How to permanently have num lock on at the login screen to sign in with a pin

Margaret Foster 20 Reputation points
2025-10-29T08:40:28.8666667+00:00

I have an Aspire Lite 15 and login with a pin, and find it very annoying having to use the Num lock button every time.

I have searched and tried everything I found including the Fn + f12 key, did the regedit run it is already a 2, I have not gone into the Bios as everything is different to what I'm used to. I watched videos still no luck I would really like some help sorting the login Num lock to be permanently on so I don't have to keep changing it to login with a pin.

Regards

Margaret

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April P 5,450 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-10-30T09:18:23.7433333+00:00

Hi Margaret! I am so glad that worked! Now your Num Lock should stay enabled at the login screen, making PIN entry smooth and hassle-free.

If you have any other concern, please don’t hesitate to contact us again. We’re here to help, and we appreciate your continued trust in us.

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  1. Christopher G 0 Reputation points
    2026-06-26T15:53:01.7533333+00:00

    In case anyone else comes here and is pulling their hair out because none of the above solutions work, here is what finally worked for me, on Windows 11, both at the initial login screen after booting, after the session has locked, and when switching users.

    At the login screen (which for me would start with NumLock on, but instantly turn off once I either selected a user or clicked "other user"):

    1. Select your user/type in your username as needed and press enter/click Sign in or Next.
    2. If NumLock has suddenly turned off (as it always did for me in this scenario), turn on NumLock.
    3. DO NOT TYPE IN YOUR PASSWORD. Instead, simply shut down the computer.
    4. Turn your computer back on and enjoy.

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  2. April P 5,450 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-29T09:54:45.1033333+00:00

    Hello Margaret,

    This is April, I'll be happy to assist you. Sorry to hear that you're having issue with Windows login. Let me help you out.

    Based on the description you provided, the Num Lock is always off at the login screen on your Aspire Lite 15, making it inconvenient to enter your PIN.

    When you restart your Aspire Lite 15, does the Num Lock stay on during boot (before Windows loads), or does it always default to off even before reaching the login screen?

    Since you've already tried the registry tweak and the Fn + F12 shortcut, let's move on to a few deeper methods that should permanently keep Num Lock enabled at the login screen.

    Step-by-Step: Permanently Enable Num Lock at Login (Windows 10/11)

    1. Verify the Registry Settings You mentioned that the value is already set correctly, but let's make sure it's applied in both required locations:
      1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
      2. Go to the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard
        • Find InitialKeyboardIndicators and set its value to 2.
      3. Next, navigate to: HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard
        • Set InitialKeyboardIndicators to 2 here as well.
      4. Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC.
    2. Turn On Num Lock in BIOS/UEFI Most Acer laptops (and many others) include a Num Lock option within BIOS/UEFI settings.
      1. Restart your computer and press F2 (or sometimes Del) repeatedly during startup.
      2. Look for an option labeled something like:
        • Boot Up NumLock State
        • Keyboard Features
        • NumLock Key Behavior
      3. Change the setting to Enabled or On.
      4. Press F10 to save and exit.
    3. Disable Fast Startup (Important Step) Fast Startup can override your Num Lock preference when Windows boots.
      1. Press Win + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter.
      2. Click Choose what the power buttons do on the left panel.
      3. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable.
      4. Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended)
      5. Save your changes and reboot your PC.

    I hope this helps. If you need further assistance you can reply to this message.

    Thank you,

    April P.

    Independent Advisor

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