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Quick Answer

Set Bootup NumLock State to On in your PC's BIOS or UEFI setup — that applies before Windows loads, so the number pad works at the sign-in screen. On a laptop with no separate pad, hold Fn and press Num Lk.

How to Turn On Num Lock at Startup on Windows ​

Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10; desktop and laptop keyboards
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-07-29

Summary ​

When Num Lock is off at the sign-in screen, the number pad sends arrows and Home/End instead of digits, so any digits in your password never arrive and the sign-in fails. This article shows you how to make Num Lock come on automatically — through the firmware setting that reliably survives restarts, through the registry value Windows applies to the sign-in screen, and through the Fn key on a laptop with an embedded number pad.

Prerequisites ​

  • Windows 11 or Windows 10.
  • Access to your PC's BIOS or UEFI setup screen for Step 2, and admin rights for Step 3. Steps 1, 5, and 6 need neither.

Instructions ​

1. Confirm Num Lock Is the Cause ​

A Num Lock problem and a wrong password look identical from the sign-in screen. Separate them first.

  1. At the Windows sign-in screen, look for the Num Lock indicator on your keyboard — a small LED above the number pad on most desktop keyboards, or an on-screen banner on some laptops.
  2. Click into the password box and press 1 on the number pad. If a dot appears in the box, the pad is working. If the cursor jumps to the end of the field instead, Num Lock is off.
  3. Type your password using the number row along the top of the keyboard for any digits. Those keys work regardless of Num Lock state.
  4. If you sign in successfully that way, Num Lock was the cause and the rest of this article applies.
  5. If the password is still rejected, the problem is elsewhere — see How to Fix Windows Sign-In Errors — PIN, Password, and Windows Hello Issues.

Note: Windows counts a Num Lock mistake as a failed sign-in attempt like any other. Enough failures in a row trigger an account lockout, so switch to the number row rather than retrying the same way.

2. Turn On Num Lock in BIOS or UEFI Firmware Settings ​

This is the reliable fix. The firmware setting applies before Windows loads, so it covers the sign-in screen, every user account, and a fresh Windows install.

  1. Save your work and restart the PC.
  2. As the manufacturer logo appears, press the firmware setup key repeatedly. It is F2 on most Dell and ASUS machines, F10 or Esc on HP, F1 or F2 on Lenovo, and Del on most desktop motherboards. The correct key is usually printed on screen for a second or two.
  3. If Windows loads before you can press it, use the Windows route instead: open Settings > System > Recovery, click Restart now beside Advanced startup, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart.
  4. In the setup screen, open the tab named Boot, Advanced, System Configuration, or POST Behavior — the wording varies by manufacturer.
  5. Find the setting named Bootup NumLock State, NumLock, Num Lock Key, or Keyboard NumLock, and set it to On or Enabled.
  6. Press F10, or select Save Changes and Exit. Confirm when prompted. The PC restarts.
  7. At the sign-in screen, the Num Lock light is on and the number pad types digits.

Note: If the setup screen asks for a password you do not have, or every setting is read-only, your organisation has locked the firmware. Skip to Step 6.

3. Set the Sign-In Screen Default with a Registry Value ​

Windows stores the sign-in screen's keyboard state under the default user profile. One value there controls whether Num Lock is on before anyone signs in.

Warning: Registry Editor applies changes the moment you click OK, with no undo and no confirmation. Change only the value named below, and type the path exactly. On a work-managed device Registry Editor is often blocked outright — that is expected, and Step 6 covers what to do.

  1. Press Windows + R. The Run dialog opens in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt. The Registry Editor window opens.
  3. Click the address bar across the top of Registry Editor, type HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard, and press Enter. Note the leading dot in .DEFAULT — it is part of the key name.
  4. In the right-hand pane, double-click InitialKeyboardIndicators. The Edit String dialog opens.
  5. Replace the contents of Value data with 2 and click OK. The dialog closes and the new value shows in the list.
  6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard so the setting also holds after you sign in.
  7. Close Registry Editor and restart the PC.
  8. At the sign-in screen, the Num Lock light is on.

