NumLock is a great way to conserve energy and keep your computer running smoothly. Here are three ways to make NumLock the default:
- Enable NumLock by Default in Windows: Open the Control Panel and click on “System and Security.” Under “System,” click on “Advanced System Settings.” In the “Advanced” tab, under “Performance,” click on “Settings for advanced power management.” In the “Power Management” section, under “Enabled features,” select “Enable Num Lock.” Click on OK.
- Enable NumLock by Default in Mac OS X: Open System Preferences and select Keyboard. Under the General tab, select the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. In the Keyboard Shortcuts section, under “Keyboard shortcuts”, select “Num Lock” and then press Enter/Return. Click on OK.
- Enable NumLock by Default in iOS: Open Settings app > General > Keyboard > Keyboards & Input Sources > Add New Keyboard… Enter “Num Lock” into Name field and tap Add button. Tap on newly added keyboard to open its settings panel and enable “Num Lock” from General tab as shown in screenshot below: ..
Once a week we round up some of the great tips readers have sent into the tip box. This week we’re looking at how to enable the NumLock by default, stripping ads from iOS apps, and turning Christmas lights into audio-responsive party lights.
Enable the NumLock Key On Boot Via Registry Hack
Parthiv writes in with a handy little registry hack to enable the NumLock key on boot: I’d been Googling around for years, ever since I was still on Windows XP, for a way to get my keyboard to turn on the NumLock key by default. I could never find an option for it in the BIOS, which most sites suggested. I finally found the answer: you need a registry tweak! You need to change change all the data titled “InitialKeyboardIndicators” to a value of 2, but only the ones in which it was some sort of number to begin with, since some of the values were directories.
Nice work Parthiv! We always appreciate it when readers write in with solutions like this instead of keeping it to themselves—now when someone performs a Google search in the future, looking for the same solution you were looking for, they’ll find your solution right here. We’re attaching the .REG files you shared here and, for readers who would prefer to review the text first and then execute it, here’s the contents of the NumLockOnBoot.reg file:
[HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard] “InitialKeyboardIndicators”=”2”
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Control Panel\Keyboard] “InitialKeyboardIndicators”=”2”
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Control Panel\Keyboard] “InitialKeyboardIndicators”=”2”
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Control Panel\Keyboard] “InitialKeyboardIndicators”=”2”
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-51780718-2047605258-340133435-1000\Control Panel\Keyboard] “InitialKeyboardIndicators”=”2”
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-51780718-2047605258-340133435-1001\Control Panel\Keyboard] “InitialKeyboardIndicators”=”2”
Disable In-App Adds On iOS
Nicole writes in with the following hack for disabling ads in iOS:
We’re all about supporting developers too, Nicole, but we totally understand where you’re coming from. We’ve played a few games and used a few apps over the years where the ads and interface interacted in such a way that it made it very frustrating to use the app. If you can’t easily upgrade to a pro version to ditch the ad bar it often makes the interface unusable. Nice tip!
The solution I stumbled upon is Disable iAds for iOS. You need a jail broken phone and you need to add the Kokoabim repository (http://apt.kokoabim.com/ios) because the app isn’t in the main repositories like BigBoss. All you do is search for it, install it, and the ads vanish. It’s that simple.
Hack Christmas Lights into Stereo Powered Party Lights
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Mark writes in with a fun post-Christmas hack:
One of the things on our to-do list is to finish wiring the surround sound system for the basement theater. This seems like the kind of hack that would be perfect for the times we’re turning on the Party Mode. Thanks for sharing!
Have a clever computer, electronics, or DIY tip to share? Shoot us an email at tips@howtogeek.com and look for your tip on the front page.
