Fixing NumLock Issues: Troubleshooting Guide for Windows & Mac

How to Keep NumLock Enabled by Default on Startup

Windows 10 / 11

1. Enable NumLock manually: Turn on NumLock at the login screen or desktop.
2. Registry method (stable):
   • Open Registry Editor (regedit).
   • Navigate to:
     • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard
     • HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard
   • Set the value InitialKeyboardIndicators to:
     • 2 — NumLock ON
     • 0 — NumLock OFF
   • If both keys exist, change both to 2.
   • Reboot.
3. BIOS/UEFI setting:
   • Restart and enter BIOS/UEFI (common keys: Del, F2, F10, Esc).
   • Look for options like Bootup NumLock State, Keyboard Features, or Peripherals.
   • Set to Enabled or On. Save and exit.

Windows (older versions: 7 / 8)

• Follow the same Registry steps above. Some OEMs also provide a BIOS option—enable it if present.

macOS

• macOS keyboards typically don’t have a NumLock key; external Windows-style keyboards may have their own behavior controlled in the keyboard firmware. There’s no persistent system-wide NumLock toggle in macOS.

Linux

• Use a startup command to set NumLock at session start:
  • For systemd-based desktops, create a small script that runs numlockx on (install numlockx from your distro).
  • Add the script to your desktop environment’s autostart entries (e.g., ~/.config/autostart).
• Some display managers (LightDM, GDM) have settings or greeters where NumLock can be enabled by default.

If it still resets

• Ensure both user and default registry keys are set (Windows).
• Check BIOS/UEFI overrides.
• Remove or update any keyboard-management software that may toggle NumLock.
• For remote desktop sessions, NumLock state can be influenced by client settings.

Quick checklist

• Set InitialKeyboardIndicators = 2 (both HKCU and HKU.DEFAULT).
• Enable NumLock in BIOS/UEFI.
• Add numlockx on to session autostart on Linux.
• Verify no software overrides the state.