InitialKeyboardIndicators registry setting to fix NumLock in a certain state.
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/09/30
There are odd things with the InitialKeyboardIndicators registry setting. Technet only documents bitflag value 2.
According to the docs it should be a bitflag, but sometimes you encounter InitialKeyboardIndicators value 2147483648 (0x80000000) especially as part of the .DEFAULT profile at HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard.
The problem I had was having these symptoms:
- while logging in locally, I manually turned of the NumLock (as I have a 46W6740 UltraNav keyboard without a numeric keypad)
- after logging in locally, it magically turned itself on even with InitialKeyboardIndicators=0 in my local profile at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard.
- after logging in locally and turning it off, future local logons would keep it off
- after logging in remotely, it would magically turn itself on while logged in
- after having logged in remotely, the local logon console would have it turned on again
After reading Num Lock problem: Strange number in InitialKeyboardIndicators in Registry, I set both values to 0.
Now that it is 0 in both at HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard, symptoms 4-5 still hold. Strange.
It is not the same problem as Num Lock state not retained after resume from Hybrid Shutdown in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
If it persist, I might just put a script in: [Partially Solved: re-wired keyboard lol] Registry key “InitialKeyboardIndicators” NEVER keeps NumLock ON + ScrollLock ON (6) at startup and reverts back to NumLock ON (2).
–jeroen
The 46W6740 UltraNav keyboard without trackpad which either can be used as part of the IBM Redbooks | 1U 18.5-inch Standard and Enhanced Media Consoles (part number 17238BX which is nice but expensive) or as a standalone keyboard (at like EUR 100 still not cheap, but it helps me prevent RSI).
Typical configuration of 17238BX 1U 18.5″ Standard Console
46W6740 keyboard
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