Web User - UK (2020-01-22)

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numerickeypadinplaceofa realone

50 22 Jan - 4 Feb 2020

Access your
numeric keypad
Unless you have an extended keyboard,
you’ll probably be missing the numeric
keypad so beloved of accountants and
scientists. Typing numbers using a
familiar three-by-three layout is much
quicker and more convenient than using
the number row above a regular
keyboard, but space limitations mean
it’s rarely possible to include the number
pad on anything but the largest laptops.
Don’t despair, though – the keyboard is
still there if you know how to find it.
If you have a touch-enabled screen,
using an on-screen keyboard is almost
as convenient as a standard one. Press
Windows+Ctrl+O to open it, then press
Options – it’s on the bottom row in the

right-hand

block of

buttons.

Selec t ‘ Turn

on numeric

keypad’

and click

OK. When it

first appears,

the keypad

shows

navigation controls, such as Home and

End, which are duplicates of those above

the Options button you just pressed. To

replace them with digits, tap NumLock.

The on-screen keyboard also works

with your mouse if you’re prepared to

hunt and peck at the button you want.

Otherwise, in Options, select the radio

button beside ‘Hover over keys’. This

lets you pause the cursor briefly above

a button to activate it.

If you only need to use the numeric

keypad, displaying the whole keyboard

can feel like a waste of screen space –

but while it’s possible to remove some

of the navigation keys, you can’t get rid

of the main alphabetical section.

Instead, download a free tool called

Numpad Emulator (bit.ly/numpad493),

launch the program, walk through the

wizard and the number pad will open

Does your keyboard lack useful options that make typing quicker

and easier? Nik Rawlinson explains how to access your keyboard’s

missing features and reveal its hidden functions for free

on-screen. Select the option

to add a shortcut to your desktop if you

want to access it quickly in future (this

option is disabled by default).

If you don’t have a touch-enabled

screen and find clicking cumbersome,

take a close look at your keyboard to

see whether it has a numeric keypad

hidden within the regular keys. It will

usually appear on the right-hand side

of the key array, often with U-I-O

doubling up as 4-5-6, J-K-L triggering

1-2-3 and M being home to 0, with the

existing 7-8-9 keys on the top row

retaining their existing function.

If the digits are shown in a different

colour to the letters on your keyboard,

look for a function (or Fn) button of the

same colour, and hold it down while

pressing the keys to access the

numbers. You may also find that your

keyboard has a NumLock key of the

same colour – pressing this while

pressing the matching Fn button will

enable the embedded numeric keyboard

until it’s switched off, at which point the

letter keys come back into play.

If none of these options work for you,

invest in an external numeric keypad.

You can buy a wireless model for £7.99

from Amazon at bit.ly/keypad493,

which can be connected to your existing

keyboard if it has a spare USB port.

Restore missing

tools