How to toggle or disable function lock on Windows 10 via UI/CMD?

Question

I know it seems like a basic question, but I haven't been able to solve it after 5 hours of Googling and trying different things.

I currently have to hold the function (FN) key to perform various common actions, every space in this question required holding FN. I'm certain it's due to function lock, and I strongly suspect my toddler enabled it while bashing away at the keyboard.

I have verified that it is not a hardware issue by loading windows advanced startup and seeing the keyboard work as expected.

I can safely say it isn't any standard key combination. I've tried combining every likely key combination.

I'm now looking for an advanced method. There has to be a software method to fix this, such as altering or adding registry keys, or something else - anything!

How can I access/edit the function key settings in windows via the UI or command line?

Additional details:

Laptop: Toshiba Satellite Pro L770-12F Upgraded to Windows 10 Pro

Toshiba support haven't got a clue and I'm well outside of my warranty. Have looked at many related forum posts and all similar posts already on SU but none provide a software method.

Solution 1

There are many stories of this problem on the internet, and all seem to talk about needing some Toshiba tools that are no longer available.

One in particular though mentions a somewhat unorthodox option:

SOLVED - for me anyway but worth a try.

Go into device manager & uninstall the pointing device - for me it was a Lenovo pointing device!.

Restart Windows & ALL the keys now work as they should.

I hope this is the universal solution for everyone!!

Just why this causes the problem is difficult to know. It is possible that there is a misdetected keyboard or HID device which is effectively "holding" a key down.

Solution 2

How can I access/edit the function key settings in windows via the UI?

1. Save all your open documents and stuff and close their respective programs

2. Navigate to the following directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Toshiba\System Setting

3. Double-click on the "System Settings.exe"

4. Scroll down in the left menu until you find "keyboard"

5. Click on the "keyboard" menu option and change the default "special function mode" to "normal f1-f12"

6. Click the "apply" button and allow your computer to restart.

Source fn key seems to be reversed

Check also the Fn sticky settings in Start > All Programs > TOSHIBA > Utilities > Accessibility:

The TOSHIBA Accessibility utility allows you to use the Fn key to create a hot key combination with one of the function keys without pressing the two keys simultaneously as is usually required. Using Accessibility lets you make the Fn key a sticky key, meaning you can press it once, release it, and then press a function key to activate the hot key function.

Source User's Guide for Satellite/Satellite Pro L750D/L740D/L730/L740/L750 Series

Comments

[DavidPostill]

Try pressing <f11>

[katriel]

Fn-Esc worked for me

[Dom]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, I've tried both and I don't have the settings available. Have installed all available software from Toshiba.

[Dom]

I don't know how I ever got a Lenovo Pointing Device in the first place, or how it affects this, but this solved it! Thanks a lot.