How to Fix Numeric pad not working in Windows (Solved!)

A Common physical keyboard connected to Windows computer has 3 parts, Qwerty keys, function keys, and numeric keypad. The last part has number keys, Num Lock, and some symbols. Several Windows users complain that they encounter Numeric pad not working issue in laptop or desktop. If you face the same problem, please read this article for the resolutions.

There could be a number of reasons for the Numeric pad not problem on Windows 11. Interestingly, the default settings of the system are such that the Numeric pad is disabled. Other than this, the drivers could be faulty, system files missing or corrupt, or other issues with the settings. If you encounter this issue, try the following solutions sequentially:

Numeric pad not working on Windows

Here is how to fix Numeric pad not working in Windows:

Press the Num Lock key

As mentioned earlier, the Numeric pad might be disabled on the physical keyboards by default. If you press keys in the Numeric pad, they will respond as if you are using the Tab key. To resolve this problem, simply press the Num Lock key on your keypad once.

In some keyboards, the Num Lock is present as a Function key.

Read: How to Fix Windows 11 Keyboard not working (Solved!)

Update the keyboard drivers

In case you have tried pressing the Num Lock key and it didn’t help, you can consider updating the keyboard drivers. The procedure is as follows:

1. Press Windows + R.
2. In the Run window, type the command DEVMGMT.MSC and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.
3. Expand the list for Keyboard drivers.
4. Right-click and select Update driver.

5. Click on Search automatically for drivers.

Uninstall and reinstall the keyboard driver

If the keyboard driver update fails to solve the numeric pad problem then uninstall this and reinstall it. Reinstalling driver will settle the files freshly to make the number pad work:

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Double click on Keyboard from the list.
3. Then, right click on Keyboard driver and select Uninstall device.

4. When a popup appears, click on “Uninstall”.
5. Restart the system to automatically reinstall the driver.

See: How to Uninstall and Reinstall Keyboard Driver in Windows 11 or 10.

Download the driver from the manufacturer’s website

In case updating the drivers from the system doesn’t help, you can download the drivers from the manufacturer’s website. However, please remember to download the drivers in accordance with the keyboard you are using and not the system.

Turn OFF the Mouse keys

The Mouse keys can interfere with the regular functioning of the keyboard. You can turn the Mouse keys OFF to isolate the possibility of this interference. The steps are as follows:

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings from the menu.
2. Go to the Accessibility tab on the left pane.
3. Scroll down to the interaction section and select Mouse.
4. Turn the switch associated with Mouse keys OFF.

Use Keyboard Troubleshooter

The built-in fixit tool can work to fix Numeric pad not working on your computer. Windows provides Keyboard Troubleshooter that checks settings, Text Services Framework, and connection between hardware and software and repairs if finds any problem. Therefore, run the tool:

1. Press Windows + I.
2. When Settings app opens, type find and fix keyboard problems.
3. Select the result to open Keyboard troubleshooter.
4. Click on Next on the window.
5. If any suggestion is given follow them and restart the computer.

Reference: How to Run Keyboard Troubleshooter in Windows 10.

Bring SFC Scan into action

If you have tried all of the above-mentioned solutions and they couldn’t solve your problem, you can consider running and SFC Scan. The SFC Scan will check for missing and corrupt files on the system and replace them if needed. The procedure to run an SFC Scan is as follows:

1. Type Command Prompt in the Windows Search bar.
2. Select Run as administrator in the right pane.
3. In the Command Prompt (Admin), type the following command and hit Enter to execute it: SFC /SCANNOW

4. Reboot the system once the command has been executed.

Configure the On-Screen Keyboard

Sometimes, changing configuration in Touch keyboard may do a trick to fix numeric pad not working issue. Windows offers OSK to type when physical keyboard is not functional. The numeric keypad has a setting to Turn on the numeric pad.

1. Type OSK in the Taskbar Search and select On-Screen Keyboard App.
2. On the Touch keyboard app, click on Options key.
3. On the Options window, Check the box for Turn on numeric key pad.
4. Click on OK.
5. Try typing on the number keypad on a physical keyboard.

Read: How to Fix On Screen Keyboard Not Working in Windows 10.

Change Registry Entry

The issue might be triggered because third-party program has changed the registry keys related to Number pad. In this case, restore the entry as follows:

1. Press Windows and R keys.
2. Type regedit.exe and press Enter.
3. Navigate to the following string:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard

4. Go to the right panel and right click on the value InitialKeyboardIndicators and select Modify.
5. Enter the Value data 2 and click on “OK”.

Methods:
Press the Num Lock key
Update the keyboard drivers
Uninstall and reinstall the keyboard driver
Download the driver from the manufacturer’s website
Turn OFF the Mouse keys
Use Keyboard Troubleshooter
Bring SFC Scan into action
Configure the On-Screen Keyboard
Change Registry Entry

That’s all!!