WIN-XP in NUM LOCK off??

  • Thread starter Thread starter RDG
  • Start date Start date
R

RDG

What is the function of the "NUM LOCK" on/off status???
Why unlike win-ME, win-XP boots with NUM LOCK status
off??? What difference does it make when the system boots
with NUM LOCK status on or off??? Is there any way to
make win-XP boot with this status on???
Thanks in advance..
 
RDG said:
What is the function of the "NUM LOCK" on/off status???
Why unlike win-ME, win-XP boots with NUM LOCK status
off??? What difference does it make when the system boots
with NUM LOCK status on or off??? Is there any way to
make win-XP boot with this status on???
Thanks in advance..
Click to expand...

Makes a difference to the user. Can also make a difference for passwords,
particularly for those that use the number keypad and/or are on laptops..
(If they use the number keypad to type in numbers normally and they try it
at logon, but the NUMLOCK is off, failure. If they are on a laptop and the
numlock is ON that usually means the right side of the alphabetical
characters of the keyboard, as there is no true number keypad on a laptop
(most..) and thus if they have a letter in their password on that side of
the keyboard, they are instead typing the corresponding number - failure.)

Yes - you can turn it on/off for all users, by default or per user with
registry entries.
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/196

Google must still be broken...
 
Greetings --

WinXP, like its predecessors WinNT and Win2K, by design, ignores
the BIOS settings for the NumLock key, supposedly as a standard
security feature. (I'm afraid I can no longer remember the "security"
issue initially addressed, though.) 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 you need 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
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