Fn lock key on a Samsung laptop. Why doesn't the fn key work on a laptop? Fn keys do not work or work incorrectly

Any device is subject to physical wear and tear, as a result of which it may stop working. This also applies to desktop computers, with which problems constantly arise. Very often the power button in system units fails, without which it is very difficult to start the computer. So what should you do in a situation where you pressed the power button and nothing happened in response?

general information

Sometimes a situation arises in which it is impossible to turn on a desktop PC. In this case, there is power in the network, the LED on the system board lights up, which signals its operation, however, the device does not respond in any way to pressing the power button. Most likely this is due to its failure. So what to do in such a situation and is there any other way to start the computer?

Such a breakdown can be associated with a huge number of factors, some of which can be eliminated on your own, while others may require the help of professionals. This article will discuss the most common causes of failure, methods for eliminating them, as well as some ways to start a system unit without a power button.

Diagnostics

A system unit is a very complex device consisting of various components, each of which can fail. Therefore, if you encounter any problem, the first thing you should do is try to understand what the problem is. The system unit is powered by a power supply unit, which is very sensitive to voltage drops. Thus, troubleshooting should begin with it. To do this, you need to disconnect all power supply wires from the system board, optical drive, hard drive and graphics adapter. Next, using a paper clip, you need to close two contacts on the widest adapter, which is responsible for supplying power to the motherboard. In most power supply models, these contacts are green and black. If, after a short circuit, the cooling cooler of the power supply does not start, this indicates that the device has failed. If everything works, then most likely the problem is with the power button.

How to turn on a PC without a button?

If the start button on your system unit is broken, then do not despair, since the computer can be turned on without it. The power button is located on the front panel, which connects to the system board. The motherboard has special connectors for connecting the panel, which are located in its lower right corner and labeled Power Switch. When you find this connector, you need to disconnect all the wires from it, after which you need to close the two contacts labeled PWR SW using a screwdriver.

If after performing the steps described above the system unit starts, then the problem really lies in the power button. There are several ways to fix this problem:

- Completely replace the power button;

— connect the reset button to the power connectors;

— Take the computer to a service center for repair.

The best option would be to completely replace the worn-out button, since without it it will not be possible to operate the computer normally. After all, you will agree that it is not very convenient to climb into the system unit every time to turn on the PC. If you do not have the necessary experience, then it is better not to take risks, but to seek help from professionals.

Using the keyboard

The keyboard is one of the most effective devices that allows you to interact with the computer and use all its capabilities. In addition, not all users know that using this device you can not only turn off the PC, but also turn it on. However, it’s worth noting right away that only a keyboard with a PS/2 interface is suitable for inclusion. More modern models that use a USB connector to synchronize with the system unit will not allow you to achieve your plans.

If you have an input device with the required interface at your disposal, then to control the computer's power using it, you will need to configure hot keys. To do this, you can use both single keys and their combinations. For example, this could be a spacebar or Ctrl+Esc. After saving the changes made to the settings and restarting the computer, all changes will take effect.

For settings, you will need to enter the BIOS using a standard key, after which you need to go to the Power Management Setup tab, where you will need to set the default keyboard in the line for selecting a device to launch. This will solve the problem of turning on the computer when the power button is faulty, without replacing it.

Design features

The power button has a very fragile design, so it breaks down very often. If you bought a cheap Chinese-made system unit, then the power button may have an even shorter lifespan and fail much earlier. Therefore, when purchasing a ready-made desktop system or independently assembling a computer using components, you need to pay great attention to the quality of all elements and components of the PC, so as not to regret your choice later. Today, there are many brands on the computer components market that produce high-quality cases and power supplies, so there will be no problems with the choice.

Precautions for diagnosis and repair work

If you decide to look for a fault and repair the system unit yourself, without the help of a professional, then you must follow basic safety rules so as not only to avoid getting hurt yourself, but also to avoid causing even more harm to your computer. The main requirement when performing any work is to completely de-energize the system unit. To do this, you need to unplug the power cable. This must be done even if the power supply has a special button for de-energizing.

