Scroll lock

The Scroll Lock or Scroll Lock key can be found on any IBM PC compatible computer keyboard. The word comes from to scroll and lock (English lock). On some keyboard models it is also labeled " scroll ".

In the eighties, when they wrote texts on the PC still under DOS and had no mouse button is used to move when pressing the arrow keys will not the cursor ( engl. cursor) to the text, but instead the visible image area in text to move up and down. This had the decisive advantage that you did not have to move the cursor to the end of the screen to see what is hidden there while the cursor remained in the place where they had last typed. Today, there are mice with scroll wheel and scroll bars, which can also be controlled with the mouse. Thus, the importance of the role key has been replaced by the mouse. Because some users but to this day use programs that require the use of this key, it remained on the keyboards.

The first time the Scroll Lock button appeared on the keyboard of the first IBM PC. In the original instruction manual states on page 5-20 (English ):

To German:

Today, the role key is ignored by most programs, only a few modern programs still it causes something:

  • Microsoft Excel: The cursor keys move the cell selection instead of the visible table section. Also, can call other functions while holding down the Scroll Lock key with the keys Pos1, End, Page Up and Page Down (Home, End, Page Up, Page Down). By Pos1/Home-Taste the left top cell is marked with switched roles button
  • By the end / end button right bottom cell is marked
  • Move image up and page down ( page up and page-down ) the visible part of the current number of visible rows

The key combination Ctrl - roles (Ctrl- Scroll Lock ) does the same as Ctrl - Break ( Ctrl-Break ). In Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0, this combination holds, for example, to the currently ongoing in the development environment program. The reason for this is that the first PC keyboards do not have independent Pause / Break key had, but used Ctrl - Break and Ctrl - roles for Num for pause.

Some KVM switches ( computer - switch ) ( a digit or cursor button and then depending on the model ) between the connected computers is switched on twice pressing " Scroll Lock ". Here the key is precisely because of its rare use for use: As good as no program would require even such a key combination, so they can be reserved without damage to the switch.

In the remote desktop tool TeamViewer Scroll Lock is used to make all the shortcuts keys pressed on the keyboard work in the remote window, instead of your own PC.

The names differ depending on the keyboard manufacturer and Language: On German keyboards with 101 and more keys as there is the Scroll Lock key usually labeled " roles" and a hollow arrow pointing down between the pressure / Print Screen and Pause button at the top in the middle block of the keyboard. Her condition is usually depicted under Microsoft operating systems such as the Caps Lock and Num Lock key by a small LED. Also Linux consoles use the LED by default in this manner; However, they can also be used by programs for other purposes.

Cursor (computers) Scrollbar IBM Personal Computer Table (information) Microsoft Visio FreeBSD KVM-Switch Esc key 8 (number) 9 (number) 4 (number) 6 (number) 3 (number)
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