Num Lock Check | The Coffeehouse

Kryptos
Backup People!

How many people here still use the Num Lock to check if a PC has hung.... back in the PS/2 days and even the 5pin din days.... this was always a good test to see if the PC had stopped responding.

The test was if you could hit the num lock key and it changed status then the PC wasn't hung if it doesn't then it was hung......

Is this little test still relivate with USB mices and keboards .........

mastermine
See.Hear.Frag

I haven't I years its mainly since I got a laptop I have not needed to

spivonious

I usually just try to move the mouse cursor around.

littleguru
<3 Seattle

Nice... Smiley This is the first time ever that I hear about this check. I usually move also the mouse around to see if it's still doing something.

Maddus Mattus
Do, or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

I heard Dovella presses the cloverleaf plus period button to check if his machine is still working

W3bbo
The Master of Baiters

It's not always a good test, it depends on the motherboard.

I built a cheap machine back in 2005 which uses a PS/2 keyboard salvaged from a 1996 Dell "Multi-media" PC (back when mm was a buzzword), when it hangs the numlock light still responds to keypresses.

Yet plug the same keyboard into the PS/2 port of a high-end desktop and it holds when the computer freezes.