Accessibility in Windows 7

Transcription

Accessibility in Windows 7
Accessibility in
Windows 7
Accessibility in Windows 7
Published by Microsoft Corporation
Trustworthy Computing, Accessibility Group
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
Copyright  2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this document may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. For
permissions, visit www.microsoft.com.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Find
further information on Microsoft Trademarks (http://www.microsoft.com/library/toolbar/3.0/trademarks/enus.mspx).
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Introduction
Windows 7 includes accessibility options and programs that make it easier to see, hear, and
use your computer. Accessibility is the epitome of usability and was a key tenet throughout
the engineering of Windows 7.
Windows 7 gives you more ways to interact with your PC by taking advantage of new strides
in speech recognition and touch technology. Windows 7 includes accessibility options and
programs that make it easier to see, hear, and use your computer including ways to
personalize your computers and use keyboard shortcuts.
Included in this document, you will discover how to:
Make Your Computer Easier to Use (Ease of Access Center) ...................................5
The Ease of Access Center is a central location where you can get quick access to explore
and manage accessibility options. Explore how:
Use the computer without a display ........................................................................... 7
Make the computer easier to see .............................................................................. 9
Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard ........................................................ 11
Make the mouse easier to use................................................................................. 13
Make the keyboard easier to use ............................................................................. 15
Use text or visual alternatives to sounds .................................................................. 17
Make it easier to focus on task ................................................................................ 19
Use Accessibility Tools .......................................................................................... 21
Windows 7 introduces significant improvements to the accessibility tools. Magnifier now
includes a lens mode and full-screen mode. On-Screen Keyboard can be resized to make it
easier to see and includes text prediction. Learn how to:
Make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier) .................................................. 22
Type without using a keyboard (On-Screen Keyboard) ............................................... 26
Hear text read aloud with Narrator .......................................................................... 29
Use Speech Recognition ......................................................................................... 34
Personalize Your Computer ................................................................................... 36
Personalize your computer so it looks just the way you want it. Find out how to change and
personalize:
Themes ................................................................................................................ 36
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Aero .................................................................................................................... 36
Sounds ................................................................................................................ 37
Desktop Background .............................................................................................. 37
Screen Saver ........................................................................................................ 37
Font Size .............................................................................................................. 37
User Account Picture .............................................................................................. 37
Desktop Gadgets ................................................................................................... 38
Tutorials ................................................................................................................ 39
These tutorials provide both keyboard and mouse steps to help you set up your computer
and start using the accessibility features in Windows 7.
Keyboard Shortcuts ............................................................................................... 72
Get the complete list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows 7. Keyboard shortcuts can make it
easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows
and other programs.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Make Your Computer Easier to Use (Ease of
Access Center)
The Ease of Access Center is a central location where you can turn on and set up
accessibility settings and programs available in Windows. You can adjust settings that make
it easier to see your computer, use the mouse and keyboard, and use other input devices.
You can also answer a few questions about your daily computer use and accessibility
requirements and have Windows recommend settings and programs for you.
Figure 1: Ease of Access Center:
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Make your computer easier to use
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Accessibility in Windows 7
The Ease of Access Center is available through a Control Panel icon, and can be opened by
selecting the Start button
, clicking Control Panel, clicking Ease of Access, and then
clicking
Ease of Access Center. You can also press the Windows logo key
the Ease of Access Center will open. The Ease of Access Center includes:
•
•
•
+U and
Quick access to common tools
Get recommendations to make your computer easier to use, and
Explore all settings
Quick access to common tools
Start Narrator, Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, and High Contrast quickly from Quick
access to common tools in the Ease of Access Center. When you start these tools from
the Quick Access section, the tools will turn off after you log off or shut down. If you want
these tools to start automatically every time you log on, turn them on under the Explore
all settings categories.
Get recommendations to make your computer easier to use
This optional questionnaire provides a personalized list of recommended settings that can
improve your ability to see, hear, and comfortably use your computer. The Ease of Access
Center questionnaire takes the guesswork out of selecting settings. Based on your answers
to a series of questions about routine tasks, a custom list of recommended settings is
provided so you can choose which options you want to try. You can complete the
questionnaire and adjust your settings as often as you like. You can find the questionnaire
in the Ease of Access Center (in Control Panel) by selecting Get recommendations to
make your computer easier to use.
Explore All Settings
Instead of looking for accessibility settings in various places on your computer, Windows 7
brings all those settings together and organizes them into categories that you can explore in
the Ease of Access Center. You can explore seven different categories of accessibility
settings and programs:
Use the computer without a display ................................................................................ 7
Make the computer easier to see .................................................................................... 9
Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard .............................................................. 11
Make the mouse easier to use ....................................................................................... 13
Make the keyboard easier to use.................................................................................... 15
Use text or visual alternatives to sounds ......................................................................... 17
Make it easier to focus on tasks ................................................................................ 19
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Use the computer without a display
Windows has many features that enable you to use your computer without a display. For
example, you can have screen text read aloud by using Narrator or you can have Windows
describe screen activity to you.
