Ask Jacob
Do I need to configure an external numeric keypad?
Thursday, April 12, 2007 / Hardware
I plugged an external numeric keypad into my PowerBook and it started up a “helpful” wizard that said it didn’t recognize the device, and asked me to press the key to the right of the leftmost shift button. As there is no shift button on the numeric keypad, what am I to do? The manufacturer is “Travel Solutions”, and the packaging claims it is compatible with Windows or Mac.
That little helpful keyboard identifier can be a great tool if you have a non-Apple keyboard. It is a no-fuss way to configure your system. However you have found its biggest flaw, what happens when you don’t have a traditional keyboard. It is a simple answer. Just close the window by clicking the red button in the top left. Most times numeric keypads will just work without any help. You may need to make some adjustments in the keyboard section of System Preferences but it is unlikely.
