What is Scroll Lock on the keyboard

On standard computer keyboards, there are 3 LED indicators in the upper right corner, next to the number block. They are turned on and off using the buttons of the same name. And if everything is clear with Caps Lock and Num Lock, then the third element is more mysterious. Why the key is needed and what it means will be discussed in the article.

Features of the Scroll Lock key on the keyboard

The name of the key is associated with the concept of “scrolling,” that is, scrolling through pages when reading in a browser or text editor. However, Scroll Lock is practically not used by modern users. Where did it come from, what does it do and what is it needed for?

History of the button

The presence of Scroll Lock on the keyboard is a legacy of the harsh era of operating systems with a text interface. They were used before Windows became the digital standard for offices and home PCs. The user performed operations using special commands. The results were displayed in the form of arrays, and by default the machine showed the entire block, up to the very last line. If all the information did not fit on the screen, the image automatically scrolled down.

The top lines disappeared from view, and more and more new data arrived below - and so on until the operation was completed.To make life easier for the user who is forced to return to the beginning of the text block during large volumes, the creators came up with a Scroll Lock button that could stop this automatic scrolling. Pressing it again started this process again. Cap Lock works in a similar way, which allows you to change the case of letters.

Reference! The advent of a graphical interface and a device such as a computer mouse has greatly simplified work. However, a new purpose has been invented for Scroll Lock.

Functionality of the Scroll Lock key

How can this key be used in modern programs?

Important! It should be noted right away that its use is only possible on Windows. For most Linux based OSes it is useless.

The method of application most known to the average user is associated with the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet editor. Here this button functions as a switch between navigation modes. Normally, the cursor buttons move the selection in the selected direction. If you press Scroll Lock, the selection will remain on the desired cell, and the table sheet itself will move. This feature also works in many other table creation programs.

In the Opera browser, this button is included in combinations for executing voice commands. However, this feature has not gained popularity among ordinary users.

In the useful utility program Punto Switcher, pressing this key together with the Alt button allows you to turn text written in Cyrillic into translit.

In older versions of Windows, this button was part of the reboot launch combination, an alternative to the well-known Ctrl+Alt+Del. The latter took root faster, so over time it became the only option.

Attention! Some computer game developers include Scroll Lock in special key combinations. In this case, it allows you to expand the list of commands.

In addition to standard functions, each user is able to come up with his own work for this key. In most programs, you can independently set combinations for certain actions. In addition, an interesting feature is the ability to use not only the button itself, but also the indicator associated with it.

Now it’s clear what this button means. With all of the above, the lion's share of functionality from Scroll Lock was taken away by computer mice with a special scroll wheel. Now this button is gradually becoming a thing of the past; keyboard models are appearing on sale on which it can no longer be found.