[ninja2]

I am also looking for a way to default the FN key to the ON state my Surface Book keyboard.
Currently when I toggle Fn key (so the key LED is now ON) it will time out and revert to OFF state, meaning i have to push Fn key again ... (and again, and again)

This very annoying as (for example) I use F2 all the time to change focus to edit mode (and have done since Windows 95 !!!)

So my question is similar to lewinr's - how can I have the computer boot up with the FN key already in ON state, and no time out? (and stays like this if I reboot or logout). Of course I will need to toggle it off occasionally, e.g to use End or Home

[ninja2]

OK so I've had my surface book for a few days now, and since posting above I've learnt how to use the function key properly. So to correct some of my statements above:

1) the Fn key state is automatically remembered through a shutdown & reboot.

2) if the keyboard backlighting has dimmed (due to timeout) press any key OTHER than the Fn key to see if Fn is ON or OFF. (pressing Fn key always toggles it's state, even if keyboard is dimmed)

Attention Microsoft:

A) All this confusion would be avoided if the Fn key indicator LED did not dim when rest of keyboard dims (and same for CAPS lock indicator) .

B) Add an option to turn keboard dimming OFF (especially when plugged into power pack)

C) make the function key toggle less accesiible, so it can't be accidentally knocked (per lewinr's comments)

[T Castle]

Correct to lewinr 12/18 post. Still an incomplete solution. This issue is so aggravating, compounded by the proximity of the ctrl key (which I use a lot) to the fn key, that I'm actually thinking of selling my surface book. Going to check out the new DELL XPS 13 that has a 360deg QHD screen and pen.

[hopmedic]

Correct to lewinr 12/18 post. Still an incomplete solution. This issue is so aggravating, compounded by the proximity of the ctrl key (which I use a lot) to the fn key, that I'm actually thinking of selling my surface book. Going to check out the new DELL XPS 13 that has a 360deg QHD screen and pen.

I also find the placement of the FN key rather irritating. I've become accustomed to it being on the right side, with the SP3 keyboard I used for two years, and the Logitech Wave keyboards that I have probably been using for a decade, and now I have to use two hands to get to Home and End, two keys that I use almost as much as I use F5.

[Simon McAuliffe]

It is staggering how many people don't even understand this problem and reply with information about the Surface Pro, which is totally different.

The problem here is that the Fn key acts both as a modifier and as a toggle (instant, no 10 seconds). In normal usage, most people want the Fn key on so that F1 is F1, F2 is F2, etc. You can simultaneously hold Fn and press F4 to mute the audio, or you can toggle Fn off and press the F4 key alone (which will now mute the audio instead). The problem is that the state of the toggle is pretty damn random. It toggles for all sorts of accidental and unknown reasons. So you're going around trying to be productive and suddenly the keys flip to the complete opposite behaviour and you wonder why the hell, for example, you jumped somewhere else in your code instead of executing a statement because F8 suddenly changed its behaviour to Home without telling you.

It is INCREDIBLY annoying and very disruptive to work flow.

This is the biggest fault I have with the Surface Book (the confused sleep mode unsleeping and being in an unknowable state, is the next biggest problem).

There really needs to be a way to lock the Fn button on and stop the completely insane toggle feature entirely, so that it just works like a regular Fn modifier key and has a consistent and predictable outcome.

I sincerely hope this isn't a pure hardware implementation and somebody can find a way to lock it, or I will have to throw the damn machine out a window.

[Simon McAuliffe]

By the way, the Fn key produces no scan code so it can't be intercepted (the only other other key that produces no scan code is the screen detach button).

It appears that this is probably an entirely hardware feature that can't be overridden.

Somebody really should be strung up for the massive and probably unfixable nuisance and lack of productivity this causes. What the hell were they thinking?

Grrr....

* mutes audio instead of closing window.

[lewinr]

* mutes audio instead of closing window.

By the way this highlights something that MS could have done to make it work more intelligently... if I push CTRL or ALT combo with a Fn key, they should automatically assume that I want the Fn function and not mute (or whatever) because there's no sense in pressing ALT-Mute.