\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Hold down the Fn key. Probe: If Most of the keys are printing different letters than the keyboard, then you need to check for … The symbols for them look more or less the same and they’re easy enough to identify. When I am not holding down the "Fn" key the "mute" button on F1 now opens a new tab in my brower, the "volume down" button on F2 doesn't do anything, and the "volume up" button on F3 now opens the search. BIOS option Fn and Ctrl Key Swap can also be present on ThinkPad notebooks, which changes the Fn and Ctrl in reverse.. Dell Laptops. They have several different commands that may be useful to you, such as pulling up a help menu or refreshing a page. If that works, then your F keys are defaulting to working as F keys, not media keys. By the way, despite my PC being a Dell, my Mobility Center does not have additional Dell settings. To revert the Fn keys to their default usage press Fn + ESC key. Fn key to right of Ctrl is #1 annoyance on this laptop. P.S. Volume shortcut keys (F1, F2 and F3) do not work. Under Customized by Dell Inc. look for Function Key Row. After that, press Fn Lock key + Fn Key (in the lower-left corner of the keyboard). Thank you for trying though. She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder. These are the keys at the top of your keyboard labeled F1 through F12. menu. Using XPS 15 9560. Update: Thanks to the comments, below are the other hotkeys that you can try depending on your Dell laptop model.. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. The reason for this is because the Fn key works in a specific way. If you see an icon indicating "F Lock" or "Fn Lock", then press Fn+Esc, and the default behaviors of your F keys will be reversed. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The keys that work in conjunction with the Fn key will usually have a blue symbol or blue word displayed (the Dell laptop model XPS 13 9350 symbols are white). I have a Windows 10 operating system. This article was written by Katie Double. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. You can try to unlock the keyboard on your Windows 10 Dell laptop effectively via the following 2 ways. The Fn key is managed purely by system firmware. The fn key on laptops is defined as “Function Key”. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Note: This only works if you have purchased the optional backlit keyboard while ordering.Studio Laptops with backlit keyboard have an additional icon for the LED on/off switch, which is located on the right arrow key. After a few years of working just fine the 3 volume buttons at the top of the keyboard now only work when I hold down the "Fn" key. If that works, then your F keys are defaulting to working as F keys, not media keys. I'll try to paraphrase what barley suggested: If your keyboard does not have an fn key, then ignore that step in your instructions, and simply press the next referenced f key, ignoring the fn key - which, after all, is a modifying key - and your keyboard doesn't need that to operate the function keys. Are you holding the Function key? I have updated and install updated drivers and that did not work either. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type. 2. Combination Fn+Esc switches the Fn key operation on some Lenovo laptops, this option is available in BIOS (Configuration -> HotKey Mode). By default, each of these F keys has a special function defined by the operating system or the running program. 2. To invert/ revert the Fn keys from the BIOS: Turn off the computer; Now turn it on and on the … If there is one, try pressing it, then check if the Fn keys are now working. Reverse the Fn keys from BIOS settings. There are two methods that you can apply to use the function keys without pressing the Fn key on your Windows laptop. If you don’t, you may have to press the Fn key and then press an “Fn Lock” key to activate it. When pressed, the Fn key enables the secondary purpose of other keys on the keyboard, such as the function keys (F1 - F12).. For example, on some laptops, holding the Fn key and pressing a key with a secondary function adjusts the screen's brightness.Other special functions enabled by the Fn key … Instructions to Fix Dell Alienware Keyboard Not Working 1. You should see the Windows Mobility Center at the top, and Customized by Dell Inc. at the bottom. Anyway, possible to switch Fn and Ctrl keys … I can't find exact driver for KB216p, but tried out R34632, R42232, R210570, R272893, Input_Driver_MTM06_WN64_3.0.0_A04 from dell website but no … These methods will make sure you don’t have to press the Fn key + Function Key to perform a particular function. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Then you can use the function key by pressing it directly. If you see an icon indicating "F Lock" or "Fn Lock", then press Fn+Esc, and the default behaviors of your F keys will be reversed. 2 It's at the top-left corner of … She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder. I know the keys work because F11 and F12 work just fine, same as Esc despite FN-Lock not working. On laptops, fn key is used as compact layout to combine the keys which are separated to each other. This works for only Windows Laptop. If restarting doesn’t work you try the second method. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 7,601 times. Restart your Laptop. This article has been viewed 7,601 times. She has over five years of experience in technical support, IT process analysis, and quantitative research. https://support.microsoft.com/en-nz/help/4052268/accessories-how-do-i-use-the-fn-key-f-lock-key-alternate-command-keys, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. On some keyboards, press the fn key to enable that command. I have to go to the arrow in the lower right hand corner that shows the volume control to adjust the volume. Find the key with the Fn Lock icon in your keyboard (usually the Esc key ). Final Thoughts There's a drop down box there that should be set to Multimedia key. By using our site, you agree to our. After opening the application, look for the “ Function Key Row.” Now, click on the drop-down arrow and select “ Function Key.” We recommend looking for an F Lock or F Mode key on your keyboard. On Dell systems, there is an extra setting for Function Key Row that can help you change the settings: In the start menu, search for “ Window Mobility Center ”. Coming from 5+ years of MacOS use, and heavy Matias Ergo Pro keyboard use. If you are wondering the usages of function keys Windows 10 , please keep reading. Restart your Laptop. I. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Though originally from Denver, Colorado, she currently resides in New Zealand. Reinstall Keyboard Driver. Those keys can be set up to use the F numbers or the function with just the keystroke. No idea who enjoys stretching out their pinky to hit Ctrl vs just hitting it with their first joint. Way 1: Unlock the Locked Dell Keyboard with the NumLock Key This article has been viewed 7,601 times. Method 2: Try Pressing the F11 or F12 Keys Several users reported that they had been able to get their … Press and hold the "Fn" key, which is located in the lower left corner of your keyboard, to the left of … If you don't see it, press the Windows Key + R and type in mblctr followed by pressing the enter key. Tried Fn+Esc to toggle Fn lock not worked, tried different USB ports, tried windows 10 keyboard troubleshooter still the same. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The secondary functionality is sometimes called action keys mode or hotkeys. :) However, I'll hold off on marking your answer as the solution so as to maybe get other answers. Depending on your keyboard, you may actually have a dedicated “Fn Lock” key. I have a new laptop, Inspiron 15 5000 series and the shortcut keys (F1 - mute, F2 - lower volume., F3 - increase volume) do not work. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Turn-On-the-Keyboard-Light-on-an-HP-Pavilion-Step-5-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Turn-On-the-Keyboard-Light-on-an-HP-Pavilion-Step-5-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Turn-On-the-Keyboard-Light-on-an-HP-Pavilion-Step-5-Version-3.jpg\/aid11822170-v4-728px-Turn-On-the-Keyboard-Light-on-an-HP-Pavilion-Step-5-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"