The Shift keys sit on the bottom row left and right, marked with an upward arrow on most HP notebooks.
New to an HP keyboard and hunting for that modifier that turns a lowercase into uppercase or adds special marks? You’re looking for two twins. One sits to the left of the letters, the other on the right near the arrow cluster. Both do the same job. They carry an up arrow symbol (⇧) on many units, and sit on the long bottom row beside keys you tap all day: Ctrl, Fn, and Enter.
Shift Key Location On HP Laptops: Quick Guide
Across Pavilion, Envy, Victus, Omen, and ProBook lines, the layout is standard. You get a left modifier between Caps Lock and Z, and a right modifier between the slash key and the arrow block. On compact 13-inch layouts, the right modifier sometimes sits tight against the arrow keys. On full-size 15-inch and 17-inch decks, both keys are longer and easy to hit.
Not sure which one to press? Use either. They are mirrors. Hold down one of them while pressing a letter for a capital, or hold it while tapping a number row key to reach the symbol printed above the number. When you need a symbol that sits on the right side of the board, the left modifier often feels more comfortable, and vice versa.
What The Shift Keys Do
These modifiers change the character or action of another key while you hold them. Here’s what that means in day-to-day work:
Make Capitals And Symbols
Hold a modifier, press a letter to get its capital. Hold a modifier, press a number to get the symbol printed above it (like !, @, #). Many punctuation keys also have a second mark you reach the same way.
Select Faster
Hold a modifier, then tap arrow keys to select text one character or one line at a time. Hold a modifier with Ctrl, then use arrows to jump and select by word or paragraph in many apps. It’s the quickest way to grab text without a mouse.
Trigger App Shortcuts
Many apps assign actions to combos that include this modifier. You might add a new line in a sheet, extend a selection, or switch tools in creative suites. Apps list their own mapping, and many let you change them.
Spotting The Keys On Different Boards
HP notebooks ship with many keyboards: backlit or not, number pad or not, US or international prints. The two modifiers remain in the same places across all of them, but a few tiny details vary. If you use an external board, the same placement applies, so your habits transfer cleanly. That keeps typing feel consistent everywhere.
Symbols And Labels
Some units print the word on the key cap. Others show only the up arrow glyph. Either way, the function is the same. If your board uses an international layout, the right-side neighbor keys may differ, yet the two modifiers still anchor the ends of the bottom letter row.
Compact 75% And 80% Layouts
Thin-bezel designs squeeze the arrow cluster under the Enter area. In those cases the right modifier might shrink to make room. It still sits next to the arrow block and the slash key. The left side stays between Caps Lock and Z on all layouts.
Backlight And Visibility
On backlit models, the legend glows, so the up arrow is easy to spot in dim rooms. If the glow is off, try Fn + spacebar to cycle brightness.
Ten-Key And Full Layouts
Models with a number pad shift the whole alpha block a touch to the left. The two modifiers still bookend the bottom row. If you move between compact and full boards often, give your hands a day to adjust; muscle memory snaps back fast.
Convertible And Tablet Modes
On x360 units, tablet mode hides the hardware deck when flipped. You can still use an on-screen board. It shows the same two modifiers at the edges, each with the same up arrow mark. The placement mirrors the physical layout to keep your habits intact.
Region-Specific Prints
UK and EU prints move a few punctuation marks and expand the Enter area, yet both modifiers keep their posts. If you buy a unit abroad and bring it home, add your local layout in Windows and set it as default so symbols match what you see.
Quick Health Check In Preboot
If a key refuses to register inside Windows, try the firmware menu before the OS loads. Tap Esc at power-on to open startup menus on many models, then type in any field you see. If the modifier works here, a driver or app inside the OS is the likely cause.
How To Test That Your Modifier Works
If tapping it doesn’t change letters or symbols, try a quick check first:
- Open a blank text file.
- Type abcdef.
- Hold the left modifier and press the same letters. You should see ABCDEF.
- Hold the right modifier and repeat. You should see capitals again.
- Press the number 1. Then hold a modifier and press 1. You should see the symbol above it.
If both sides fail, an accessibility toggle or a driver setting may be in the way. If one side fails, the key cap, hinge, or switch might need care.
Fixes When The Keys Don’t Respond
Most issues fall into three buckets: a stuck toggle, a driver glitch, or hardware wear. Work through these steps, top to bottom.