You can turn on or adjust settings for these features by clicking Use the computer
without a display page in the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you
want to use:
•
•
•
•
Turn on Narrator. This option sets Narrator to run when you log on to Windows.
Narrator reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as error
messages appearing) that happen while you're using the computer. More on
Narrator.
Turn on Audio Description. This option sets Audio Description to run when you log on
to Windows. Audio descriptions describe what's happening in videos.
Turn off all unnecessary animations. This option turns off animation effects, such as
fading effects, when windows and other elements are closed.
How long should Windows notification dialog boxes stay open? This option sets how
long notifications are displayed on the screen before they are closed.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 2: Ease of Access Center: Use the computer without a display
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Make the computer easier to see
If you occasionally have trouble seeing items on your screen, you can adjust the settings to
make text and images on the screen appear larger, improve the contrast between items on
the screen, and hear on-screen text read aloud.
You can adjust many of these settings on the Make the computer easier to see page in
the Ease of Access Center. For information about other settings, see Getting the best
display on your monitor.
Open the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you want to use:
•
Choose a High Contrast theme. This option allows you to set a high-contrast color
scheme that heightens the color contrast of some text and images on your computer
screen, making those items more distinct and easier to identify.
•
Turn on or off High Contrast when Left Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen is pressed. This
option allows you to toggle a high-contrast theme on or off by pressing the Left
Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen keys.
•
Turn on Narrator. This option sets Narrator to run when you log on to your
computer. Narrator reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as
error messages appearing) that happen while you're using the computer. More about
Narrator.
•
Turn on Audio Description. This option sets Audio Descriptions to run when you log
on to your computer. Audio Descriptions describe what's happening in videos.
•
Change the size of text and icons. This option allows you to make text and other
items on your screen appear larger, so they're easier to see. For more information,
see Make the text on your screen larger or smaller.
•
Turn on Magnifier. This option sets Magnifier to run when you log on to your
computer. Magnifier enlarges the part of the screen where the mouse is pointing and
can be especially useful for viewing objects that are difficult to see. For more
information about using Magnifier, see Make items on the screen appear bigger
(Magnifier).
•
Adjust the color and transparency of the window borders. This option allows you to
change the appearance of window borders to make them easier to see.
•
Fine tune display effects. This option allows you to customize how certain items
appear on your desktop.
•
Make the focus rectangle thicker. This option makes the rectangle around the
currently selected item in dialog boxes thicker, which makes it easier to see.
•
Set the thickness of the blinking cursor. This option allows you to make the blinking
cursor in dialog boxes and programs thicker and easier to see.
•
Turn off all unnecessary animations. This option turns off animation effects, such as
fading effects, when you close windows and other elements.
•
Remove background images. This option turns off all unimportant, overlapped
content and background images to help make the screen easier to see.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 3: Ease of Access Center: Make the computer easier to see
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Use the computer without the mouse or keyboard
Windows has two features to help you use the computer without using a mouse or
keyboard: Speech Recognition (you can use voice commands to work with Windows) and
On-Screen Keyboard (you can enter text by selecting characters on the screen).
You can turn on or adjust settings for these features on the Use the computer without a
mouse or keyboard page in the Ease of Access Center.
Open the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you want to use:
•
Use On-Screen Keyboard. This option sets On-Screen Keyboard to run when you log
on to Windows. On-Screen Keyboard displays a visual keyboard with all the standard
keys. You can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or you can
use keys on the standard keyboard. For more information about using On-Screen
Keyboard, see Type without using the keyboard.
•
Use Speech Recognition. Use this option to control the computer with your voice.
With a microphone, you can speak commands that the computer will understand and
respond to, as well as dictate text. For more information about setting up Speech
Recognition, see Set up Speech Recognition.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 4: Ease of Access Center: Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Make the mouse easier to use
You can change how the mouse pointer looks, and turn on other features that can help
make it easier to use your mouse.
You can adjust these settings on the Make the mouse easier to use page in the Ease of
Access Center.
Open the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you want to use:
•
Change the color and size of mouse pointers. You can use these options to make the
mouse pointer larger, or change the color to make it easier to see.
•
Turn on Mouse Keys. You can use this option to control the movement of the mouse
pointer by using the numeric keypad.
•
Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse. This option makes it easier to
select and activate a window by pointing at it with the mouse rather than by clicking
it.
•
Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the
screen. This option prevents windows from automatically resizing and docking along
the sides of your screen when you move them there.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 5: Ease of Access Center: Make the mouse easier to use
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Make the keyboard easier to use
You can use your keyboard to control the mouse and make it easier to type certain key
combinations.
You can adjust these settings on the Make the keyboard easier to use page in the Ease
of Access Center.
