How to turn the Fn key on and off on a laptop

Clave Fn, located at the bottom of laptop keyboards, is required to invoke the second key mode in the F1-F12 series. In the latest models of notebook computers, manufacturers have increasingly started to make the multimedia mode F keys, and their main purpose has taken a back seat and requires the simultaneous pressing of Fn. For some users this variant seems convenient, for the latter, on the contrary, it is not. In this article we will learn how to activate or deactivate Fn.

Turning Fn on and off on the laptop keyboard

As already mentioned, depending on how the laptop is used, each user uses a series of F keys differently. Some need the F keys specifically to function, while others prefer their multimedia mode. When the desired results do not conform to reality, you can refer to the ways to activate and deactivate the key Fn and consequently the operation of the entire row of F keys.

Method 1: key combination

This option is far from universal, as the set of secondary assignments to the top row of keys varies by laptop make and model. However, it may help some of the readers, and they won't have to go to a longer method.

Examine the top row of keys on your laptop. If there is an icon of a padlock that locks / unlocks Fn…test it. This icon is usually located on the Escbut it may be elsewhere.

Also, sometimes there is an inscription instead of a padlock "FnLk". o "FnLock".as in the example below.

Press the key combination Fn + Escto activate / deactivate the auxiliary mode operation of row F.

Some laptop models from Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, and some others have this feature. Modern HP, Acer, etc. they do not usually have this characteristic.

Method 2: BIOS setup

If you only want to change the operating mode of the F key from functional to multimedia or vice versa, without disabling the Fn key completely, activate the BIOS options. Today, almost all laptops have this feature enabled and by default, upon purchase, the multimedia mode is activated allowing the user to control screen brightness, volume, rewind, and other options.

For more details on how to change the operating mode of the F key through BIOS, refer to the material at the link below.

Read more: How to activate the F1-F12 keys on your laptop

Method 3: Download the driver

Get to work. Fn and his subordinate F rank, curiously, the driver is responsible. If it is not available, the user will have to go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer and contact the support section. This is where the drivers are normally downloaded.

Next, from the list of drivers for your version of Windows (7, 8, 10), it is necessary to find the program (or several programs at the same time, if the list below lists them separated by commas) responsible for the operation of hot keys. All you have to do is download and install it like any other software:

• HP - "HP Software Framework", "HP on-screen display", "HP Quick Start", "HP Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)". Some applications may not be available for your specific laptop model;
• ASUS-. "ATKPackage";
• Acer - "Release manager";
• Lenovo - "Lenovo Power Management" / "Lenovo Power Management" (o "Lenovo OnScreen Display Utility", "Power Management and Advanced Configuration Interface (ACPI) Driver");
• Dell - "Dell QuickSet Application" (o "Dell Power Manager Lite Application" / "Dell Foundation Services - Application" / "Dell Function Keys");
• Sony - "Sony Firmware Extension Parser Driver", "Sony Shared Library", "Utilities for Sony Laptops" (o "Vaio Control Center"). For certain models, the list of available drivers will be smaller;
• Samsung - "Easy Display Manager";
• Toshiba - "Hotkey Utility".

Now you know how you can not only activate and deactivate the job Fnbut also change the operating mode of the entire row of F keys, partially controlled by the function key.

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