On my Framework 16 (running Windows 11), the numpad has started acting up in a strange way. When the num lock button is pressed, a weird beeping sound is made (alternating between two types of beeps, one each time). But no matter how many times it is pressed,
numbers cannot be typed in from the numpad.
The num pad is not entirely unresponsive–the arrow keys still work, as does the calculator shortcut button. I tried installing the latest updates and even removing and re-seating the numpad, all to no avail. (No date before this problem began was available to which to restore the settings.) I suspect that this is a matter of settings rather than a hardware or
software problem, but which settings should I change?
Just to confirm, what does the numpad Enter key, and the numpad plus key do?
And what do they do when you press the numlock key once, then try them again?
Is this systemwide or only in a certain program?
I’d suggest looking at the windows side. Both for why it’s beeping & for why it’s not entering numlock. The OS has the final say in controlling numlock. Sometimes it’s just a given program which will keep numlock either on or off, whichever the programmer wanted. A numpad only sends the numlock keycode, it’s the OS which chooses what to do in response.
After I pressed the numlock key, the Enter key was able to send the cursor to the next line. And it can be used to toggle between the three settings of backlight on the numpad. But numbers can’t be typed with the number keys, no matter how many times I press the numlock key. Again, it wasn’t always like this, this is fairly recent (but not recent enough that I can get rid of it by restoring the system to an earlier point). From what I can tell, this is systemwide.
It seems Windows is ignoring numlock. More specifically, the numlock status is switching on and off. But something has caused windows to not change the keys.
Numlock doesn’t quite work how many think. A numpad does not change the keycodes it sends to the OS when numlock is on, versus when numlock is off. Instead, the OS just chooses to translate the keys differently. For example, the keycode sent by any numpad for numpad up arrow is the same keycode for numpad digit 8. The OS just chooses if it will be up arrow or 8.
Provided you never went to the FWL16 keyboard config GUI and changed what keys do. Then, the numpad Enter key will only cycle through the backlight levels (BL_STEP key) when the OS says numlock is off. And the Enter key will only stop being BL_STEP, when the OS says numlock is on.
The FWL16 numpad is programmed to respond to the numlock status signal that the OS sends to all connected keyboards. On those keyboards which have a numlock light, that numlock status signal from the OS, is what causes the keyboard to toggle the numlock light.
It goes
1) numpad numpad numlock key > OS
(OS changes numpad key translation, if it wishes to)
2) OS numlock status signal > numpad
(numpad toggles Enter key to be BL_STEP, or vice versa)
Both steps are ultimately optional for the OS to do, or not do.
No, I didn’t do anything with the FWL16 keyboard config GUI (except maybe accidentally). Is there a way to reset the numpad (and only the numpad) to the default settings?
The FWL16 keyboard config GUI is located at https://keyboard.frame.work. If you’ve never been there, then the numpad should still be in its default configuration.
It really sounds like windows or some program in windows has decided to not respect the numlock state. This doesn’t seem to be that unusual. I think I recall talking to someone else on the forum experiencing similar.
You could install a keyboard indicator app if you want confirmation that windows is in numlock state, just not respecting it & not translating keypresses to numbers. I’ve never used this one, but I found this, Caps, Num + Scroll Lock Checker (Free) | Microsoft Store. It shows both NumLock and CapsLock. So you can confirm it’s working properly with CapsLock.
Solved! Apparently, mouse keys being enabled was the problem. I turned them off (since I have an actual mouse, they’re not really necessary) and am able to fully use the numpad again.