Stupid question about my keyboard

[Guest]

I have a strange problem. On my keyboard, right next to the lit green
character that shows that my caps lock is on, is a symbol of a small lock,
with the number 9 in the center. I did something, while typing text in an
email, must have activated this, but I can't get rid of it. It affects the
text on my keyboard, i.e., when I type a colon, a strange character appears
in the text where the colon should be. What the heck did I do, and how do I
get rid of it?

 

[Tim Slattery]

I have a strange problem. On my keyboard, right next to the lit green
character that shows that my caps lock is on, is a symbol of a small lock,
with the number 9 in the center.

That would be telling you that number lock is on.

I did something, while typing text in an
email, must have activated this, but I can't get rid of it. It affects the
text on my keyboard, i.e., when I type a colon, a strange character appears
in the text where the colon should be. What the heck did I do, and how do I
get rid of it?

Find the NumLock key on your keyboard and push it. From your
description, I'm guessing you're using a laptop. Laptop keyboards
don't have enough space for a separate number pad, so some of the
letter keys can do double-duty. When NumLock is activated, they turn
into a number pad. When you have a *lot* of numbers to punch in, this
can make thins significantly easier.