
Is your cursor overwriting any text after its current location while typing on your HP laptop? Luckily, you can turn it off relatively quickly.
To turn off the overtype mode on your HP laptop, press and hold the “Fn” key and hit the “Ins/Prt Sc” button on the keyboard.
To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide on how to turn off overtype on your HP laptop with simple and easy-to-follow instructions. We will also provide some quick methods to help you avoid turning on the overtype mode in the future.
What Is the Overtype Mode?
Overtype mode is a feature in some word processors that allows users to replace existing text with a new one as they type. This can be handy if you need to make a quick correction or change a document.
However, overtype mode can also be dangerous, as it’s easy to accidentally delete large text sections if you’re not careful.
Therefore, if you’re editing a document in overtype mode, keep an eye on your cursor and be cautious of what text you’re replacing. If not, you might end up with a big mess on your hands!
Turning Off Overtype on HP Laptops
If you are wondering how to turn off the overtype on your HP Laptop, our 2 step-by-step methods will help you go through this process quickly.
Method #1: Using the Keyboard
Do these steps to turn off the overtype mode on your HP laptop using the keyboard.
- Open a document on your HP Laptop.
- Press and hold the “Fn” key.
- Hit “Ins/Prt Sc” and release the keys simultaneously.
- That’s it! The overtype mode will be turned off on your HP laptop.

Method #2: Via MS Word on HP Laptops
You can turn off the overtyping mode in MS Word on your HP laptop by following the steps below.
- Launch MS Word on your HP laptop and open a file.
- Head to “File” and open “Options”.
- Click “Advanced”.
- Uncheck the “Use Overtype Mode” option.
- Click “OK” to apply the settings and turn off the overtype mode.

You can also try closing and reopening MS Word to turn off the overtype mode on your HP laptop, restoring your file to Insert mode.
How To Avoid Using Overtype Mode
Following are the two step-by-step methods that can help you avoid using overtype mode on your HP laptop in the future.
Method #1: Changing MS Word Options
It is possible to avoid turning the overtype mode on accidentally through the file option in the following way.
- Launch MS word and open a document.
- Click “File”.
- Click “Options”.
- Select “Advanced” and uncheck the “Use Insert key to control overtype mode” option.
- Click “OK” to save the settings.

Method #2: Using the VBA Code
You can also use the VBA code to avoid turning on the overtype mode on your HP laptop by doing the following steps.
- Open the MS Word Document.
- Press the “Alt+ F11” simultaneously to open the VBA editor on your HP laptop.
- Click “Normal”.
- Click “Insert”.
- Click “Module”.
- Copy and paste the code below into the editing area.
Sub DisableOrEnableInsertKey()
Options.INSKeyForOvertype = Not Options.INSKeyForOvertype
End Sub
- Click “Run”, and the insert key will no longer control the overtype mode.

What Is the Difference Between Overtype Mode and Insert Mode?
Insert mode is the default mode in a word processor where you can type and insert text at the current cursor position. This mode does not delete the existing content and is great for changing or adding words.
On the other hand, the overtype mode is a feature that replaces the existing words on the screen as you type and erases them.
Summary
In this extensive guide, we’ve discussed how to turn off the overtype on your HP Laptop. We’ve also discussed two methods to prevent you from accidentally turning on this mode in the future.
Furthermore, we’ve explained the difference between the overtype and insert modes.
Hopefully, your query has been answered, and you don’t have to worry about losing your important data anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re finding that your typing is overwriting existing text instead of inserting itself between characters, it’s likely because you have your insert mode turned off. This can happen if you accidentally hit the “Insert” key on your keyboard.
The Insert key is located in the upper-right corner of the keyboard of your HP laptop, just to the left of the Delete key. It is usually used with other keys, such as the Ctrl or Alt keys, to perform specific tasks, such as turning off the overwrite mode.