Hi Maree
It depends on the individual laptop keyboard.
On mine, the numeric keys (otherwise m, j, k, l etc) have numbers displayed
in a square border on the keys. That indicates that these keys will only
work as numbers when NumLock is on. So, I first have to turn on NumLock. To
do that, I see that there's a key with "num lk" in a square, and a Fn
(Function) key also with a square around it. So, I hold down the Fn key and
press the num lk key. Now, I can use the good old Alt + numeric keys to get
a symbol. Then, I have to turn off Num Lock (Fn + num lk key) to return to
ordinary typing.
If you have to do this often, it could drive you mad. There are two ways to
cope. First, at Insert > Symbol, find the symbol you want and then click
Shortcut Key to create a shortcut key for your symbol. Or, insert your
symbol into a document, select it (just select the symbol, not an
end-of-paragraph marker too), then do Alt-F3 to save it as an AutoText. For
example, you could name, say, the Trade Mark sign as tmark, and you can
enter your AutoText easily using that name. For more on AutoTexts, see
Using AutoText
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/AutoText.htm
Hope this helps.
Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word