Number lock status is not synchronized during Terminal Services session (295951)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q295951

SYMPTOMS

The number lock indicator on clients that are running Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) may not be synchronized with the Terminal Services client session.

CAUSE

On clients that are running Windows 98, Windows 95, or Windows Me, when the CTRL+ALT+NUM LOCK keys are pressed while the Terminal Services client window is active, the number lock status changes inside of that Terminal Services session. The problem is that the status is only changed in the Terminal Services session but the keyboard indicator light and the operating system do not change the number lock status.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:
   Date        Time      Version        Size     File name
   --------------------------------------------------------
   4/24/2001   04:04p   5.0.2195.3538   257,808  Mstsc.exe
This fix is also included in the Windows XP Remote Desktop client. You can download this directly from the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/default.mspx

NOTE: This hotfix package can only be installed on Windows 2000 Server because Mstsc.exe ships with Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition but not Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, or Windows 95. Once it is installed at the server the client install files will be updated so that the Windows clients can be updated from a server share. The update could be extracted using the /x switch and the file Mstsc.exe could be manually updated on the clients. The recommended solution is to upgrade the Windows client to the Remote Desktop client using the link listed above.

The updated file (Mstsc.exe) is the Windows 2000 version, not the Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition version. If the Windows clients were installed from Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition, they should be upgraded to at least the Windows 2000 version of the client and this fix. The recommended solution is to install the Remote Desktop client using the link listed above, which allows the Windows client to connect to any Terminal Server, or Terminal Services system that supports the RDP protocol.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 The Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Product

For additional information about how to install multiple hotfixes with only one reboot, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

296861 Use QChain.exe to Install Multiple Hotfixes with One Reboot

For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes

The symptom that is described in this article is closely related to the symptom that is described in the following article:

258070 NUM LOCK Not Synchronized When Using ALT+TAB in Terminal Server

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/26/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbbug kbenv kbfix kbTermServ kbui kbWin2000PreSP3Fix kbWin2000sp3fix KB295951
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