This simple rule will help you avoid many unpleasant situations. Of course, you won’t get an electric shock, but imagine what will happen to your fingers if the system unit starts up, and at that moment you accidentally put them into the cooling fan? Or you'll be unscrewing bolts and one of them will fall onto the motherboard and short out something, causing the motherboard or some other device to burn out.

In conclusion

So, if you have read the article to this point, it means not only that it has come to an end, but also that you now know how to identify a faulty computer power button, repair it, and also know how to start a PC without it buttons. Finally, it is worth noting that the article discussed only basic measures to eliminate this problem. There are several other ways to fix the problem with the power button, however, they require the user to have certain skills and experience working with electronics, so it will be quite difficult for novice users to cope with them. To never have problems with your computer, assemble your system unit exclusively from high-quality components.

Updated – 2017-02-16

There are cases in which the power button on the front panel does not work after a while. It just falls into the inside of the case. I was very “lucky” in this regard. Our organization purchased five such computers. And literally a month later the buttons began to fall inside.

The master was called. He came, looked, said that it was our own fault, and left. In some ways I agree with him. There is no need to press buttons as hard as you can, and it’s even better not to buy computers in such cases. Not only do the buttons fall out of them, but they also rattle like a tin can in a frying pan.

The boss cares about the price, and the rest is your problem. So then the employees sit at computers that heat up like stoves (especially pleasant in the summer), rattle like tin cans, hum like airplanes, and constantly break down.

I had to ignore the warranty and open the processor unit. All the same, no one will change computers, and if they do something, it will probably be in such a way that after a while they will have to be taken in for repairs again. If you have the same problem, then I can help you.

If your computer’s power button constantly falls inside the case, then it’s better to spend a couple of hours once and do everything as it should, than to swear every time and ruin your nerves. Moreover, all you need for this is a screwdriver, pliers, and a piece of wire.

• Disconnect the power from the computer (it is better to completely unplug its cord from the outlet).
• Disconnect all wires from the back of the processor case (power cable, monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc.). If you doubt that you will connect everything correctly later, write down or sketch their location on paper.

In general, at first it’s better to write down or sketch everything. Don't rely on your memory. From my own experience, I know that you will still be tormented by doubts whether everything was done correctly. So, it’s better to save your nerves and time.

• Now place the processor on the table. Remove everything unnecessary so that it doesn’t bother you. Cover your pets to prevent them from jumping and, God forbid, from getting inside the block.
• , which is very harmful to electronic parts.
• Take a Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the screws from the back to open the left and right walls of the case (there are cases with latches, but they don’t have such problems with buttons).

Just be careful not to unscrew the screws that secure it to the case.

• Gently pull the wall towards you towards the unscrewed screws and remove it.
• Do the same with the second wall. Now find the screws (usually six of them, three on each side) that secure the front panel. They need to be unscrewed to get to the button.

• Remove the front panel cover. Try not to let the wires coming from this panel break off or jump out of their sockets on the motherboard. Better yet, before you open the panel, sketch out all the wire connections that go from this panel to the motherboard.

Now, if any wiring comes out, you can always connect it. In general, a diagram for connecting all the wires is in the description of the motherboard, which they should give you when you buy a computer. You can also find a description of the motherboard on the Internet.

• After you have opened the front panel, find the failed button, insert it into place and fasten it with some wire. I do this with an ordinary paper clip.

The functionality of the Fn key is obvious to many. In combination with this button, quick actions are performed on many laptop computers, including Samsung laptops. By holding down Fn with the shortcut keys, you can turn on and off wireless network adapters, the touchpad, adjust many settings, such as screen brightness or sound volume, and also switch the device to another operating mode. Disabling this key or, conversely, constantly turning it on can clearly interfere with working with the laptop. In this article we will tell you how to enable or disable this key.

If your laptop requires high-quality repairs using only original parts, for example, partial or complete replacement of the keyboard, contact the official Samsung website.

How to enable or disable the Fn key

The first method is a keyboard shortcut

The easiest way to activate or deactivate the Fn key is to press it simultaneously with the NumLock key.