Turn Off Sticky Keys
Sticky Keys latches modifiers so you can press them one at a time. That can feel like the key “stays down” when you’re not expecting it. Press the modifier five times fast to toggle the prompt. You can also open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off the Sticky Keys switch and its shortcut. Microsoft documents this feature in plain terms if you’d like a reference.
Update The Keyboard Driver
Open Device Manager and expand Keyboards. Right-click the internal device and choose Update driver, then search automatically. You can also uninstall the device and reboot to reload it.
Check Language And Layout
Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Confirm your language and keyboard layout match the legends on your key caps. If two layouts are installed, Windows can swap them with a shortcut, which makes symbols land in the wrong place.
Clean The Key Mechanism
Grit or crumbs under a cap can block travel. Power down. Use a can of compressed air held at a shallow angle to blow along the edges. Do not pry caps on low-profile scissor switches unless you’ve checked a model-specific guide.
Rule Out Conflicting Utilities
Third-party macro tools or RGB utilities sometimes bind modifier combos. Quit them and test. If things resume, adjust their settings.
Pro Moves With This Modifier
Once you know where both keys live, you can speed through work. These tips are OS-level, so they carry across apps.
Make Selections Like A Pro
- Hold the modifier and tap arrows to extend a selection.
- Hold the modifier with Ctrl to extend by word.
- Hold the modifier with Home or End to select to the start or end of a line.
Use Common Combos
Many combos use this modifier along with Ctrl. A few that save time across Windows:
- Ctrl + modifier + T: reopen a browser tab.
- Ctrl + modifier + V: paste plain text in some apps that support it.
When A Key Is Missing Or Damaged
If a cap popped off or the hinge broke, you can still work while you sort a fix. Map a spare key to act as a temporary modifier. Microsoft PowerToys includes a Keyboard Manager that can assign an unused key to stand in. After you install it, open the tool, choose Remap a key, and set your pick to send the Shift scan code. Keep the original mapping in place if the key sometimes works.
If the entire switch fails, an external USB keyboard is a quick band-aid. Low-profile models match the feel of a laptop deck, and any Windows-ready unit will work through a hub or a direct port.
Quick Reference: Common “Shift” Combos
The list below focuses on combos that include the modifier we’ve been talking about. They work on HP notebooks and any Windows laptop with the same layout.
| Action | Keys | Where It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Make a capital | Hold modifier + letter | Any text field |
| Type symbol on number row | Hold modifier + number | Any text field |
| Select one character | Hold modifier + Left/Right | Editors, browsers |
| Select to line start/end | Hold modifier + Home/End | Editors, terminals |
| Select to previous/next word | Ctrl + modifier + Left/Right | Editors, browsers |
| Reopen closed tab | Ctrl + modifier + T | Most browsers |
Helpful Settings And Links
Windows documents a long list of combos, many using this modifier. See the official page for keyboard shortcuts in Windows. HP also publishes a page that walks through special keys, function rows, and hotkeys on its PCs: HP keyboard shortcuts and special keys. Bookmark both if you swap layouts or move between machines.
Common Questions, Straight Answers
The Up Arrow Mark Isn’t On My Key Cap
That’s fine. Some units print only text on the cap. Look for the long keys that flank the bottom alphabet row. If they sit between Caps Lock and Z on the left, and between the slash key and the arrow cluster on the right, you’ve found them.
The Right Modifier Feels Smaller
That can happen on compact layouts to make space for the arrow block. The function is identical. If you miss it often, train your left hand to use the left side for most combos. Many typists do that even on large decks.
Symbols Don’t Match What I Type
Windows may be using a different keyboard layout than the print on your caps. Remove extra layouts you don’t need and set the default to match your region. The two modifiers will still live in the same spots, but symbol placement on nearby keys can change between layouts.
Games Ignore My Combo
Many games grab input at a low level and can block global combos. They also let you remap. Open the game settings and record a combo that fits your reach. If a game or tool claims the same combo, pick a new one to avoid a clash.
Bottom Line: Find It Fast And Get Moving
On any HP notebook, you’ll find the two modifiers on the bottom row at left and right. They carry an up arrow mark on many boards. Use either side for capitals, symbols, and text selection. If a key misbehaves, check Sticky Keys, drivers, and layout first. When hardware fails, a quick remap or an external board keeps you productive while you plan a repair.