F keys are not working

[MaverickFinnell]

My f keys are not working and when I press brightness it highlights the URL how do I fix it?

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @MaverickFinnell 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for sharing the situation—and I’m truly sorry your function keys are misbehaving, especially when brightness controls are triggering unexpected actions like highlighting the URL. 

I appreciate your patience and want to help restore smooth keyboard functionality.

Step-by-step recovery for non-working function keys and brightness misbehavior

1. Toggle action key mode in BIOS

• Restart your computer and press F10 repeatedly to enter BIOS setup
• Navigate to System Configuration > Action Keys Mode
• If it's set to Disabled, change it to Enabled
• Press F10 to save and exit
• This ensures function keys work without needing to press Fn

2. Reinstall HP Hotkey Support and keyboard drivers

• Visit the HP Software and Driver Downloads page
• Enter your exact HP laptop model
• Download and install:
  • HP Hotkey Support (if listed)
  • Keyboard driver or Input driver
• Restart your computer after installation

3. Check keyboard layout and language settings

• Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region
• Ensure your keyboard layout matches your physical keyboard (e.g., US QWERTY)
• Under Advanced keyboard settings, confirm the correct input method is selected

4. Test function keys outside browser

• Open Notepad or any non-browser app
• Press F1–F12 and observe behavior
• If brightness keys still trigger browser actions, the issue may be tied to browser shortcuts

5. Disable conflicting browser extensions

• In Chrome or Edge:
  • Go to Settings > Extensions
  • Disable any extensions that modify keyboard behavior
  • Restart the browser and test again

6. Update BIOS and chipset drivers

• Return to the HP driver page
• Download and install the latest BIOS update and chipset driver
• Restart your PC after installation

Let me know how the function keys respond after these steps. If brightness control returns to normal and keys behave as expected, we can fine-tune shortcuts or accessibility settings. 

You’ve done everything right by staying observant—I’ll be here to guide you further.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye