Scroll lock what do

However, one prominent program still uses Scroll Lock for its original purpose: Microsoft Excel. If Scroll Lock is disabled, you use the arrow keys to move the cursor between cells.

Some legacy programs also use Scroll Lock, but these are relatively rare scenarios for most people. If you do have the Scroll Lock key and never touch it, though, you can put it to work doing something useful. Remapping means when you press Scroll Lock, instead of activating Scroll Lock, the key will do something else.

This way, you can potentially use the Scroll Lock key for many different tasks. You can experiment with various mappings to see which one will be most useful.

Click the Trash icon beside the mapping to remove it. If you dislike PowerToys, you can also remap keys with SharpKeys , although its interface is not quite as user-friendly. Some people keep hotkey-enabled app shortcuts in a special folder for that reason.

You never know—with these tweaks, Scroll Lock might become your new favorite key. You might even wonder how you ever lived without it. Browse All iPhone Articles Browse All Mac Articles Do I need one? Browse All Android Articles Browse All Smart Home Articles Customize the Taskbar in Windows Browse All Microsoft Office Articles What Is svchost. But how is the keys utility for KVM switches any less of answer than the answer talking about how it's still used in Excel?

DLeh DLeh 1, 7 7 silver badges 11 11 bronze badges. Disclaimer: I haven't used XFire in years, they may well have changed their default hotkey for this. Wolf Wolf 11 1 1 bronze badge. OK, so some very niche systems have a use for that key. But - as the question asked - is this the reason that key still exists on keyboards? What JonW said and also in the comment to user's answer ; this sounds like using an existing key because it exists and has no other significant use, as opposed to the reason why that key exists in the first place.

Could you elaborate? For instance some might not know what a KVM switch is. Also - why Scroll Lock? It doesn't sound like this action has anything to do with locking the scroll.

It sounds more like they used the Scroll Lock key for this feature because that keyboard key doesn't have another useful use. That's not really a reason to keep it around. JonW Agreed. It looks to me like the Scroll Lock key is used in this instance as it is almost guaranteed that this key will not be in use, which is what the accepted answer actually says. If so, this answer adds absolutely nothing.

This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post - you can always comment on your own posts, and once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post. Devin This is an answer.

It may be a poor answer, but it is still an answer and as a result, your NAA flag if you raised it will very likely be declined.

There are many people like me who consider the scroll lock to be very useful. Mayo 6, 8 8 gold badges 27 27 silver badges 36 36 bronze badges. Julia Julia 1. Welcome to the site, Julia! Can you provide a bit more context about how the Scroll Lock is used? Your post explains why the mouse and the touch pad don't work, but I'm not understanding how the Scroll Lock does work. The Overflow Blog. Does ES6 make JavaScript frameworks obsolete?

Podcast Do polyglots have an edge when it comes to mastering programming Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Linked 8. Related Hot Network Questions. Question feed. Your laptop may not have the same configuration as shown in the picture. Smaller, more compact laptops may not have a Scroll Lock key. Chromebooks also do not have a Scroll Lock key.

Microsoft Excel is a good example of a software program that still uses this key. If Scroll Lock is enabled, pressing any of the arrow keys results in the screen moving in that direction, but the selected cell will not change. Computer acronyms , Control keys , Keyboard terms , Scroll , Togglekeys. Home Dictionary S - Definitions. However, if it's on and you can't find the keyboard key, there is another way. The method you use will depend on your operating system.

Locate the Windows 10 on-screen keyboard to turn off Scroll Lock. Excel will no longer scroll when you press the arrow keys. Type onscreen into the Windows search box and select On-Screen Keyboard when it appears in the results window.

The on-screen keyboard will open. Select the ScrLk key. Close the on-screen keyboard. Open the on-screen keyboard to turn off Scroll Lock. Select the On-Screen Keyboard button to turn on the keyboard. Select the ScrLk button. Access the on-screen keyboard to turn off Scroll Lock. Select the slk button. Scroll Lock is a navigation feature in Microsoft Excel typically enabled or disabled using the keyboard.

Excel can be easy to maneuver with Scroll Lock turned on, as long as you're trying to move around in a worksheet without leaving the active cell.

Otherwise, it could make things more difficult. Originally, the Scroll Lock key was added when computer users navigated primarily using keyboards.