Open the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you want to use:
•
Turn on Mouse Keys. This option sets Mouse Keys to run when you log on to
Windows. Instead of using the mouse, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard
or the numeric keypad to move the pointer.
•
Turn on Sticky Keys. This option sets Sticky Keys to run when you log on to
Windows. Instead of having to press three keys at once (such as when you must
press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys together to log on to Windows), you can use one
key by turning on Sticky Keys and adjusting the settings. This way, you can press a
modifier key and have it remain active until another key is pressed.
•
Turn on Toggle Keys. This option sets Toggle Keys to run when you log on to
Windows. Toggle Keys can play an alert each time you press the Caps Lock, Num
Lock, or Scroll Lock keys. These alerts can help prevent the frustration of
inadvertently pressing a key and not realizing it.
•
Turn on Filter Keys. This option sets Filter Keys to run when you log on to Windows.
You can set Windows to ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession, or
keystrokes that are held down for several seconds unintentionally.
•
Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys. This option makes keyboard access in
dialog boxes easier by highlighting access keys for the controls in them. For more
information about keyboard shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts in Windows Help.
•
Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the
screen. This option prevents windows from automatically resizing and docking along
the sides of your screen when you move them there.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 6: Ease of Access Center: Make the keyboard easier to use
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Use text or visual alternatives to sounds
Windows provides settings for using visual cues to replace sounds in many programs.
You can adjust these settings on the Use text or visual alternatives for sounds page in
the Ease of Access Center.
Open the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you want to use:
•
Turn on visual notifications for sounds. This option sets sound notifications to run
when you log on to Windows. Sound notifications replace system sounds with visual
cues, such as a flash on the screen, so that system alerts are noticeable even when
they're not heard. You can also choose how you want sound notifications to warn
you.
•
Turn on text captions for spoken dialog. This option causes Windows to display text
captions in place of sounds to indicate that activity is happening on your computer
(for example, when a document starts or finishes printing).
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 7: Ease of Access Center: Use text or visual alternatives for sounds
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Make it easier to focus on tasks
You can reduce the amount of information on your screen so that it's easier to read, and
you can set up your keyboard to make typing easier.
You can adjust these settings on the Make it easier to focus on reading and typing
page in the Ease of Access Center.
Open the Ease of Access Center, then select the options that you want to use:
•
Turn on Narrator. This option sets Narrator to run when you log on to Windows.
Narrator reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as error
messages appearing) that happen while you're using the computer. For more
information about using Narrator, see Hear text read aloud with Narrator.
•
Remove background images. This option turns off all unimportant, overlapped
content and background images to help make the screen easier to see.
•
Turn on Sticky Keys. This option sets Sticky Keys to run when you log on to
Windows. Instead of having to press three keys at once (such as when you must
press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys together to log on to Windows), you can use one
key by turning on Sticky Keys and adjusting the settings. This way, you can press a
modifier key and have it remain active until another key is pressed.
•
Turn on Toggle Keys. This option sets Toggle Keys to run when you log on to
Windows. Toggle Keys can play an alert each time you press the Caps Lock, Num
Lock, or Scroll Lock key. These alerts can help prevent the frustration of
inadvertently pressing a key.
•
Turn on Filter Keys. This option sets Filter Keys to run when you log on to Windows.
You can set Windows to ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession, or
keystrokes that are held down for several seconds unintentionally.
•
Turn off all unnecessary animations. This option turns off animation effects, such as
fading effects, when windows and other elements are closed.
•
Choose how long Windows notification dialog boxes stay open. With this option, you
can choose how long notifications are displayed on the screen before they close.
•
Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the
screen. This option prevents windows from automatically resizing and docking along
the sides of your screen when you move them there.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Figure 8: Ease of Access Center: Make it easier to focus on tasks
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Use Accessibility Tools
Windows 7 introduces significant improvements to
the Microsoft accessibility tools Magnifier, On-Screen
Keyboard, and Narrator.
View Online Video Demos


Magnifier
On-Screen Keyboard
In this section learn how to:
Make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier) ........................................... 22
Type without using a keyboard (On-Screen Keyboard) ....................................... 26
Hear text read aloud with Narrator ................................................................... 29
Use Speech Recognition .................................................................................. 34
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier)
Magnifier enlarges different parts of the screen. This is especially useful for viewing objects
that are difficult to see, but also for seeing the whole screen more easily.
There are three modes:
•
•
•
Full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, your entire screen is magnified. You can
then have Magnifier follow the mouse pointer.
Lens mode. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When
you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that's magnified moves along
with it.
Docked mode. In docked mode, only a portion of the screen is magnified, leaving
the rest of your desktop in a normal state. You can then control which area of the
screen is magnified.
Figure 9: Image of Magnifier magnifying a portion of the screen
Note
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Full-screen mode and lens mode are only available as part of the Aero experience. If your
computer doesn't support Aero, or if you're using a theme other than an Aero theme,
Magnifier will only work in docked mode.
