Num Lock Key on StartUp?

[seanmc23]

Using Dell 470 workstation with Win XP Pro. All I want is the num lock
key active on start-up. How, please?

Thanks - Sean

 

[Snarky Parker]

A registry hack is required.

See solution #3 for Windows 2000/XP in the following article:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article01-001

| Using Dell 470 workstation with Win XP Pro. All I want is the num lock
| key active on start-up. How, please?
|
| Thanks - Sean
|

 

[Steve N.]

Using Dell 470 workstation with Win XP Pro. All I want is the num lock
key active on start-up. How, please?

Thanks - Sean

Num-Lock status in XP is on a specific user account basis and the last
state of Num-Lock at logoff of a user is reset to that state when that
use logs in again.

Steve N.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Using Dell 470 workstation with Win XP Pro. All I want is the num lock
key active on start-up. How, please?

Thanks - Sean

WinXP, like its predecessors WinNT and Win2K, by design, ignores
the BIOS settings for the NumLock key as a standard security feature.
(I'm afraid I can't remember the "security" issue initially addressed.)
By default, the NumLock key is turned off as WinXP starts, and keeps
it off until someone logs in and initializes a user profile. WinXP will
remember the NumLock's last state, meaning that if you log out with the
NumLock on, it will automatically turn on the next time you log in; If
you log out with the NumLock off, it will be off the next time you log in.

If one needs the NumLock on _before_ logging in, a registry edit
can be used to change WinXP's default behavior:

How to Set the NUM LOCK State at Logon in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314879


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Steve N.]

WinXP, like its predecessors WinNT and Win2K, by design, ignores the
BIOS settings for the NumLock key as a standard security feature. (I'm
afraid I can't remember the "security" issue initially addressed.) By
default, the NumLock key is turned off as WinXP starts, and keeps it off
until someone logs in and initializes a user profile. WinXP will
remember the NumLock's last state, meaning that if you log out with the
NumLock on, it will automatically turn on the next time you log in; If
you log out with the NumLock off, it will be off the next time you log in.

If one needs the NumLock on _before_ logging in, a registry edit can
be used to change WinXP's default behavior:

How to Set the NUM LOCK State at Logon in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314879

From what I've been able to gather the numlock "security" issue has
mostly to do with laptop users not being able to login due to numlock=on
remapping the right side of the laptop keyboard, although I have found a
couple of obscure and incomplete refernces to brute-force password
hacking that have to do with numlock=on, I've found nothing definative
at all. I believe it has more to do with laptop enhancements than actual
"security" reasons, but since login failure does fall into the
"security" arena it sort of makes sense that they put the settings for
numlock under "Security" settings.

Steve N.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

From what I've been able to gather the numlock "security" issue has
mostly to do with laptop users not being able to login due to numlock=on
remapping the right side of the laptop keyboard, although I have found a
couple of obscure and incomplete refernces to brute-force password
hacking that have to do with numlock=on, I've found nothing definative
at all. I believe it has more to do with laptop enhancements than actual
"security" reasons, but since login failure does fall into the
"security" arena it sort of makes sense that they put the settings for
numlock under "Security" settings.

Steve N.

You may well be correct. I can't find anything more definitive on the
subject, now, either. And the "laptop enhancement" (nice phrase, that)
explanation certainly makes sense. We've got laptop users posting
almost weekly that their keyboard has broken and is starting to enter
numbers when the right-hand letters are pressed.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[What-a-Tool]

Thanks for all the replies - Tried the script - Numlock comes on, then
goes off again when the log-on dialog box appears. Have to try the
group policy solution and see if it works.

Thanks again - Sean