Enable/Disable Function Keys/Media Keys on Dell Laptops

[britechguy]

Everything I can find indicates that Fn + Esc should toggle the function key row between regular function key mode (standard mode) and media keys mode (alternate mode).

I just wanted to check if anyone has encountered any recent Dell laptop that does not follow this paradigm? I've got a client with a Dell laptop sporting an i7 11th gen, so it's quite new.

 

[Blues]

I had always changed this behavior in BIOS I'll test the trick of toggling with FN+Esc

 

[ThatPlace928]

I had always changed this behavior in BIOS I'll test the trick of toggling with FN+Esc

Actually, I was going to say the same thing. Fn+Esc has never worked for me on any machine.

 

[britechguy]

Fn+Esc has never worked for me on any machine.

And if it's not working for those with Dell Laptops, that's important to know, too. This is a very widely documented technique, but the documentation stretches back years, which means it could have become inaccurate sometime after whatever one finds with a "latest date" that's not very close to today's date.

I'm aware of tweaking BIOS, and will do so if that's necessary, but it seems that many OEMs are "getting smart" about giving either a keyboard shortcut or a utility of their own (e.g., Lenovo Vantage) that allows toggling the state of the function key row without having to deal with BIOS. HP hasn't, though, to my knowledge, at least with the last machine I needed to do this on fairly recently.

 

[ThatPlace928]

And if it's not working for those with Dell Laptops, that's important to know, too. This is a very widely documented technique, but the documentation stretches back years, which means it could have become inaccurate sometime after whatever one finds with a "latest date" that's not very close to today's date.

It's possible that the rules have changed and were implemented during past updates. I wouldn't understand why, though. Seems like they'd make it simpler for the end user and not force them [or someone else] to change anything in the BIOS.

 

[britechguy]

So one example "from the horse's mouth" is on record: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000133658/latitude-5410-keyboard-function-key-guide

And one of many discussions elsewhere: https://askubuntu.com/questions/120...-a-dell-keyboard-so-that-f1-f2-f3-are-used-as

 

[ThatPlace928]

So one example "from the horse's mouth" is on record: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000133658/latitude-5410-keyboard-function-key-guide

And one of many discussions elsewhere: https://askubuntu.com/questions/120...-a-dell-keyboard-so-that-f1-f2-f3-are-used-as

Did you check the BIOS to see what's been enabled? The only laptops I've ever had to use the function key on are the Acer minis and they are the Fn+Arrow keys, not the keys at the top of the keyboard.

 

[britechguy]

No, I have not dug into BIOS yet. This issue presented itself at the end of a session yesterday, and what I'm trying to do is avoid dealing with BIOS unless I have to deal with BIOS (which I can do, easily, but if there is a keyboard-based technique, I'd like to know about it and use it).

I hate mucking around in BIOS on principle, and unless I must.

 

[ThatPlace928]

No, I have not dug into BIOS yet. This issue presented itself at the end of a session yesterday, and what I'm trying to do is avoid dealing with BIOS unless I have to deal with BIOS (which I can do, easily, but if there is a keyboard-based technique, I'd like to know about it and use it).

I hate mucking around in BIOS on principle, and unless I must.

You may want to take a look and see if the toggle function is disabled.