How do I use the function keys on Windows 8?

laptop function-keys

9,737

You most likely have a laptop which defaults to using the control functions rather than the F_ keys.

To disable this system wide, you'll most likely need to open up your BIOS and change the option back to using the standard keyboard F_ keys. That said, this problem does not only apply only to Windows 8, but to many computers with almost any OS, and the solution will vary a bit between all of them.

9,737

The Ugly

I am in the process of creating a YouTube account where I will play and record video games, but it is not yet quite ready. I thought that this would be a very nice site to be on so that I could quickly find answers to any problem I might have while playing. Also, I very rarely answer questions, but commonly ask them, so that is where the vast majority of my SE activity goes.

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

The Ugly over 1 year

How do I use my function keys (F1, F2, F3, etc) in games that I play on my Windows 8 computer? Whenever I try, it just changes my brightness or opens help (or even worse, in steam games when I press F12 it turns off my Internet instead of taking a screenshot)! I really want to be able to screenshot and vote on votekicks, but I can't find out how!

PS I believe my laptop is an HP envy, but I can't check until I get home
- Flyk over 10 years
  
  This is nothing to do with Windows 8, please advise the make and model of your laptop so somebody can lookup which key combination will toggle function keys
- Flyk over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly this is about the design of your laptop and nothing to do directly with gaming, your laptop has laptop setting keys in the place of function keys, and another key to toggle what this row of keys do.
- Admin over 10 years
  
  @kalina I self answered this but couldn't accept my answer yet. Do you have any evidence that this does not apply to all windows 8 computers. If you can provide proof I will change it, but I want to make sure that I don't incorrectly change this when the advice I was given might be faulty, no offense.
- dlras2 over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly Applying to every game you've used on Windows 8 is a very good indication your problem has nothing to do with any of them.
- dlras2 over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly I have a Windows 8 PC that this never applied to. I also had a Windows 7 laptop it did. This is 100% about your hardware/BIOS and manufacturer.
- Flyk over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly Yes - I use Windows 8 and I'm very experienced with the nuances of laptops and manufacturer's love for hiding the function keys behind multiple key presses. On your keyboard you will have an FN key which will temporarily toggle the top row of keys, but there will also be a key combination that makes the top row behave like function keys all the time, based on the make and model of your machine
- The Ugly over 10 years
  
  Alright, I didn't know about this. However, I have to say that it does apply to the games, with technical-issues, because this kept me from using many features of these games for a long time. I will edit this to include my specific computer model, but I think it's worth keeping up, even if only as a bad example
- Ramhound over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly - It has nothing to do with "games" those same problems would have surfaced with ANY software.
- The Ugly over 10 years
  
  @techie007 I'm sorry if this is a duplicate, I didn't plan on having it here, so I didn't check this site for existing questions.
- Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly No problem, dupes happen all the time. :)
- The Ugly over 10 years
  
  @Ramhound it may apply to other programs, but a half-dozen other things on gaming also apply not only to games but other things as well. If you posted similarly on those, thank you. But I'd say check first, before you post. Also, this question is no longer on gaming, so it no longer must apply to games alone, in any case
- Ramhound over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly - You made the comment I replied to after it was moved to Superuser. I dont need to check because this problem would have surfaced in any browser.
- The Ugly over 10 years
  
  @Ramhound I don't understand, what browsers? I've never used function keys in any browsers, what can they do?
- Ramhound over 10 years
  
  @TheUgly - CTRL +F5 forces a refresh. There are other shortcuts mapped to the function keys also.
The Ugly over 10 years

Could you post a link to a guide for how to do this? I have no idea how to open a BIOS and where the option is located