The second way is through the BIOS

You can enable the Fn key in the BIOS settings. How to enter Bios on Samsung laptops, we wrote in an earlier article. In the system menu, go to the “SуstemConfiguration” section and opposite the “Action Keys Mode” line, set the value to “Enabled,” which means enabled. Next, save the changes and reboot the laptop.

The third way is to check the keyboard driver

If the method above does not help, let's try checking the keyboard driver. To do this, go to “Device Manager”, then in “Keyboard Properties” select “Uninstall driver”. Next, download the necessary software from the official website and reboot the laptop. After installation, check the operation of the Fn key.

The fourth method is using the Settings program

To activate the Fn key, you need to download a special Settings program. In order to install it, you must first download the Samsung Update utility, which allows you to quickly find the software and firmware you need. The name of the program and its version depend on the model of your laptop.

The fifth method is to clean or replace the key

If none of the methods help, try simply cleaning the key. Sometimes a simple blockage can cause any key to not function. If the key is damaged, you can replace it yourself or contact experienced technicians at a service center.

A small percentage of laptops boast a large full-size keyboard, especially with a number of additional function keys. Most often, in order to save space, developers of laptop computers place additional function keys on the F1-F12 line and add the FN button so that users can use them. Without these function keys it is difficult to work with a laptop, since they allow you to quickly increase/decrease the brightness, increase/decrease the sound and perform other necessary actions.

Many users, after reinstalling the Windows operating system and in other situations, have to deal with the problem that the FN button does not work. Accordingly, the ability to control function keys is lost, which directly affects the ease of use of the computer. In this article, we will look at what to do if the FN button does not work on the keyboard.

Why doesn't the FN button on the keyboard work?

If we exclude the possibility that the FN button does not work due to a mechanical failure, we can assume two options - problems with Windows or problems with the BIOS. The most common causes of failure are the following:

There are a huge number of laptops on the market from various manufacturers. Methods for solving the problem with the FN key not working will differ for different laptops. Below in the article we will provide basic action algorithms that will help correct the situation on laptops of popular brands.

FN button does not work on Lenovo laptop

One of the most popular laptop brands in the world is Lenovo. If the FN key does not work on one of the computer models of this brand, you need to go to the official website of the developers in the drivers section and download the necessary software. Since Lenovo produces a huge number of products and their website is quite complex, we recommend entering the query “your laptop model + drivers” into the search engine. One of the first will be a link to the official Lenovo resource in the section with drivers.

It is worth noting one feature of Lenovo drivers. There are a large number of them on the company’s website, but it is not always clear which set should be downloaded for a specific laptop model. Let's take a short tour of the available sets:

It is worth noting that owners of Lenovo laptops often complain about a problem when only the key combinations responsible for turning Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on/off do not work. In such a situation, you need to separately download drivers for wireless networks, which can also be found on the official Lenovo website.

If the problem is not related to Windows and operating system drivers, then you need to check the BIOS settings. Depending on the laptop model, you can find the “HotKey Mode” or “Fn and Ctrl Key Swap” options in the BIOS.

FN button does not work on Asus laptop

If the FN key does not work on an Asus laptop, it means that the necessary drivers are not installed on the computer or changes have been made to startup. For the FN key to work, 2 conditions must be met:

Most often, Asus laptops do not have settings in the BIOS that allow you to enable/disable or change the operation of the FN key.

FN button does not work on Acer laptop

Acer boasts an extremely convenient and pleasant website that allows you to easily find the required set of drivers for a specific laptop model. To do this, you need to go to the website, in the “Select a device” section, indicate the exact modification number of your laptop and select the version of the operating system (pay attention to the bit depth). Next, a list of available drivers will appear.

For the FN key to work, a set of drivers for the chipset must be installed, and you must also run the installation of the Launch Manager application (located in the “Application” section). If this does not fix the FN key not working issue, also download and install Acer Power Manager.

Please note: After installing Launch Manager, the program will launch automatically when the computer boots. If you remove it from startup, the FN buttons may not work.

