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Why Num Lock turns off after sleep in Windows 11, and how to keep it on

By Mogdho Paul3 min read

Why Num Lock turns off after sleep in Windows 11, and how to keep it on, by Mogdho Paul

Short answer

Windows often resets Num Lock when it wakes up from sleep, and at the sign-in screen it starts with Num Lock off unless you tell it otherwise. The built-in settings below help when the PC starts, but only a small app like AlwaysNumLock keeps it on every time, including after sleep.

You open your laptop, type a phone number on the number pad, and the cursor jumps around instead. Num Lock went off again. It isn't you: Windows forgets it in a few common moments.

Why Num Lock keeps turning off

  1. After sleep. Many laptops reset the keyboard when they wake up, and Num Lock goes back to off.
  2. At the sign-in screen. Windows has its own Num Lock setting for the moment before you sign in, and on most PCs it's off.
  3. After a full shutdown. With Fast Startup on, Windows doesn't fully restart, and the keyboard often comes back with Num Lock off.
  4. A stray key press. The Num Lock key sits right above 7, so it's easy to hit by accident.

Fix 1: turn Num Lock on at the sign-in screen

This tells Windows to start with Num Lock on, so you can type a number PIN straight away. It takes a minute, but you have to be careful because it uses the Registry Editor.

  1. Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes when Windows asks.
  2. In the bar at the top, paste HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard and press Enter.
  3. Double-click InitialKeyboardIndicators, change the value to 2 and click OK. If the value there is a long number like 2147483648, change it to 2147483650 instead.
  4. Restart your PC.

If it still starts with Num Lock off, try Fix 2.

Fix 2: turn off Fast Startup

Fast Startup makes Windows start a little quicker, but it also brings the keyboard back the way it was, often with Num Lock off.

  1. Open the Start menu, type Control Panel and open it.
  2. Go to Hardware and Sound, then Power Options.
  3. Click Choose what the power buttons do, then Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  4. Untick Turn on fast startup and click Save changes.

Some PCs also have a Num Lock option in the BIOS, the settings screen you reach by pressing a key like F2 or Del while the PC starts. If you see NumLock state, set it to On.

The easy way: keep it on, always

The fixes above only help when the PC starts. They don't stop Num Lock turning off after sleep, after the lock screen, or when you press the key by accident.

AlwaysNumLock is a free little app I made for exactly this. It runs quietly next to the clock and keeps Num Lock on in every one of those moments. It can also switch on the sign-in screen setting from Fix 1 for you, with one click and no Registry Editor. Download it, double-click it, and you're done.

Need the number pad as arrow keys for a game? Pause it from its menu by the clock, and turn it back on when you're finished.

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