Number Pad Not Working? Try These 7 Fixes

The number pad is an additional pad on your keyboard. It includes numeric data that assist users who frequently deal with numbers or gamers that require additional keys on their keyboard.

As keyboards are sensitive devices, they malfunction easily if not taken care of. This article will cover how Number pads can stop working and their fixes, so keep reading!

Why is my Number Pad Not Working

There are several reasons why your number pad may not be working. Before jumping to the solutions, we suggest you look at the possible problems. After you figure out the reason for the malfunction, it will be easier to find relevant solutions.

Num Lock Key Not Pressed: You must press the number pad for your keyboard to register the keys from the pad. As everyone doesn’t normally use the number pad, they might not know about these criteria.
Mouse Keys is Enabled: The Mouse Key is a feature where your number pad replaces the mouse as a pointer. When this feature is enabled, your number pad doesn’t function normally.
Outdated Keyboard Driver: If you’re using an outdated keyboard driver, your device might fail to establish communication or act as an interference with your hardware. As a result, the keys in your number pad may not register on your device.
Sticky Keys are Enabled: Sticky keys are an additional feature on your keyboard that assists you in using shortcuts. When you have sticky keys enabled, you don’t have to press and hold keys like Ctrl, Alt, and Shift to use a shortcut.
The keys on your number pad may be paired with those you might’ve pressed before. This will then be registered as a shortcut and not a key.
Fn Lock Enabled: Some keyboards support the Fn Lock feature. When enabled, the numbers on the number pad may get paired with the Fn key. The numbers may not be then registered as keys.
If you haven’t enabled the Fn lock, debris might be stuck on either key, maybe holding the keys down.
Third-party applications/script: Have you installed a third-party application, or are you running a script to change the normal functioning of your keyboard? These applications/scripts may interfere with your keyboard’s normal layout.
Hardware damages: If none of the above problems apply to you, your keyboard may have encountered hardware damage like debris stuck on your keyboard.

How to Fix Number Pad Not Working

After you diagnose the problem from above, you can now move to relevant solutions. Here are some common fixes you can try by yourself to fix an unresponsive number pad.

Restart Your Device

You can start by restarting your device. Your device needs to restart to finish pending updates, including keyboard drivers. Follow these instructions to restart your device:

From your taskbar, open Start.
Locate the power button and click on it.
Select Update and restart.
Wait for the update to finish.

Press the Num Lock Key

You need to hit the Num Lock key on your keyboard for your device to register the keys on your number pad. On your keyboard, look for the Num lock key on your number pad and press it. An LED light might indicate that the number pad is now active.

Disable Mouse Keys

You can enable or disable mouse keys from your Windows settings or use the keyboard shortcut, Alt + Left Shift + Num lock. Follow these instructions to disable Mouse Keys from your Windows Settings:

Open Start. Select Settings.
From the navigation panel to your left, select Accessibility.
Under Interaction, go to Mouse.
Toggle off the slider next to Mouse keys.

Update/Reinstall Keyboard Driver

You can update your keyboard driver to re-establish the connection between your device and your keyboard. If updating the driver does not work, you can reinstall your keyboard driver.

Follow these instructions to update/reinstall your keyboard driver:

Open Start. On the search bar, type in Device Manager.
From the list of hardwares, drop the menu down for Keyboards.
Locate your malfunctioning keyboard and right-click on it.
Suppose you want to update your driver, select Update driver.
Select Search automatically for drivers. Windows will present you with the best driver for your device. If not already installed, install it.
To reinstall, right-click on the driver and select Uninstall device.
Restart your device.

Disable Sticky Keys

You need to turn off sticky keys to stop it from interfering with your typing experience. You can easily disable this keyboard feature from the settings application on your Windows. Follow these instructions to turn Sticky Keys off:

Open Start then, go to Settings.
From the navigation panel to your left, hop on to Accessibility.
Open Keyboard.
Toggle off the slider for Sticky keys.

Disable Fn Lock

You can easily disable Fn lock through your keyboard. Use the combination Fn + Caps on your keyboard to turn off this feature. If this doesn’t disable the Fn lock, debris is potentially stuck on either key. Dismantle your keyboard to clean the debris off of your keyboard.

Remove/Disable Third-Party Applications

If you do not actively use the third-party application that meddles with the configuration of your Windows, you can delete it from settings. However, if you still want to keep the application and use it for later, you can disable it for the time being.

To Uninstall the application, follow these steps:

Click on the Start button and select the Settings application.
Hop on to Apps.
Select Apps & Features.
Scroll down and select the application you want to remove.
From the options, click on Uninstall. Validate your action by selecting Uninstall from the prompt again.

If you don’t want to uninstall the application, disable it through your task manager. When you disable an application from the startup on task manager, Windows does not let it run in the background. Follow these instructions to stop your application from running.

On your keyboard, hit the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
On the list of tabs on top, select Startup.
On the list of applications, locate the third-party app you want to disable and Right-click on it.
Select Disable.

Look for Hardware Damages

You can first start by cleaning your keyboard. If you cannot take off the keys, use compressed air and a brush to try and take debris off of your keyboard. It is worth mentioning that this can be risky and, if not done properly, may further damage your keyboard.

If cleaning the keyboard doesn’t help, perform hardware diagnostics from the BIOS. This will scan for other hardware damages on your keyboard.

Follow these instructions to perform hardware diagnostics on your device:

Turn off your device.
Depending on the manufacturer of your device, press and hold that particular key to enter your BIOS.
Use the arrow keys to anything similar to Diagnostics and hit Enter.
Allow your device to perform the tests.
After the diagnostics, exit your BIOS. You can see which key to press to exit BIOS on the bottom of your screen.
Restart your device.

Run Keyboard Troubleshooter

If you still have problems identifying the problem, you can run Keyboard Troubleshooter. Your Windows will try to look for bugs and automatically fix them for you. Follow these steps to run keyboard troubleshooter on your Windows 11:

Open Start, then go to the Settings application.
From System, select Troubleshoot.
Select Other troubleshooters.
Scroll down to Keyboard and select Run next to it.

Enable On-Screen Keyboard

If nothing is working out for you and you urgently need to use the keyboard, you can enable the on-screen keyboard on your Windows. As the name suggests, a keyboard will appear on your screen, and whatever keys you select are registered and typed on your screen.

Follow these instructions to enable the on-screen keyboard on your Windows: