# How to change Dell Latitude laptop alternate key default?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-change-dell-latitude-laptop-alternate-key-default/280335>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 17, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-change-dell-latitude-laptop-alternate-key-default/280335 "2004-12-17T14:23:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-change-dell-latitude-laptop-alternate-key-default/280335/1 "2004-12-17T14:23:53Z")

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I’m using a Dell Latitude laptop, and when I start it the keyboard is in an alternate state so that the “m” key is mapped to numeral “0”, the “p” key is mapped to a hyphen, and so forth. Hitting the num lock key turns this off, but I always start typing things before I remember to do that.

How can I change this default behavior?

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**Author:** ![Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f04885/32.png) [@Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ninja_Pizza_Guy)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-change-dell-latitude-laptop-alternate-key-default/280335/2 "2004-12-18T04:18:26Z")

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It’s been a while since I used a PC much, but isn’t there a BIOS setting for “num lock on/off by default”?