[Llewellyn]

I'm running XP. When I boot up the function key is set to `off'. With windows 98 it was always `on'. My main software programmes make a lot of use of the function keys. How do I get windows to always set it to `on'?

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Don't get confused between "Function Keys" and F-keys. On many modern keyboards the F-keys provide two modes. The default mode is where the F-keys should work just as you expect them to (F1=help, F3=Find, F5=refresh, etc.

To change their mode of operation, there should be a "F-lock" or "Function Lock" key adjacent to the row of F-keys. Press this and the F-keys change mode so that the alternative action labelled on each F-key can be accessed.

[pip22]

Don't get confused between "Function Keys" and F-keys. On many modern keyboards the F-keys provide two modes. The default mode is where the F-keys should work just as you expect them to (F1=help, F3=Find, F5=refresh, etc.

To change their mode of operation, there should be a "F-lock" or "Function Lock" key adjacent to the row of F-keys. Press this and the F-keys change mode so that the alternative action labelled on each F-key can be accessed.

[Llewellyn]

Sorry. Youre right. It's the F-lock key I'm talking about. In windows 98, and indeed I find in another computer using XP but with a generic keyboard, the F-lock is set to `on'. I have a MS keyboard and on boot up (or restart from sleep mode) it is set to `off'. True, I can press F-Lock but it's a pain when I've always found it to be automatically `on'.

Is there a setting some where to change this?