FN button does not work on HP laptop

To find drivers for a specific HP laptop model, you need to do the following:

After installing all the required applications, restart your computer and check if the FN key works properly.

It is worth noting that the BIOS in HP laptops provides the ability to configure the FN key. The user can set the option that the FN button will always be pressed, that is, the F1-F12 keys will work if you press FN, and the function buttons without pressing FN. This is configured in the “System Configuration” section with the “Action Keys Mode” item.

FN button not working on Dell laptop

If a Dell laptop user encounters a problem with the FN key not working, he also needs to install a set of drivers on which the function key depends. You will need to download and install the following applications from the official Dell website: Dell Foundation Services – Application, Dell QuickSet Application and Dell Power Manager Lite Application.

Please note: If the FN key not working issue in question is on a laptop running one of the older Windows operating systems (such as Vista or XP), then you will also need to download and install the Dell Function Keys app.

All of the drivers listed above must be downloaded for a specific laptop model in the correct version of the operating system. To do this you will need:

Problems with the FN key on Dell laptops can also occur due to incorrect BIOS settings. The situation here is similar to HP laptops, that is, you can change, you need to press the FN key to use F1-F12 or multimedia buttons. This setting is located in the “Advanced” section of the BIOS and is called “Function key Behavior”.

FN button does not work on Sony laptop

Sony Vaio laptops are also susceptible to an issue where the FN button stops working due to incorrect (or uninstalled) drivers. The problem with finding drivers for laptop computers of the Japanese company is due to the fact that Sony Vaio is no longer officially produced. However, Sony's website still contains all the necessary software to keep the company's computers in working order.

"Fn" on the keyboard of any laptop, including devices from ASUS, plays an important role, allowing you to control additional features using function keys. In case of failure of this key, we have prepared these instructions.

Most often, the main cause of problems with the key is "Fn" consists of a recent reinstallation of the operating system. However, in addition to this, there may also be driver malfunctions or physical damage to the buttons and keyboard as a whole.

Reason 1: Disabling keys

In most cases, function keys are turned on and off on ASUS laptops by using the following combinations:

• "Fn+NumLock";
• "Fn+Insert";
• "Fn+Esc".

Try using the following keyboard shortcuts while checking if they work "Fn".

Reason 2: BIOS Settings

In the case of ASUS laptops, you cannot disable or enable function keys through the BIOS, but you can configure their operation. If you're on a laptop "Fn" does not work correctly, our instructions may well help.

After the completed actions, the key "Fn" will become mandatory when accessing the function keys of the laptop. If the described actions do not bring any results, you can move on to the following causes of the malfunction.

Reason 3: Lack of drivers

Most often, the main reason for the key not working is "Fn" on an ASUS laptop is the lack of suitable drivers. This may be due to the installation of an unsupported operating system or a system failure.

1. Click on the link provided and on the page that opens, enter the model of your laptop in the text field. You can find out this information in several ways.



2. From the list of results in a block "Product" Click on the found device.



3. Use the menu to switch to the tab "Drivers and Utilities".



4. From the list "Specify OS" select the appropriate system version. If the OS is not in the list, specify a different version, but of the same bitness.



5. Scroll down the list to the block "ATK" and click on the link if necessary "Show all".



6. Next to the latest version of the package "ATKACPI driver and hotkey-related utilities" click the button "Download" and save the archive on your laptop.



7. Next, install the driver automatically, after unzipping the files.
   

   Note: On our website you can find instructions for installing drivers on specific models of ASUS laptops and more.

In a situation with drivers from another system, there should be no errors. Otherwise, try installing the package in compatibility mode.

ASUS Smart Gesture

Additionally, you can download and install the driver "ASUS Smart Gesture" in the same section on the official ASUS website.

Now all that remains is to restart the laptop and check its functionality "Fn".

Reason 4: Physical breakdown

If none of the sections of this manual helped you fix the problem, the cause of the problem may be a broken keyboard or a specific key. "Fn". In this case, you can resort to cleaning and checking the connection contacts.

Fatal damage, for example due to physical impact, is also possible. The problem can only be solved by completely replacing the keyboard with a new one, depending on the laptop model.