OCS - KB - Set NumLock to Default to ON On Boot & Login
OCS Source 2022-08-11
Revised 2026-07-16 0205

General / Background
Revised 2026-07-16 0205

OCS Source 2022-08-11

The SOP described in this Knowledge Base article (KB) is written for experienced technicians and consultants. Be advised, if you have questions, consult with one or more of greater experience.

The function of this procedure or SOP is to set the default setting for the NumLock key for the numeric keypad to On such that the keypad may be used by touch typists in an easier manner than is experienced when having to "reach" for the numbers over the main keyboard.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP):

1. Using a command prompt (CMD) run RegEdit. Note: If the procedure does not seem effective, try using "Run as Administrator" when launching CMD.
2. It is highly recommended to backup the registries from the root of the "hives" to a designated folder such as C:\Backups\ with the filename indicating the purpose and date of backup such as Registries YYYYMMDD HHMM. The extension will default.
3. Within RegEdit, navigate to HKEY_USERS\DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard (sometimes copy & paste may be employed to jump to the path destination.
4. Locate and edit the string value InitialKeyboardIndicators either
   

   Note: Some instructions state to simply set the value to 2 or 80000002 (even when their illustration may indicate otherwise).

   However, some will specifically instruct to change the default setting 2147483648 to 2147483650.

   You may wish to be a little more discerning or careful not to obliterate another setting you may have previously changed directly or via another interface.

   If you are one such person, read on...

   The field is a string but converted to a number then interpreted as a bit mask for a series of yes/no options. The 31st bit is the NumLock bit. Thus, "adding two" will "flip" the NumLock bit from off to on/yes.

   That so stated, those good at converting decimal to binary to change the NumLock bit then back again may do so. Those not so inclined in facility or effort may use a calculator to do so. However, none of that is needed. Given that the NumLock state is off one may simply add 2 to the current value or the reverse when wanting NumLock to go from on to off and enter the resulting value into the InitialKeyboardIndicators, and voila, NumLocks will be in the desired state everytime this user logs into this profile while other keyboard initial settings will be unchanged.

   One method: Enter RegEdit and navigate as indicated above. Copy the string. Open Windows Calculator. Paste the value into it (right-click in the "display" area & select Paste). Click + or - as indicated above, click 2 then =. Copy the result and paste that into the RegEdit string.

   Note: This setting is not per machine but per user profile. In some, rather rare instances, companies may institute "roaming profiles". Usually, such companies use a mix of roaming and non-roaming profiles. "Roaming" is where a specific user in a Microsoft Windows Domain signs into a system and sets up and "personalize" their profile, including desktop background, mouse pointers, and yes, the initial NumLock setting. Having done so, their profile is saved "on the server" somewhere else on the domain network. When they sign into another station with the same username, their profile is retrieved from their "Home" folder or another storage location and is deployed on the new station just as before whereever the two stations have the same resources (display count, software licensing, et cetera).

   Most organizations using roaming profiles also use non-roaming profiles for various reasons. As one may infer from the aforementioned, this is on a user by user basis. Such that some users have roaming profiles while others have non-roaming profiles. For the latter, each time they log onto a different station, they will be presented with a profile that is unique to that station and their profile will hahve been pulled from a storage location typically on that very machine.