Keyboard Keys Typing Numbers Instead of Letters

by Joe Kraynak | Aug 14, 2009 | Portable Computing, Troubleshooting | 92 comments

If some of the keys on your keyboard are typing numbers instead of letters, check to make sure Num Lock is not on. This seems obvious, but it’s a common occurrence on laptop and notebook computers, and it’s not as easy as just pressing a NumLock key to turn it off.

On some Gateway notebook computers, for example, you toggle the NumLock function by pressing Fn+. In other words, you hold down the Fn key (lower left of the keyboard) while pressing and releasing the Scroll key. Toggle means the keystroke turns the function on it it’s off or off it it’s on.

On some Packard-Bell keyboards, you hold down the Fn key while pressing the Ins key.

The important thing to remember is that if your keyboard is typing numbers when you’re trying to type letters, it’s likely that Num Lock is on. Your next step is to read the manual or check the manufacturer’s website for instructions on how to toggle Num Lock off.

92 Comments

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casi on December 29, 2011 at 12:34 am

Uhm, i have just a regular laptop. Dell. Andd, idk what i hit. But, eveytime i type the letters… it just types numbers. right now im on a diff. computer.. but i need my laptop to go back to normal. i already tried the num lock… it doesn’t work. please help.
Stan on January 23, 2012 at 3:53 pm

Same prob with my Dell Vostro 1520
Hold down FN and num lock key at same time and it seems to have fixed the problem
cathy on March 5, 2012 at 7:23 am

oh this was such great help, i was almost feeling frustrated but i pressed fn and the scroll button and everything is ok, thank!
Ahmed Gareeballah on March 21, 2012 at 9:33 am

Yeah This is such a great help Indeed , Thanks a Lot .
Anonymous on June 25, 2012 at 1:41 pm

This is SUPER helpful !! Fixed my PC. Fn + Num Lck/ Fn + Scrn Lck
Anonymous on July 12, 2012 at 11:38 pm

how about a desktop it doesent have a fn key
Blossom on July 24, 2012 at 5:37 am

This was such a SUPER HELPER! I had no idea what was going on when I was typing and some were letters and some were numbers? This is the solution that Works! Thank You!
Lindsey on July 28, 2012 at 2:08 pm

I have a ASUS laptop?? And I need! HELP I use photo editor sites and I dunno what the heck a toggle key is My dads a computer expert but My computer has broke SO many times and he fixed it a bunch!!! I’m scarred to ask him again!!!…
kyle on August 19, 2012 at 5:23 am

Thank you So Much this was a Greta help to me As I when booting up i could not even get passed the sign on screen , as when putting in my password , they were stared out , So i rebooted in SAFE mode then moved the curser up to the browser window and typed my password discovering that i was getting NUMBERS instead of letter! i used the on screen keyboard to WORK AROUND to Sign in with my PASSWORD. then in SAFE MODE removed my password, Rebooote , used on screen keyboard found your web page TRIED THE Fn +Ins Together as was mentioned on your web page ,and Wala! all fixed this worked on my Acer Laptop with Win 7. Thank you Very Much! I thought i had gotten a strange virus.
kyle on August 19, 2012 at 5:29 am

followup post, After reading what I wrote, I thought i better clarify to any reader who was getting number mixed with letters when typing , That in the lower left hand side of the keyboard is the Function key [Fn] pressing that key combined at the same time pressing the [Ins] Key in the upper right side , Was a successful remedy to the problem to repair my key board back to normal pressing letter keys and getting the desired corresponding letter key when pressed , instead of NUMBERS as was the problem that let me to looking to find your web page . \
Thank you
Pam on October 4, 2012 at 11:02 am

Thanx so much. After 2 hours of trial & error..whala!!..fixed. I’ve added you to my favorites 😉
ericka on November 10, 2012 at 12:05 am

help! everytime i hit M C and other letters they come out with numbers. just like this m7 c3 z1 v4
Annabelle on January 4, 2013 at 6:08 am

thanks so much for this site, was a great help for me, was able to fix my problem earlier…Thanks!
Genevieve on January 11, 2013 at 11:20 pm

Thanks for posting this helpful information. I use a dell laptop too and little fingers tend to press all sorts of keys when you don’t want them to!
I’ve put the ‘fix’ onto a sticky note on my noticeboard so I can find it easily. Phew!
Deborah on January 17, 2013 at 4:56 pm

thanks for the help called gateway and they wanted my house to solve my problem. alpha keys were typing numeric, read your site and fixed problem in 2 seconds.
Stev5 on January 30, 2013 at 3:14 am

