Scroll Lock On Dell Laptop | 4 Ways To Turn It Off

Navigating the “Scroll Lock” feature on a Dell laptop can be an important aspect of user experience. While this function aids in scrolling large text sections, there may be times when you want to disable it. Here, we’ll guide you on handling the scroll lock on your Dell laptop should you decide not to utilize it.

The scroll lock feature is essential since it allows the user to type while locking the cursor so it does not freely move around. However, it is not every time that the user wants to use this feature or may want their cursor to move freely even when typing. 

The user can do so in seconds by using several different ways.

While you might turn off the screen lock with the above keys, what should one do if their Dell laptop keyboard does not come with the screen lock key?

There is no need to worry since there are other ways and options to enable you to turn the feature off on your Dell laptop even when its keyboard does have the keys stated above.

Let’s look at some of the most common ways to turn off the scroll lock of a Dell laptop in seconds.

Here are other ways to turn off your Dell laptop’s scroll lock in seconds.

Using The ScLk, Slk, or ScrLck Keys

Most Dell laptops have a screen lock button on their keyboards. The key to use will be labeled as either ScLk, Slk, or ScrLck (depending on the model of the laptop). 

You should hold this key for about five seconds to turn the screen lock feature on or off.

As simple as that may be, there is another Dell model that does not come with a key bound to this functionality, and as such, the user will have to resort to using different other ways to turn off the scroll feature. Some of these are outlined below.

Using an External Keyboard

If your Dell laptop does not have a scroll lock key, you may use an external keyboard with the keys if you have or can access one. 

Plug the keyboard into your laptop through several USB ports. Since Keyboards are ‘Plug and Play,’ you do not have to install any other software or drivers to use an external keyboard.

From the external keyboard, locate the scroll lock key on the right-hand side of the keyboard just above the arrow keys.

After this, press and hold the key for about 5 seconds, which should turn off the scroll lock feature on your Dell laptop.

Using On-Screen Keyboard

Operating systems come with accessories and features to help accessibility to different types of people or when you encounter different problems.

One such feature of the Windows operating system is the on-screen keyboard. 

Here is how to use it to turn off the scroll lock feature on your Dell laptop:

• Search for the feature by typing “on-screen keyboard” in the windows search bar.
• From the options, please choose the best matching option, which is an application, and click on it.
• Doing this will display a digital keyboard on your screen.
• Click the scroll lock key on this keyboard to turn it off. This key is found on the right-hand side of the on-screen keyboard in between the print screen and pause keys.
• You may also use your mouse to navigate and start the on-screen keyboard feature. You may do so by:
• First, move your cursor to the start menu and click it. A menu will show up, giving you a variety of options.
• Under the programs column, scroll until you get to W and click on Windows Ease of Access.
• After this, a drop-down menu will display several options on-screen keyboard. When you click on this option, a digital keyboard will appear.
• Use the same process as above (to find the scroll lock key, press and hold it for 5 seconds), and the scroll lock feature will be turned off.

Using Shortcuts Keys

There is no universal shortcut key combination to turn off the scroll lock on a Dell laptop in seconds.

However, depending on your laptop’s keyboard or external keyboard, you can use some shortcuts to determine which one is tied to the scroll lock function of your device.

Most shortcuts can be performed using any keyboard with the Function key (FN or Fn). In some laptops, the user can toggle the scroll lock feature on and off by pressing the FN and F6 keys.

On others, you will still have to press the FN key together with the Number 6 key.

Finally, some laptops require the user to press FN and S keys to toggle the scroll lock.

Why Does Scroll Lock Keep Turning On and Off On My Dell Laptop?

One problem people keep having is that their scroll lock feature keeps turning itself on and off without the user pressing anything. A stuck scroll lock key almost always causes this problem on the keyboard of your laptop.

You can try to solve this problem by looking if there is anything placed on your Dell laptop keyboard that is pressing the scroll lock key. If so, remove it.

Alternatively, you should check if your key is stuck down and cannot come up. You see, the keys of your laptop have a rubber underneath them that brings them up after you press them.

When the key goes down and does not come up sometimes because the rubber is worn out.

Additionally, the key might be stuck down because of dirt and debris. If this is the case, try to clean your laptop’s keyboard and use a blow to ensure you blow away all the dirt after cleaning it.

If these solutions do not work, you can take the laptop to the repair shop to have a qualified professional look at it and probably change the stuck key.

What Are Some Other Helpful Shortcuts When Using a Dell Laptop?

There are many shortcuts for any user with a Dell laptop. Below are some of the most common, especially for those that use the Windows operating system.

Windows Key

Press the windows keys at any time to open up the start menu.

Windows Key + E key

This combination of two keys will open the file explorer menu.

Alt Key

On its own, the alt key does not have a lot of functions. However, when you press it while you have a specific program open, it will show you any additional shortcuts that users can use.

Most of these shortcuts will be specific to the program you have open.

Alt and Ctrl and Del

The combination of keys for a shortcut brings up a blue screen on Windows where the user has options to lock their computer, switching users, power options, task manager, ease of access options, and many others.

Alt and F4

This shortcut combination brings up a dialog box that gives the user a selection of power and shutdown options, like putting the laptop into sleep mode, shutting down, and restarting the device.

Ctrl and A

This combination of keys enables you to select all items on display quickly.

It is a handy shortcut, especially when you want to simultaneously do something with multiple objects.