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How do I use my function keys (F1, F2, F3, etc) in games that I play on my Windows 8 computer? Whenever I try, it just changes my brightness or opens help (or even worse, in steam games when I press F12 it turns off my Internet instead of taking a screenshot)! I really want to be able to screenshot and vote on votekicks, but I can't find out how!

PS I believe my laptop is an HP envy, but I can't check until I get home

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    This is nothing to do with Windows 8, please advise the make and model of your laptop so somebody can lookup which key combination will toggle function keys
    – Flyk
    Sep 26, 2013 at 14:16
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    @TheUgly this is about the design of your laptop and nothing to do directly with gaming, your laptop has laptop setting keys in the place of function keys, and another key to toggle what this row of keys do.
    – Flyk
    Sep 26, 2013 at 14:19
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    @TheUgly Applying to every game you've used on Windows 8 is a very good indication your problem has nothing to do with any of them.
    – dlras2
    Sep 26, 2013 at 14:21
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    @TheUgly I have a Windows 8 PC that this never applied to. I also had a Windows 7 laptop it did. This is 100% about your hardware/BIOS and manufacturer.
    – dlras2
    Sep 26, 2013 at 14:21
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    @TheUgly - It has nothing to do with "games" those same problems would have surfaced with ANY software.
    – Ramhound
    Sep 26, 2013 at 15:00

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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You most likely have a laptop which defaults to using the control functions rather than the F_ keys.

To disable this system wide, you'll most likely need to open up your BIOS and change the option back to using the standard keyboard F_ keys. That said, this problem does not only apply only to Windows 8, but to many computers with almost any OS, and the solution will vary a bit between all of them.

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  • Could you post a link to a guide for how to do this? I have no idea how to open a BIOS and where the option is located
    – The Ugly
    Sep 26, 2013 at 15:39

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