How do I use the "ins" overwrite button?

[Taygrim]

In windows the cursor is in overwrite mode. There is an insert key on the prt sc button, but no combination of fn, shift, ctrl and alt with it will disable overwrite. Overwrite isn't occuring in any office tool, just the main windows screen.

[DavidSMP]

Hi @aygrim,

Good Day.  Thank you for taking an interest in the HP community. I understand that you have issues working with the insert key that keeps overwriting on the main window. I will be really glad to assist you here. 🙂

Great description and splendid diagnosis of the issue before posting. Kudos to you for that. 🙂

For better clarity, I would require more information regarding this to assist you?

• Did this happen recently after a Windows 10 or software update?

For starters please try these steps:

• Please press the Insert key once on the keyboard when it overwrites and check if the overwriting stops.
• The insert key acts as a toggle switch. If you push it once it turns off, causing this overwriting and if pushed again it turns back on functioning like an insert key.

If it still does not resolve the issue, then please backup your registry from this Microsoft link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-sg/help/322756/how-to-back-up-and-restore-the-registry-in-windows and then try this registry tweak:

• Right click on Start → Run → regedit
• Go to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
• Right-click on the right half of the screen and choose New → Binary Value
• Name the new value Scancode Map
• Enter 000000000000000002000000000052E000000000
• Close regedit
• Reboot.
   
• If it still does not fix the issue, try with an external mouse and check if it is resolved
• Besides update the bios and chipset drivers from this link: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-spectre-13-4000-x360-convertible-pc/7527520/mode... and check again.
• Also, if nothing works, please create a new Local administrator user account from this link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/instantanswers/5de907f1-f8ba-4fd9-a89d-efd23fee918c/create-a-loc... and check in that account if the issue gets resolved. This should do the trick for you.

Hope this helps. Let me know how this goes. I genuinely hope the issue gets resolved without hassles and the unit works great.

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care now and have a superb week ahead. 🙂

[Taygrim]

Hi David,

Thanks for the detailed reply, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

It does seem like it may just be a setting for the typing cursor as it is a black box covering letters, rather than the thinline you usually get. It is happening in all applications and pressing insert doesn't toggle overwrite at all, but it also isn't currently set to overwrite.

I'm using Windows 10 Home and have installed updates, although the change has happened when I sent my laptop off to have the screen fixed ( they ended up replacing the whole screen section just for a cracked screen).

Any help will be much appreciated, becasue even though it doesn't seem to be affecting anything, it is really annoying!

[Taygrim]

Hi David,

Thanks for the detailed reply, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

It does seem like it may just be a setting for the typing cursor as it is a black box covering letters, rather than the thinline you usually get. It is happening in all applications and pressing insert doesn't toggle overwrite at all, but it also isn't currently set to overwrite.

I'm using Windows 10 Home and have installed updates, although the change has happened when I sent my laptop off to have the screen fixed ( they ended up replacing the whole screen section just for a cracked screen).

Any help will be much appreciated, becasue even though it doesn't seem to be affecting anything, it is really annoying!

[Taygrim]

Hi David,

thanks for yourdetailed  reply. I tried both, but it didn't work.

I've since realised that it isn't overwriting text, but the insert key still doesn't toggle a change. It seems like the cursor for text has just been changed from a single thin line to a black box that covers a letter. It is also happening in all applications. I am using Windows 10 Home.

I haven't done and updates recently, but the change happened when I sent my laptop in for repair for a cracked screen (they ended up replacing the whole screen unit of the laptop.

Any help you can give will be much appreciated,while it doesn't seem to be affecting functionality it is really annoying!

Many thanks

[Taygrim]

Sorted it! It was a lot simpler than I thought. The text cursor had just been changed from a line to a box. To change it back:

Settings/Ease of Access/Other options - change the Cursor thickness to 1.

Blasted overthinking a problem!