Octopus Overlords

I finally bit the bullet and bought a new ASUS laptop. After a while I realized there are no F1 - F12 keys:


I tried a web search and saw something about the FN key, but FN + what? Anyone know about this?

Caveman solution! I plugged a USB keyboard into the laptop and it's all good. Actually much more comfortable to hold a light keyboard on my lap than a hunka hunka burnin' laptop. Another right move for the wrong reason.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:06 pm I finally bit the bullet and bought a new ASUS laptop. After a while I realized there are no F1 - F12 keys:


I tried a web search and saw something about the FN key, but FN + what? Anyone know about this?

Your image is somewhat blurry, but they're across the top, along the row above your number keys.

You may need to hold down the 'fn' key while pressing the relevant F-key you want to use. So, to press F1, try holding 'fn' while also hitting the 'Zz-f1' key (the one that's above the number one).

Don’t you just hold FN and hit that weird Z button above the 1 to get at F1?

In case you need to use it later, it's generally FN + 1 for F1, FN + 2 for F2 and so on. F10 would be FN + 0. F11 is usually FN and - ; F12 FN and =, or sometimes FN and + depending on the maker. It's weird that they didn't even include a description of that function, I suppose full service manuals are a thing of the past but a scrap of paper with common shortcuts couldn't cost too much to add.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:57 pm

Jaymann wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 6:06 pm I finally bit the bullet and bought a new ASUS laptop. After a while I realized there are no F1 - F12 keys:


I tried a web search and saw something about the FN key, but FN + what? Anyone know about this?

Your image is somewhat blurry, but they're across the top, along the row above your number keys.

You'll need to hold down the 'fn' key while pressing the relevant F-key you want to use. So, to press F1, hold 'fn' while also hitting the 'Zz-f1' key (the one that's above the number one).

Yeah, I tried that, but they just continued to do whatever function they were designed to perform whether I held the FN key or not.

Oh, apparently there's an ASUS Keyboard Hotkey app to switch to using F1-F12, so it doesn't work at all like a separate keyboard. Again, it seems pretty weird that they never mentioned that. https://www.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1038312/

Yep, Alienware is the same way. By default, you hold Fn + whatever key it is to get the function key, but there is a setting to reverse it (so they're F1-F12 by default, and the Fn key gives you the special control.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 7:37 pm Yep, Alienware is the same way. By default, you hold Fn + whatever key it is to get the function key, but there is a setting to reverse it (so they're F1-F12 by default, and the Fn key gives you the special control.

That would make a lot more sense. They could even mark the key as F1/[picture of whatever].

I can't tell if it's been answered, but the small f+number in the top right of the top row of keys is the Fkey number. Pressing the one marked f1 does whatever F1 does, etc.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 10:31 pm I can't tell if it's been answered, but the small f+number in the top right of the top row of keys is the Fkey number. Pressing the one marked f1 does whatever F1 does, etc.

I feel like an idiot but the keyboard was lit up and I did not see those. With it turned off they are readily apparent. Thanks!