Piano Guidance
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Can I use F keys without Fn?

Method 1. Toggle the Fn Lock key All you have to do is look on your keyboard and search for any key with a padlock symbol on it. Once you've located this key, press the Fn key and the Fn Lock key at the same time. Now, you'll be able to use your Fn keys without having to press the Fn key to perform functions.

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The function keys on your keyboard allow you to get more out of your peripheral - perform various actions quickly without having to move your mouse or exit out of apps you’re working in. However, there’s a way to make your multi-purpose set of keys even more accessible, which is allowing them to function without pressing Fn on your keyboard. There are two ways to do this, depending on your device and system. Let’s unlock the potential of your keyboard.

Method 1. Toggle the Fn Lock key

Some keyboards, most commonly laptop keyboards, come with a dedicated Fn Lock key. Pressing this along with the Fn key itself will change your top row from hotkey functionality to Fn keys in an instant, allowing you to perform actions without having to hold the Fn key as well. This key is usually the Esc key or a completely separate key. All you have to do is look on your keyboard and search for any key with a padlock symbol on it. Once you’ve located this key, press the Fn key and the Fn Lock key at the same time. Now, you’ll be able to use your Fn keys without having to press the Fn key to perform functions.

Method 2. Make modifications in the BIOS

Most of the time, users don’t have a dedicated Fn Lock key on the keyboard. If this is your case, you’ll need to go into the BIOS to make a modification and start using functions without the Fn key. Completely power off your device. Make sure that it’s turned off before proceeding with the steps below. Turn on your device and immediately press the F10 key about once every second to open the BIOS setup window. If you’re having trouble accessing the BIOS, we recommend looking up the official BIOS guide of your current operating system. Using the right-arrow and left- arrow keys to navigate, go to the System Configuration option. Press the up-arrow or down-arrow keys to select the Action Keys Mode option, and then press the Enter key to display the menu. Select the Enabled option to require only the F1 through F12 keys to use the action as indicated on the action key, without having to press the Fn key itself. Press the F10 key again to save the changes, and restart your device. Once your system boots up, you should be able to use the function keys without having to press the Fn key as well.

Final Thoughts

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What is 6 key and N key?

That number tells you how many keys you can press simultaneously with the keyboard being aware. For example, if your keyboard has 6-key rollover, you can press six keys at once with successful input. N-key rollover is particularly relevant/helpful for gaming keyboards.

Tesoro Gram XS keyboard with n-key rollover

A keyboard with n-key rollover, or abbreviated as NKRO, has the ability to scan each button press individually, as opposed to having the PC do it. As a result, every pressed button, or key, is noted, even if you’re pressing a bunch of keys simultaneously. Sometimes you'll see the "n" in n-key rollover replaced with a number. That number tells you how many keys you can press simultaneously with the keyboard being aware. For example, if your keyboard has 6-key rollover, you can press six keys at once with successful input. N-key rollover is particularly relevant/helpful for gaming keyboards. Not all keyboards come with n-key rollover, as implementing the feature comes with certain cost and design challenges.

This article is part of the Tom's Hardware Glossary.

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