolve issue on laptop disable the numlock, if cannot see the numlock on your laptop, Press the FN and the F10 Key Together (FN is located next to CTRL key on toshiba laptops. and the F10 key is on the first layer of keys of your keyboard ) to toggle off, the light goes off. Problem is solved. Hope this solves your issue.


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## Davey Byrne

Also Fn + Ins / Num LK will work on a US Keyboard.

Davey.


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