"Num Lock" won't stay on...

[Loiseau]

Doesn't sound like a French-related problem I know - but I need to have the "Num Lock" light on so that I can do French accents (Alt+130 for é, for example). 

On my old PC I pressed the NumLock key just once, and it seemed to always be alight whenever I turned the PC back on again.  Now using a slightly less old PC (running W98) I discover, whenever the computer has been off and I turn it on again, NumLock is no longer illuminated.  I have to remember to do it each time I switch on.
So I tend to find I have rattled away typing something in French . . . and then - curses! - NO accents have appeared.

Anybody know how I can fix this?

Angela

 

[Paul_Gyn]

It's part of the BIOS setting. Sounds scary but isn't, really.

When you first turn on the PC you see various pages of white-on-black text before 'Windows' loads.

There will be an instruction briefly (how briefly depends on the speed of your PC) flashed up which says something like ..

"hit 'DEL' for set-up" (or some other key, possibly 'esc').

Follow this instruction and you should find yourself with a list of options (if you find Windows has loaded, you have been too slow.. simply switch off again and keep hitting the appropriate key while the pc run up again, eventually you'll get to the BIOS menu screen),

Remember the mouse is useless here, you need to navigate using the cursor keys. Usually the option you want is the second down the list, called something like "advanced bios setting" or "bios options" or something like that. use the arrow keys to highlight this line of menu and then press 'ENTER' to get onto this page.

one of the options listed should say something like "NUMLOCK on at startup?.......DISABLED". highlight this using the up/down cursor keys then use the 'page up'/ 'page down' keys to change this to 'enabled'.

get out of this page by pressing the 'esc' key, and look for an option like "save setting to BIOS and exit?" select this with the cursor keys and press 'ENTER' then 'Y' (to confirm) then 'ENTER' again, and the screen should go black and windows load up normally WITH the NUMLOCK light on this time. 

Remember:

You move around the menus with the cursor (arrow) keys, use the 'enter' key to go down a further level, and 'esc' to climb back out again.

You won't alter anything until you confirm a "..save settings to bios" change by tying 'Y' and pressing 'enter'. So if you think you've made a mistake, or altered something you shouldn't have, select "DON'T save changes to BIOS and exit?" and start again from the begining.

Good luck

 

paul

 

[Graham & Brenda]

That's an interesting way of producing accents - do you have a list of the others please?

In the meantime, until you fix your num lock, this may help - its what I use at the moment.

Graham

---

à, è, ì, ò, ù

À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù CTRL+`(ACCENT-GRAVE), the letter

á, é, í, ó, ú, ý

Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ý CTRL+'(APOSTROPHE), the letter

â, ê, î, ô, û

Â, Ê, Î, Ô, Û CTRL+SHIFT+^ (CARET), the letter

ã, ñ, õ

Ã, Ñ, Õ CTRL+SHIFT+~(TILDE), the letter

ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ

Ä, Ë, Ï, Ö, Ü, Ÿ CTRL+SHIFT+COLON), the letter

å, Å CTRL+SHIFT+@, a or A

æ, Æ CTRL+SHIFT+&, a or A

œ, Œ CTRL+SHIFT+&, o or O

ç, Ç CTRL+, (COMMA), c or C

ð, Ð CTRL+' (APOSTROPHE), d or D

ø, Ø CTRL+/, o or O

¿ ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+?

¡ ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+!

ß CTRL+SHIFT+&, S

[Loiseau]

Hi Paul,
Thanks very much!!  I tried the steps you suggested - although my computer did not in fact have the pages of black-and-white that some have during start-up. Eventually I managed to capture Setup - couldn't see anything about "bios", but you gave me the key and the courage to continue. Eventually in Advanced-Device Options I found that "Num Lock State at PowerOn" was, indeed, set to Off.  Tried everything possible to turn it to On, and eventually found that L or R cursor keys did the trick!  Brilliant! THANK YOU!

Now my cup of happiness would overflow if you could tell me how to stop my small Dial-Up Connection window opening up on start up.  I have tried ignoring it, but it seems to upset all sorts of other things if I don't turn it off before starting to open files I want to work on.  To make it go away, I have to click "Cancel" 16 TIMES!

Graham
re accents, I use:
Alt + 133 for à
Alt + 131 for â
Alt + 135 for ç
Alt + 128 for Ç
Alt + 138 for è
Alt + 130 for é
Alt + 136 for ê
Alt + 144 for É
Alt + 137 for ë
Alt + 139 for ï
Alt + 140 for î
Alt + 147 for ô
Alt + 150 for û
Alt + 151 for ù
Alt + 129 for ü
Alt + 164 for ñ

You must type the figures on the number pad, to the right of the keyboard, and you *must* have the NumLock light on, or they won't work!!

Angela

[Paul_Gyn]

[quote]Hi Paul, Thanks very much!! I tried the steps you suggested - although my computer did not in fact have the pages of black-and-white that some have during start-up. Eventually I managed to capture Se...[/quote]

"...Now my cup of happiness would overflow if you could tell me how to stop my small Dial-Up Connection window opening up on start up.  I have tried ignoring it, but it seems to upset all sorts of other things if I don't turn it off before starting to open files I want to work on.  To make it go away, I have to click "Cancel" 16 TIMES!...."

Ah now that's a horrid one!

It's possible you have a programme somewhere which has the option to go online and look for updates (You've not got XP so it's not windows I don't think), and it is trying to do this when you open up windows?

Have a look in Programmes / Startup and see if there is anything lurking there, although I don't have much hope, really. I have been plagued with these things on and off, and usually resort to deleting programmes until it goes away or (in desperation) reloading Windows completely.

 

good luck... if you find the solution, I'd love to know.

 

paul

[Loiseau]

Just to say another big thank you, Paul!  I felt irrationally pleased today when I powered-up the computer, to see that NumLock light glowing all ready to type every accent my heart would desire...

Sorry that the pop-up connect box has even *you* defeated.  Never mind. I have learned to live with it.

Angela