Why are the numbers not working on your keyboard?

Got one of those numeric keypads on the side of your keyboard? Can’t work out why the numbers are not working? Y’know, the ones PRINTED ON THE DAMNED KEYS!

It’s one of those problems where you’ll want to slap yourself with a wet haddock when you find out how easy it is to solve. So let’s not waste any more time and put you out of your misery.

The most likely reason that your numeric keypad isn’t working is that you’ve got the NUM LOCK switched off. NUM LOCK works in much the same way as CAPS LOCK, but instead ensures that the numbers appear instead of capital letters.

With NUM LOCK switched off, the keys will revert to their secondary functions, which are normally a set of arrow keys, with Home, Page Up, Page Down and End in the four corners of the number pad. If you never actually use the numeric keypad, these can actually be quite useful when navigating documents.

On some fancy keyboards, such as the Logitech Craft keyboard I’m typing on currently, you might struggle to work out what the NUM LOCK key is, because they don’t print the words on the key itself.

If you can’t find it, look for a number encased in a padlock or something similar. It’s a bit like the toilets in fancy pubs, where they replace the words GENTS and LADIES with pictures of Bruce Forsyth and Cilla Black (insert your own contemporary stars here). You do wish people would just grow up sometimes.

If the NUM LOCK doesn’t breathe life back into your keys, then you may need to look for other causes, such as spillage or dirt under the keys. This guide to cleaning your keyboard should help.

Related reading: Logitech MX Keys review: after six months with this keyboard, why do I love it so?