Etechnopedia

Do you have an Fn key in the keyboard of your laptop or tablet? Then surely you have a Fn key or similar.

Using this key will make a keyboard with relatively few keys to become a numeric keypad, multimedia keys etc.

The problem that this key can lead to is: maybe the default settings may not be to your taste, and every time you start the computer you need to reset the Fn lock, block the Fn key. That is, the equivalent of the number lock, but referring to Fn.

 

The problem

Some BIOS allow you to set the Num Lock status when the computer starts, and there are ways to modify it from Windows, whether by additional programs or not.

However, blocking the Fn is not standard: varies from one manufacturer to another and, therefore, is difficult if not impossible, to find a program that can modify it at will. In addition, Bios of laptops tend to be rather modest with settings, with an option and a half. Rare is it that you have this option.

Reassign the key

To this we add another problem: the most common is that the Fn key does not generate a scancode or speaking in english terms, when you hit nothing is sent to the computer.

Instead, when pressed, the keyboard changes the codes of the affected keys. For example, F1 can be converted into a multimedia key to Play.

So you can not remap this key or use external programs to try to change the Windows startup.

Partial solution: remap the others

So following the above example: imagine we have a keyboard whose F1 also performs the function of play, but only when the Lock Fn is pressed. What if we want it to always be a Play button?

In this case, what we can do is press the Fn lock every time you start the computer ... or reassign the F1 key.

For this there are several programs, but we recommend SharpKeys compatible with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista and Windows 7, 32 and 64 Bits.

After you start it, click Add.

Then it's time to select the key you want to reassign. In our case, would the F1 key. You can select from the list or directly press Type Key and press it.

Then do the same with the key to which you want to reassign. That is, activate the Lock Fn and then click the Type Key (this time on the right), pressing the same key as before. In our example, would be F1 again, although its function is different.

What's left? Simply press Write to Registry and reboot.

Thus, the key will always have the same function, regardless of whether you're pressing the Fn key or activate the lock on or off.

Of course, you should keep in mind that you will lose "the other function of the key". In my case, the loss is compensated, for in the keyboard of my computer the key "/" is shared with the Home key, and while the former is widely used in the Internet and other ways, I can survive without using Home :-)

Send

Print

Save

Tags: ,