I have an HP and I do not have an INS button. Any ideas? Ive tried every combination of the FN key with SCROLL, PRT SC, SYS RQ, PAUSE, NUM LOACK and BREAK
I dont know what I did but before I did it with NUM LOCk on my letters were letters and I could use the 10 key now I can either use the 10 key with some of my letters showing as numbers or I can turn num lock off and my letters are fine.
I want to use my 10 key and letters!!
Help!!
All Ayes On Me on February 10, 2013 at 2:01 pm

Thanks This is what i have been searching alot
Zahid on April 23, 2013 at 2:08 pm

I have a problem with my Hp laptop when I a am writing on Persion language in Skype or yahoo massanger by pressing any key it changes the writing language but in other programs it is normal so how to resolve it
Roxanne on August 30, 2013 at 11:40 pm

I have a desk top that does not have an fn key and I get numbers appearing while attempting to type letters. The only solution I’ve been able to come up with is to shut it down and re-start it. Does anyone have a better solution?
Roxanne on August 30, 2013 at 11:41 pm

I have a laptop that does not have an fn key. The only solution I’ve been able to come up with is to shut the computer down and restart it. Does any one have a better idea so I do not have to shut it down?
sivakumaran on December 12, 2013 at 10:58 pm

kyle: its working. thanks buddy.
Dorothy on February 1, 2014 at 11:09 pm

THANK YOU!!!!
Dave on May 26, 2014 at 4:49 pm

If anyone else tries all the above and it doesn’t work and you have bitdefender installed. Uninstall it. Once I did that it worked fine.
mick groshowsky on June 30, 2014 at 5:18 pm

Fix for keyboard error was right on!

Question: How come the Online guru’s did no know this simple fix.

Also: Why doesn’t Gateway address “Feature” in their “Help”

Thank whomever you are!
M.J on July 18, 2014 at 10:30 am

It worked! Thanks
dj on July 30, 2014 at 3:45 pm

Thanks for the article. Gateway keyboard back to normal.
Denise Dixon on September 9, 2014 at 5:31 pm

the information given was very useful thanks much.
kely on September 23, 2014 at 6:55 pm

Hp laptop, fn+f11 doesn’t work, I don’t have num lock key or idk whrre it is and I don’t have ins key or a ins button or idk where it is. I tried everything but still typing letter and numbers help please
Darla on March 12, 2015 at 10:40 pm

I have a Logitech keyboard K520. My letters are being typed as numbers. I’ve tried all the fixes above and none of them work. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks, in advance.
thiyagarajan on May 2, 2015 at 11:12 pm

It is worth.super ma. Fn+num lk+ scr lk
Carole on May 11, 2015 at 3:23 am

Help I don’t seem to have a fn or function button or if I have, I can’t see it, my problem is that when I press full stop! this happens ., or commas the same thing its most annoying if you can help tell me
Carole
Jen2 on May 29, 2015 at 2:36 am

Thanks a bunch Thiyagarajan!!! it works whew!!!
Sally and Sue on August 5, 2015 at 8:30 pm

Thanks so much, we freaked out and thought it was a virus haa haa! Your help fixed it in minutes!! XXX
Sag on August 17, 2015 at 3:14 pm

Wow! It WORKED thank you thank you; feeling happy:) I too thought I had a virus. Thanks for you help.
Anonymous on January 11, 2016 at 6:41 am

hi, thank you so much. that was great help for me.
Ernest on May 6, 2016 at 5:58 pm

Thanks so much the FN +INSERT key helped my ASUS key worked very well
maneeshmohan on July 27, 2016 at 10:48 am

Fn+f11 is working in samsung R439 laptop
aliya on September 22, 2017 at 11:44 am

god bless u i was freky worried abt thanks alot
Anonymous on October 27, 2017 at 8:45 am

I tried it but its not responding on my PC.Its PROLINE windows 10,2g Ram and 500g hardrive,What can i do
Emmanuel on October 27, 2017 at 8:47 am

Tried but not responding, its Proline laptop
Fayejames on March 22, 2018 at 6:14 pm

Thank you sooooooooooooo much. I was in a tizzy over this problem, about to rip the keyboard out of the laptop. So glad I asked the right question to get this correct solution. Kudos for your knowledge.
Maria Socorro on August 8, 2018 at 11:45 pm

Thank you so much for the tip!… I really thought my laptop was defective. I followed your TS and baam! It worked