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
2. On the Views menu, click the mode that you want to use.
3. Move the pointer to the part of the screen that you want to magnify.
Notes
•
To exit Magnifier, press the Windows logo key
+Esc.
When you're using full-screen mode, you can quickly preview your entire desktop by clicking
the Views menu, and then clicking Preview full screen.
For a list of keyboard shortcuts that you can use with Magnifier, see Keyboard shortcuts.
Magnifier topics in this section:
•
•
•
•
•
•
To
To
To
To
To
To
choose where Magnifier focuses
change the zoom level
set the zoom increment
set the lens size
turn on color inversion
display the Magnifier toolbar
To choose where Magnifier focuses
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button, and then select the option that you want:
Option
Description
Follow the mouse pointer
Displays the area around the mouse pointer in the Magnifier
window. When you select this option, you can choose to have
the Magnifier window move when the mouse pointer
approaches or when the mouse pointer hits the edge of the
Magnifier window.
Follow the keyboard focus
Displays the area around the pointer when you press the Tab
or arrow keys.
Have Magnifier follow the
text insertion point
Displays the area around the text that you're typing.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
To change the zoom level
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
2. Do one of the following:
To
Do this
Zoom in
Click Zoom in or press the Windows logo key
Zoom out
Click Zoom out or press the Windows logo key
sign
+Plus sign
+Minus
To set the zoom increment
The zoom increment determines how quickly Magnifier zooms in and out.
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button, and then move the slider to adjust the zoom increment.
Moving the slider to the left causes Magnifier to zoom slower, with smaller changes
between zoom levels. Moving the slider to the right causes Magnifier to zoom faster,
with larger changes between zoom levels.
To set the lens size
When you're using lens mode, you can adjust the size of the Magnifier lens.
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
2. Click the Options button, and then, under Magnifier Lens Size, move the sliders to
adjust the size of the Magnifier lens. The lens size changes right away. Adjust the
level until it's right for you.
Notes
•
•
You must be using lens mode for the lens size options to appear.
You can quickly change the lens size by pressing Ctrl+Alt+R, and then moving the
pointer up and down to change the height, and left and right to change the width.
To turn on color inversion
Turning on color inversion increases the contrast between items on your screen, which can
help make your screen easier to see.
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
2. Click the Options button, and then select the Turn on color inversion check box.
To display the Magnifier toolbar
1. Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
2. Click the magnifying glass icon or click Magnifier on the taskbar.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Type without using the keyboard (On-Screen
Keyboard)
Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data, you can use On-Screen
Keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. You
can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or you can use a single key or
group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.
Figure 10: Image of On-Screen Keyboard on computer screen
On-Screen Topics in this section:
•
•
•
•
To
To
To
To
change how information is entered into On-Screen Keyboard
set On-Screen Keyboard to use audible clicks
use a numeric key pad in On-Screen Keyboard
enable text prediction in On-Screen Keyboard
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Accessibility in Windows 7
To change how information is entered into On-Screen Keyboard
In On-Screen Keyboard:
1. Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs,
clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen
Keyboard.
2. Click Options, and then, under To use the On-Screen Keyboard, select the mode
you want:
Typing mode
Description
Click on keys
In clicking mode, you click the on-screen keys to type
text.
Hover over keys
In hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to
a key for a predefined period of time, and the selected
character is typed automatically.
Scan through keys
In scanning mode, On-Screen Keyboard continually scans
the keyboard and highlights areas where you can type
keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut,
using a switch input device, or using a device that
simulates a mouse click.
Notes
•
•
•
If you're using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize OnScreen Keyboard, you can restore it by pointing to it in the taskbar (for hovering
mode) or by pressing the scan key (for scanning mode).
If you're using a mouse click to select a key in the Scan through keys mode, the
mouse pointer must be located over On-Screen Keyboard.
The keyboard layout changes in On-Screen Keyboard depending on the language
displayed in the active program.
To set On-Screen Keyboard to use audible clicks
You can have On-Screen Keyboard make an audible click when a key is pressed.
Open On-Screen Keyboard:
1. Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs,
clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen
Keyboard.
2. Click Options, select the Use click sound check box, and then click OK.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
To use a numeric key pad in On-Screen Keyboard
You can use a numeric key pad to enter numbers with On-Screen Keyboard.
1. Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs,
clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen
Keyboard.
2. Click Options, select the Turn on numeric key pad check box, and then click OK.
To enable text prediction in On-Screen Keyboard
When text prediction is enabled, as you type, On-Screen Keyboard displays a list of words
that you might be typing.
1. Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs,
clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen
Keyboard.
2. Click Options, select the Use Text Prediction check box, and then click OK.
If you don't want to automatically add a space after you insert a word using text prediction,
clear the Insert space after predicted words check box, and then click OK.
Notes
•
•
Text prediction is only available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. To
enable text prediction in a specific language, you must first install additional
language files for that language. For more information, see Install or change a
display language in Help.
