Function keys working in reverse - G62224CA

[ScottAllen]

Well, this worked on mine, but I really don't understand why it's configured this way by default. Clearly, whoever made this decision doesn't use Excel much, or play any PC games.

I'm all for improving a computer's ease of use, but not at the expense of other ease of use.

[FedUpHPUser]

Thanks for this forum I can now use the function keys as their creator intended them to do, i.e., to support people working.

HP as the manufacturer doesn't seem to support this idea, since it sets the default use of these function keys for multimedia use. Reading the original and the previous comments, this issue has been around for 5 years, people have been complaining about this for 5 years, and yet HP has continued to produce notebooks whose function keys are set for passive uses of a computer. (Ironically, in the BIOS, that multimedia uses of the keys are called ACTION keys!)

Unlike HP which needs us to reboot our computer and enter the BIOS just to bring back the function keys' normal use, some other manufacturers provide this function in their Start Windows screen, which is so fast and easy. This makes me think that for this last 5 years, HP manufacturer has been leading people (read: kids) to be ignorant of the real power of a PC (or of the function keys, for that matter). HP deliberately makes young people to think that multimedia use (that is, brightness, volume, double screen, things one needs to watch useless videos or listen to rubbish tunes) is all those F keys do.

Is HP up to an agenda?

[-Jos-]

I'm having exactly the same problem with my new HP Pavilion laptop.  I use Sage accounting software and the F key shortcuts are absolutely ESSENTIAL!

When I press F10 to bring up the BIOS as recommended, nothing comes up, also tried pressing fn at the same time but nothing is popping up.

[koam]

To get to the BIOS, you have to turn off your computer.  Then turn it on and repeatedly press F10 right after powering on. You may see some type in the lower left of the screen indicating that it's going into the Setup or BIOS.  I'm not sure of the exact words it uses.

If you wait too long, it's too late and you have to power down and power up again.

It's possible that some computers use a different F-key to press, but my HP works with F10.  I've also seen the ESC key mentioned.  Every computer I've ever used has BIOS access.  Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to do. 

[koam]

To get to the BIOS, you have to turn off your computer.  Then turn it on and repeatedly press F10 right as soon as you power on. You may see some type in the lower left of the screen indicating that it's going into the Setup or BIOS.  I'm not sure of the exact words it uses.

If you wait too long, it's too late and you have to power down and power up again.

It's possible that some computers use a different F-key to press, but my HP works with F10.  I've also seen the ESC key mentioned.  Every computer I've ever used has BIOS access.  Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to do. 

[koam]

I agree - thanks to this forum I found the easy fix to getting Function Keys to perform as they're intended to.

I suppose someone at HP decided that reversing the function was some kind of competitve advantage some time ago.

What's missing is that millions of people are accustomed to using F-keys and have been for 40 years.  HP should make it easier for users to figure out what's going on when they first acquire an HP computer.  Preferably, they'd make it part of the on-boarding process for the user to select whether the default is the Function Keys or the  Action Keys.  

Short of that, HP should include information about this innovation / divergence from the norm for users as part of the Setup Instructions document.

HP could also change the way in which the user preference for these keys is set from being within the BIOS (exotically techie for most users) and put into the Support Center software, if possible.

I'm a seasoned PC user since the early 80s and it should have been simpler to solve the first time.

Now that I know how to do it, it's easy. 

Note that each time you get a new version of BIOS from HP, you have to go back in and reset this.    But if this happens only every couple of years, you have to remember first how it's done and then go do it.

A similar issue is HP's choice to not have a plain INS key, which is a Windows standard key, on the keyboard.  I use a freeware program called KeyTweak to simply set my F12 key up as the INS key.  All Windows computes should have a naked INS key on a full keyboard.  INS is part of Keyboard Combos that have been part of Window since day one.  Some of them even predate Windows. 

[koam]

I agree - thanks to this forum I found the easy fix to getting Function Keys to perform as they're intended to.

I suppose someone at HP decided that reversing the function was some kind of competitve advantage some time ago.

What's missing is that millions of people are accustomed to using F-keys and have been for 40 years.  HP should make it easier for users to figure out what's going on when they first acquire an HP computer.  Preferably, they'd make it part of the on-boarding process for the user to select whether the default is the Function Keys or the  Action Keys.  They could use that occasion to sell users on why their way is better.

Short of that, HP should include information about this innovation / divergence from the norm for users as part of the Setup Instructions document.

HP could also change the way in which the user preference for these keys is set from being within the BIOS (exotically techie for most users) and put into the Support Center software, if possible.

I'm a seasoned PC user since the early 80s and it should have been simpler to solve the first time.

Now that I know how to do it, it's easy. 

Note that each time you get a new version of BIOS from HP, you have to go back in and reset this.    But if this happens only every couple of years, you have to remember first how it's done and then go do it.

A similar issue is HP's choice to not have a plain INS key, which is a Windows standard key, on the keyboard.  I use a freeware program called KeyTweak to simply set my F12 key up as the INS key.  All Windows computes should have a naked INS key on a full keyboard.  INS is part of Keyboard Combos that have been part of Window since day one.  Some of them even predate Windows.