The actions associated to the function keys (F1 - F12) on your keyboard are not controlled by Windows, they are controlled by the laptop manufacturer, because the actions vary from laptop to laptop.
If pressing one of those keys does not produce the correct action, if you press Fn + a function key, does that work?
If it does, try pressing Fn + Esc to disable the function lock on your keyboard.
If that does not resolve the problem, what is the make (Dell, Lenovo, Asus... etc.) of your laptop.