Text prediction isn't included in Windows 7 Home Basic.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Hear text read aloud with Narrator
Windows comes with a basic screen reader called Narrator, which reads text on the screen
aloud and describes some events (such as an error message appearing) that happen while
you're using the computer.
Narrator topics in this section:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Narrator Keyboard Shortcuts
Choose which text Narrator reads aloud
Change the Narrator voice
Start Narrator minimized
Narrator doesn’t read what I expect it to
I can’t hear any text read aloud by Narrator
o To check for a sound card
o To determine if the sound card is working
o Text to speech frequently asked questions
Narrator is not available in all languages, so if the steps below don’t work, Narrator is not
available for your language.
1. Open Narrator by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Narrator.
Narrator Keyboard Shortcuts
Use the keyboard shortcuts in the following table to specify which text you want Narrator to
read:
Use this keyboard shortcut
To do this
Ctrl+Shift+Enter
Get information about the current item
Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar
Read the entire selected window
Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar
Read the items that are selected in the current window
Insert+Ctrl+G
Read a description of the items that appear next to the
currently selected element
Ctrl
Stop Narrator from reading text
Insert+Q
Move the cursor backward to the beginning of any
preceding text that has different formatting. For example,
the cursor moves from a bold word to the beginning of a
non-bold word that precedes it.
Insert+W
Move the cursor to the beginning of any text that follows
it that has different formatting. For example, the cursor
moves from a bold word to the beginning of a non-bold
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Use this keyboard shortcut
To do this
word that follows it.
Insert+E
Insert+R
Move the cursor back to the beginning of any text that
has the same formatting. For example, the cursor moves
from the middle of a bold word to the beginning of that
word.
Move the cursor to the end of any text that has the same
formatting. For example, the cursor moves from the
middle of a bold word to the end of that word.
Insert+F2
Select all of the text that has the same formatting as the
character at the cursor
Insert+F3
Read the current character
Insert+F4
Read the current word
Insert+F5
Read the current line
Insert+F6
Read the current paragraph
Insert+F7
Read the current page
Insert+F8
Read the current document
Note
•
The Insert key is used for Narrator commands, so when you press Insert while
Narrator is running, you won't be able to insert characters. To use the Insert key to
insert characters while Narrator is running, press Insert+I and then the characters
you want to add.
Choose which text Narrator reads aloud
1. Open Narrator by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Narrator.
2. Under Main Narrator Settings, do one or more of the following:
• To hear what you type, select the Echo User's Keystrokes check box.
• To hear background events, such as notifications, select the Announce System
Messages check box.
• To hear an announcement when the screen scrolls, select the Announce Scroll
Notifications check box.
Change the Narrator voice
1. Open Narrator by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Narrator.
2. Click Voice Settings, and then make any of the following adjustments:
www.microsoft.com/enable/
30
Accessibility in Windows 7
•
•
•
•
To select a different voice, click the voice you want to use in the Select Voice
box.
For a faster voice, select a number in the Set Speed list. The higher the number,
the faster the voice.
For a louder voice, select a number in the Set Volume list. The higher the
number, the louder the voice.
For a higher-pitched voice, select a number in the Set Pitch list. The higher the
number, the higher the pitch. A higher-pitched voice can be easier for some
people to hear.
Start Narrator minimized
1. Open Narrator by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking
Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Narrator.
2. Select the Start Narrator Minimized check box.
The next time you start Narrator, it will appear as an icon on the taskbar instead of being
open on your screen.
To restore the Narrator dialog box to its full size, click Narrator in the taskbar.
Narrator doesn't read what I expect it to
This topic provides information about problems you might run into when using Narrator.
•
Narrator doesn't read what I expect it to read. Narrator provides basic screenreading capabilities that allow you to use Windows when you don't have a more fullfeatured screen reader. Narrator is not designed to read content in all programs. For
more information about screen readers and other assistive technologies, go to the
Microsoft Accessibility website www.microsoft.com/enable.
•
Narrator doesn't read notifications or the contents of some folders. Narrator
can't read notifications because notifications can't be selected. For the same reason,
it can't read the contents of some folders.
•
Narrator doesn't read some Help topics. Narrator can't read the text that
appears below collapsed headings in Help topics. To read the text of Help topics with
collapsed headings, tab to the Show all link at the top of the topic and press Enter
to expand all the topics. Then press Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar to have Narrator read the
window again.
Note
•
Narrator is not available in all languages.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
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Accessibility in Windows 7
I can't hear any text read aloud with Narrator
Here are some things to try if you're having trouble hearing text read aloud by Narrator:
•
Make sure that your speakers are connected properly. If you're not sure how to do
this, check the information that came with your speakers.
•
Make sure that the speaker volume is turned up sufficiently and your speakers aren't
muted.
•
Make sure that your sound card is properly installed and the drivers are updated.