Note: The values mean: 0 turns all indicators off, 2 turns Num Lock on, and 2147483650 turns Num Lock on in a way that survives Fast Startup — see Step 4.

4. Account for Fast Startup ​

Windows Fast Startup saves part of the system state at shutdown and restores it at power-on, keyboard indicators included. That restored state overrides the registry value you set in Step 3.

  1. If Num Lock is still off after Step 3, set InitialKeyboardIndicators to 2147483650 in both registry locations instead of 2, then restart.
  2. To turn Fast Startup off instead, press Windows + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter. The Power Options window opens.
  3. Click Choose what the power buttons do in the left sidebar.
  4. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable near the top of the page. The greyed-out checkboxes below become active.
  5. Clear Turn on fast startup (recommended) under the Shutdown settings heading, then click Save changes.
  6. Shut down and power the PC back on. The Num Lock light is on at the sign-in screen.

Tip: There is a no-settings workaround for a machine you shut down rather than restart: press Num Lock at the sign-in screen so the light is on, then shut down from the sign-in screen power button. Fast Startup saves that state and restores it next time.

5. Turn On the Number Pad on a Laptop Without One ​

Many laptops have no separate number pad. The digits are printed in a second colour on the letter keys, and Fn switches between the two.

  1. Look for a key labelled Num Lk, NumLk, or Num Lock. It commonly shares a key with F11, Scr Lk, Insert, or Delete in the top-right area of the keyboard, with its label printed in the same accent colour as Fn.
  2. Hold Fn and press that key. Most laptops show a brief on-screen indicator confirming the switch.
  3. Open Notepad and type on the letter keys that carry small printed digits. Those keys now produce the digits instead of letters, which confirms the embedded pad is active.
  4. Hold Fn and press the same key again to switch back to letters.
  5. If your laptop has no Num Lock key at all, press Windows + Ctrl + O to open the On-Screen Keyboard, click Options, select Turn on numeric key pad, and click OK. A NumLock button appears on the on-screen keyboard.

Warning: On a laptop with no separate pad, leaving Num Lock on creates the mirror-image problem — your password types digits where you meant letters, and the sign-in fails in exactly the same puzzling way. On these machines, leave Num Lock off and use the number row.

6. What to Do on a Managed Work Device ​

Corporate builds routinely lock both routes. Confirm which one is blocked, then hand IT a request they can action in one step.

  1. Test Registry Editor: press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. A message reading Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator means Group Policy blocks it.
  2. Test firmware setup: restart and press the setup key from Step 2. A BIOS password prompt, or a setup screen where every value is greyed out, means the firmware is locked.
  3. Raise a ticket and give IT the exact change. Tell them: "Please set Bootup NumLock State to On in the BIOS for asset your asset tag, or push InitialKeyboardIndicators = 2 under HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard. The number pad is off at the sign-in screen and staff are logging failed sign-in attempts."
  4. Until the change lands, type any digits in your password from the number row along the top of the keyboard.

Tip: If several people on your team hit this on the same model of PC, say so in the ticket. It turns a one-machine tweak into a build change and gets it fixed for everyone at once — see How to Submit an Effective IT Support Ticket.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

Registry Editor applies changes immediately, with no undo. Change only InitialKeyboardIndicators. If that value or the key path is missing on your machine, stop and use the BIOS route in Step 2 rather than creating new registry entries by hand.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Password rejected at sign-in, accepted after typing it a different wayNum Lock off, digits not registeringType digits from the number row (Step 1), then set the firmware default (Step 2).
Num Lock turns off again after every restartFast Startup restoring the old stateSet the registry value to 2147483650, or turn Fast Startup off (Step 4).
Registry editing has been disabled by your administratorGroup Policy blocks Registry EditorUse the BIOS route (Step 2), or ask IT to push the value for you (Step 6).
No Num Lock option anywhere in firmware setupManufacturer omits the settingUse the registry route (Step 3), or the Fn key on a laptop (Step 5).
Number pad sends arrows, Home, and End instead of digitsNum Lock is offPress Num Lock once. On a laptop, hold Fn and press Num Lk (Step 5).
Letters turn into numbers while typing on a laptopEmbedded number pad left onHold Fn and press Num Lk to switch it off (Step 5).