Numeric Keypad Not Working: NumLock Turned on Ubuntu 24.04

If you're using Ubuntu 24.04 and encountering issues with your numeric keypad not working, it's likely that the NumLock key is turned on. This issue can be frustrating, especially when you need to type numbers quickly. In this article, we'll walk you through the steps to check and turn off the NumLock key.

Checking the NumLock Status

The first step is to check the current status of the NumLock key. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press the Caps Lock key once. The NumLock and Caps Lock indicators should change.
2. If the NumLock indicator is on, press it once to turn it off.

If the NumLock key is not responding, try the following steps:

Checking the Keyboard Layout

It's possible that the keyboard layout is not set up correctly. To check and set the keyboard layout, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Settings icon in the dock or the Start menu.
2. Click on Settings in the sidebar, then click on Region & Language.
3. Under the Input Sources tab, click on Keyboard.
4. Make sure the correct keyboard layout is selected. If not, click on the Options... button and select the correct layout.

Checking the Keyboard Shortcuts

It's also possible that the NumLock key is being used as a shortcut key. To check this, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Settings icon in the dock or the Start menu.
2. Click on Settings in the sidebar, then click on Keyboard.
3. Under the Shortcuts tab, click on Custom Shortcuts.
4. Look for any shortcuts that use the NumLock key and disable them if necessary.

Checking the Hardware

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it's possible that there's a hardware problem with the numeric keypad. Try the following steps:

1. Unplug the numeric keypad and plug it back in.
2. Try using a different USB port.
3. Try using a different numeric keypad.

In summary, if you're experiencing issues with the numeric keypad not working on Ubuntu 24.04, it's likely that the NumLock key is turned on. You can check the status of the NumLock key by pressing the Caps Lock key, and turn it off if necessary. If the NumLock key is not responding, you can check the keyboard layout, keyboard shortcuts, or hardware.

References

• Ubuntu Help: Keyboard Num Lock
• How do I disable NumLock? - Ask Ubuntu