To check for a sound card
1. Open Audio Devices and Sound Themes by clicking the Start button, clicking
Control Panel, clicking Hardware and Sound, and then clicking Sound.
2. Your sound card is listed on the Playback tab.
If you don't have a sound card installed, you'll have to get one for Narrator to work.
To determine if the sound card is working
1. Open Device Manager by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking
Systems and Maintenance, and then clicking Device Manager.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the
password or provide confirmation.
2. If the sound card has a yellow question mark next to it, the sound card might not be
working. Try reinstalling the sound card driver. For more information, see Update a
driver for hardware that isn't working properly, in Help.
3. If the sound card appears twice in the list, you might have a ghost device. If so,
delete the entry with the question mark.
Narrator does not read some Help topics
Narrator cannot read the text that appears below collapsed headings in Help topics. To read
the text of Help topics with collapsed headings, tab to the Show all link at the top of the
topic and press ENTER to expand all the topics. Then press CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR to
have Narrator read the window again.
The INSERT key doesn’t work as expected when Narrator is running
The INSERT key is used for Narrator commands, so when you press INSERT while Narrator
is running, you won’t be able to insert characters. To use the INSERT key to insert
characters while Narrator is running, press INSERT+I and then the characters you want to
add.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
32
Accessibility in Windows 7
Text to speech: frequently asked questions
Here are some answers to common questions about text-to-speech programs.
Note that Narrator is not available in all languages.
Can on-screen text be read aloud to me?
Yes, Narrator and other programs read aloud text, buttons, menus, file names, and
other items on the screen—even keystrokes. This can be helpful for people who don't
see the screen or have difficulty seeing the screen.
Does Windows include a text-to-speech program?
Yes. It's called Narrator. It's adjustable in many ways and can make the computer easier
to use. For more information, see Hear text read aloud with Narrator in Windows
Help.
Can any computer read text aloud?
Nearly any computer can be set up to read text aloud. Make sure your computer has a
functioning sound card, and that you meet the basic requirements. For more
information, see Troubleshoot Narrator problems in Help.
Are there other text-to-speech programs?
Yes, there are several. For a list of text-to-speech programs, go to the Microsoft
Accessibility website www.microsoft.com/enable.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
33
Accessibility in Windows 7
Use Speech Recognition
You can use your voice to control your computer. You can say commands that the computer
will respond to, and you can dictate text to the computer.
Before you get started using Windows Speech Recognition, you'll need to connect a
microphone to your computer.
Figure 11: Image of Set up Speech Recognition dialog box
Once you've got the microphone set up, you can train your computer to better understand
you by creating a voice profile that your computer uses to recognize your voice and spoken
commands. For information about setting up your microphone, see Set up your microphone
for Speech Recognition in Windows Help.
After you've got your microphone and voice profile set up, you can use Speech Recognition
to do the following:
•
Control your computer. Speech Recognition listens and responds to your spoken
commands. You can use Speech Recognition to run programs and interact with
Windows. For more information about the commands you can use with Speech
Recognition, see Common commands in Speech Recognition in Windows Help.
•
Dictate and edit text. You can use Speech Recognition to dictate words into wordprocessing programs or to fill out online forms in a web browser. You can also use
www.microsoft.com/enable/
34
Accessibility in Windows 7
Speech Recognition to edit text on your computer. For more information about
dictating text, see Dictate text using Speech Recognition in Windows Help.
Note Speech Recognition is available only in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese,
Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
35
Accessibility in Windows 7
Personalize Your Computer
You can add a personal touch to your computer by changing the computer's theme, color,
sounds, desktop background, screen saver, font size, and user account picture. You can also
select specific gadgets for your desktop. Find out more on the Windows website.
Themes
A theme includes a desktop background, a screen saver, a window border color, sounds,
and sometimes icons and mouse pointers. You can choose from several Aero themes. Use
the whole theme or create your own customized theme by changing the pictures, colors,
and sounds individually. You can also find more themes online. For more information, see
What is a theme? in Windows Help.
Components of a theme
Aero
Aero is the premium visual experience of this version of Windows. It features a transparent
glass design with subtle window animations, a new Start menu, a new taskbar, and new
window border colors. For more information, see What is the Aero desktop experience? in
Windows Help.
Window border colors that are available with Aero
To learn how to change colors in Windows, see Change the colors on your computer in
Windows Help.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
36
Accessibility in Windows 7
Sounds
You can change the sounds your computer makes when, for example, you receive email,
start Windows, or shut down your computer. For more information, see Change computer
sounds in Windows Help.
Desktop background
The desktop background, also called wallpaper, is a picture, color, or design on the desktop.
It provides a backdrop to your open windows. You can choose one picture to be your
desktop background or you can display a slide show of pictures. For more information, see
Create a desktop background slide show, and Change your desktop background (wallpaper).
