Computer Software for Steel Professionals

Changing the Toshiba Function Keys to Standard F1-F12 Mode

Keys F1-F12 on Toshiba laptops can behave in one of two manners:

  • Standard F1-F12 Mode: Press the function key by itself to use standard F1-F12 functions. Hold FN first to use special functions.
  • Special Function Mode: Press the function key by itself to use special functions. Hold FN first to use standard F1-F12 functions.

Some function keys have come to mean certain things over the years. For instance, F2 often means "Edit," and F3 often means "Delete." The F5 key means "Repeat Last Entry" in many applications whereas it means "Refresh the Display" in most browsers. You don't expect to have to hit FN before F2, F3, F5, etc. Hitting the function key directly should produce the desired result. That is what happens in Standard F1-F12 Mode, and that means that it is by far the preferable mode.

Unfortunately, some Toshiba laptops have Special Function Mode set by default. Under that mode, you'd have to press FN and then F5 in order to activate Structural Material Manager's "Repeat Last Entry" function. This is unacceptable to most users. If your Toshiba laptop has Special Function Mode as its default, resetting to standard function key behavior can be easily done under Windows Vista and 7 as follows:

  1. Run the HW Setup program by clicking Start -> All Programs -> TOSHIBA -> Tools & Utilities -> HWSETUP.
  2. The HW Setup dialog contains a number of tabs. Click the "Keyboard" tab.
  3. If Special Function Mode and Standard F1-F12 Mode choices are presented, select Select Standard F1-F12 Mode. If the Special Function Mode and Select Standard F1-F12 Mode choices do not appear, your particular Toshiba laptop does not need this adjustment.
  4. Click Ok
  5. Close the HW Setup program.

The directions above were formulated under Windows 7 and should apply to both Vista and 7. If you are running Windows 8/8.1, visit Toshiba's own http://www.mytoshiba.com.au/support/item/695 page for different directions.

After making the necessary changes using Toshiba's HW Setup utility, your Toshiba laptop's function keys will behave in the normal manner.