How to Turn Off Scroll Lock Without a Scroll Lock Key
Compact, tenkeyless (TKL), 60 percent, and 65 percent keyboards typically do not have a dedicated Scroll Lock key. If Scroll Lock gets activated (accidentally or through software), removing it without the physical key requires a workaround. This guide covers every method that works.
If you have a full-size keyboard with a Scroll Lock key, see the standard guide at How to Turn Off Scroll Lock.
Method 1: Windows On-Screen Keyboard (No Install Required)
The Windows On-Screen Keyboard is a virtual keyboard that includes keys not present on your physical keyboard.
- Open the Start menu and search for On-Screen Keyboard, then open it.
- Alternatively, press Windows + Ctrl + O to open it directly.
- In the On-Screen Keyboard, click ScrLk (it appears in the top-right area on the standard layout).
- If the Scroll Lock indicator light was on (or SLCK in Excel's status bar), it will turn off.
This is the quickest method that requires nothing additional on your system.
Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut (Fn Key Combination)
Many compact keyboards have Scroll Lock mapped to a function key combination. Check your keyboard's documentation or the key labels for any secondary function printed in a different color on a key near F12.
| Keyboard Brand / Type | Scroll Lock Combination |
|---|---|
| Most compact keyboards | Fn + C, Fn + F12, or Fn + K |
| Dell compact keyboards | Fn + S |
| HP compact keyboards | Fn + C |
| Logitech TKL keyboards | Fn + F12 (varies by model) |
| Custom / Mechanical keyboards | Check QMK or firmware documentation |
Press and release the combination. If Scroll Lock turns off, this is the fastest permanent solution for your keyboard.
Method 3: AutoHotkey Script (Remap the Key Permanently)
If you regularly need to toggle Scroll Lock and want a dedicated keyboard shortcut without the Fn key combination, AutoHotkey lets you assign Scroll Lock to any key combination.
- Download and install AutoHotkey from autohotkey.com.
- Create a new .ahk file (right-click desktop, New, Text Document, rename to ScrollLockFix.ahk).
- Open the file and paste:
^+s::ScrollLock - This maps Ctrl + Shift + S to toggle Scroll Lock.
- Double-click the .ahk file to run it.
Save the file to your Windows startup folder to run it automatically: press Windows + R, type shell:startup, and copy the .ahk file there.
Method 4: Disable Scroll Lock in Excel's Status Bar
If the only place Scroll Lock causes problems is Microsoft Excel (where it makes arrow keys scroll the sheet instead of moving between cells), you can verify and toggle it from Excel itself:
- Open Excel.
- Look at the status bar at the bottom of the screen. If Scroll Lock is active, it shows SCROLL LOCK there.
- Right-click the status bar to see status bar options and you can see if it is currently on.
- To turn it off without a key, use the On-Screen Keyboard method above or the Fn combination if your keyboard has one.
Method 5: PowerShell Command
You can toggle Scroll Lock using a PowerShell command without any hardware input:
- Open PowerShell (search PowerShell in Start menu).
- Paste this command and press Enter:
$wsh = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; $wsh.SendKeys('{SCROLLLOCK}') - Each execution of this command toggles Scroll Lock once. Run it once to turn off if currently on.