Some of the desktop background choices in Windows
Screen saver
A screen saver is a picture or animation that appears on the screen when you haven't used
the mouse or keyboard for a set period of time. You can choose from a variety of Windows
screen savers. For more information, see Change screen saver in Windows Help.
Font size
You can make the text, icons, and other items on your screen larger by increasing the dots
per inch (DPI) scale. You can also decrease the DPI scale to make text and other items on
your screen smaller, to fit more on the screen. For more information, see Make the text on
your screen larger or smaller in Windows Help.
User account picture
A user account picture helps identify your account on a computer. The picture is displayed
on the Welcome screen and on the Start menu. You can change your user account picture to
one of the pictures included with Windows, or you can use your own. For more information,
see Choose a picture for your user account and Start menu in Windows Help.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
37
Accessibility in Windows 7
Desktop gadgets
Desktop gadgets are customizable mini-programs that can display information, such as
continuously updated headlines or a picture slide show, without having to open a new
window. For more information, see Desktop gadgets: frequently asked questions and
Customize desktop gadgets in Windows Help.
Gadgets on a desktop
www.microsoft.com/enable/
38
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorials
The following step by step tutorials show you how to
turn on and set some of the most commonly used
accessibility options in Windows 7.
The instructions show you how to use either the
mouse or keyboard to navigate, select options, and
change settings.
More Information



Microsoft Accessibility website
More Microsoft product tutorials
Windows 7 Help and How-To
online
This information is presented in a side by side
format so that you can see at a glance how to use
the mouse, the keyboard, or a combination of both to set options.
Use the computer without a display
Turn on Narrator .................................................................................................. 42
Turn on Audio Descriptions ..................................................................................... 43
Turn off all unnecessary animations ......................................................................... 44
How long should Windows notification dialog boxes stay open? ................................... 45
Make the computer easier to see
Choose a High Contrast theme ................................................................................ 46
Turn on or off High Contrast when Left Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen is pressed .............. 47
Turn on Narrator ................................................................................................... 42
Turn on Audio Descriptions ..................................................................................... 43
Change the size of text and icons ............................................................................ 48
Turn on Magnifier .................................................................................................. 49
Adjust the color and transparency of the window borders ........................................... 50
Fine tune display effects......................................................................................... 52
Make the focus rectangle thicker ............................................................................. 53
Set the thickness of the blinking cursor .................................................................... 54
Turn off all unnecessary animations ......................................................................... 44
Remove background images ................................................................................... 66
Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard
Use On-Screen Keyboard ....................................................................................... 55
Use Speech Recognition ......................................................................................... 57
www.microsoft.com/enable/
39
Accessibility in Windows 7
Make the mouse easier to use
Change the color and size of mouse pointers ............................................................ 58
Turn on Mouse Keys .............................................................................................. 60
Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse ............................................... 59
Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the
screen .................................................................................................................... 63
Make the keyboard easier to use
Turn on Mouse Keys ............................................................................................. 60
Turn on Sticky Keys ............................................................................................... 67
Turn on Toggle Keys .............................................................................................. 69
Turn on Filter Keys ................................................................................................ 70
Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys ......................................................... 62
Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the
screen .................................................................................................................... 63
Use text or visual alternatives for sounds
Turn on visual notifications for sounds ..................................................................... 64
Turn on text captions for spoken dialog .................................................................... 65
Make it easier to focus on tasks
Turn on Narrator .................................................................................................. 42
Remove background images .................................................................................. 66
Turn on Sticky Keys ............................................................................................... 67
Turn on Toggle Keys .............................................................................................. 69
Turn on Filter Keys ................................................................................................ 70
Turn off all unnecessary animations ......................................................................... 44
Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the
screen .................................................................................................................... 63
www.microsoft.com/enable/
40
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Open the Ease of Access Center
The Ease of Access Center is located in Ease of Access in Control Panel. You can open the
Ease of Access Center using either the mouse or keyboard.
1
Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center, select:
To open the Ease of Access Center, press:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
www.microsoft.com/enable/
•
Windows logo key
+U
41
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on Narrator
There are two ways to start Narrator:
• Start Narrator from Quick Access to common tools for use in the current
session, or
• Turn on Narrator so that it starts automatically each time you log on.
Start Narrator for the current session
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center, select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Quick access to common tools,
select:
•
Start Narrator
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center, press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Quick access to common tools,
select:
•
Start Narrator by pressing ALT+N
Turn on Narrator so that it starts automatically each time you log on
to your computer
Mouse actions
1 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
display, by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
2 Under Hear text read aloud, select:
•
•
Turn on Narrator
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
display, by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
Under Hear text read aloud, select:
•
•
Turn on Narrator by pressing
ALT+U
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
42
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on Audio Description
Set your computer to describe what's happening in videos by hearing an audio description
(only available on some videos where video authors have provided this information).
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center, select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a display
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center, press:
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a display
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
3 Under Hear text read aloud, select:
•
•
Turn on Audio Description
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Under Hear text read aloud, select:
•
•
Turn on Audio Description by
pressing ALT+I
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
43
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn off all unnecessary animations
If you use your computer without a display, or prefer to block unnecessary animations, you
can turn them off in programs that support this option.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
display
3 Under Adjust time limits and flashing
visuals, select:
•
•
Turn off all unnecessary
animations (when possible)
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
display by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
Under Adjust time limits and flashing
visuals, select:
•
•
Turn off all unnecessary
animations (when possible) by
pressing ALT+W
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
44
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: How long should Windows notification dialog
boxes stay open?
You can adjust the time limits and flashing visuals including how long notification dialog
boxes stay open.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
display
3 Under Adjust time limits and flashing
visuals, select:
•
•
An interval from the list for How
long should Windows
notification dialog boxes stay
open from 5 seconds to 5 minutes
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
display by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
Under Adjust time limits and flashing
visuals, select:
•
•
An interval for How long should
Windows notification dialog
boxes stay open from 5 seconds to
5 minutes by pressing ALT+X and
the arrow keys
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
45
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Choose a High Contrast theme
High Contrast heightens the color contrast of some text and images on your computer
screen, making those items more distinct and easier to identify. Increasing the contrast in
colors reduces eyestrain and makes things easier to read for many people.
1
Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
•
•
•
2
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
3
Make the computer easier to see
Under High Contrast, select:
•
4
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
Choose a High Contrast theme
On the Change the visuals and sounds
on your computer screen, under Basic
and High Contrast Themes, select:
•
A High Contrast theme
•
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by using TAB, then ENTER
Under High Contrast, select:
•
Choose a High Contrast theme
by pressing ALT+R
On the Change the visuals and sounds
on your computer screen, under Basic
and High Contrast Themes, select:
•
•
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Windows logo key
A High Contrast theme by
pressing the arrow keys, then
ENTER
Close the dialog box by pressing
CTRL+W
46
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on or off High Contrast when Left Alt+Left
Shift+Print Screen is pressed
This option allows you to toggle a high-contrast theme on or off by pressing the Left
Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen keys.
1
Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
•
•
•
2
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
3
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
Make the computer easier to see
Under High Contrast, to use the shortcut
to turn High Contrast on or off, select:
•
•
Turn on High Contrast when left
ALT + left SHIFT + PRINT
SCREEN is pressed
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by using TAB, then ENTER
Under High Contrast, to use the shortcut
to turn High Contrast on or off, select:
•
•
Turn on High Contrast when left
ALT + left SHIFT + PRINT
SCREEN is pressed by pressing
ALT+L.
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
47
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Change the size of text and icons
Now you can make things larger and easier to see without losing graphic quality. You can
change the text size by choosing high DPI (dots per inch). Machines should be configured to
use native resolution, thus providing the highest resolution and monitor quality.
Now, users can change resolution on a per user basis, so if you share a machine with your
spouse, and both of you have different resolution preferences, you can set up your
computer such that each user has their preferred resolution settings applied.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
3 Under Make things on the screen
larger, select:
•
Change the size of text and
icons
4 Select the size you want (from the
available options):
•
•
•
•
Smaller - 100% (default)
Medium - 125%
Larger – 150%
Select Apply
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen
larger, select:
•
Change the size of text and
icons by pressing ALT+Z
Select the size you want (from the
available options):
•
•
•
•
Smaller - 100% (default) by
pressing ALT+S
Medium - 125% by pressing
ALT+M
Larger – 150% by pressing ALT+L
Select Apply by pressing ALT+A
48
Accessibility in Windows 7
Note: This option requires administrator privileges on your computer. If you are authorized
to change settings, when the User Account Control dialog box appears, select Continue
(ALT+C).
Tutorial: Turn on Magnifier
There are two ways to start Magnifier:
•
•
Start Magnifier from Quick Access to common tools for use in the current
session, or
Turn on Magnifier so that it automatically starts each time you log on.
Start Magnifier for the current session
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Quick access to common tools,
select:
•
Start Magnifier
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Quick access to common tools,
select:
•
Start Magnifier by pressing ALT+G
Turn on Magnifier so that it starts automatically each time you log on
to your computer
Mouse actions
1 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
2 Under Make things on the screen
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to
see, by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen
49
Accessibility in Windows 7
larger, select:
•
•
Turn on Magnifier
Select OK
larger, select:
•
•
Turn on Magnifier by pressing
ALT+N
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
Tutorial: Adjust the color and transparency of the window
borders
You can change the color of windows, the Start menu, and the taskbar. Pick a color or make
your own.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
3 Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
Adjust the color and
transparency of the window
borders
Note: If the Adjust the color and
transparency of the window borders
link is not active, your computer does not
support this setting.
4 Under Change the color of your window
borders, Start menu, and taskbar,
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
Adjust the color and
transparency of the window
borders, by pressing ALT+J
Note: If the Adjust the color and
transparency of the window borders
link is not active, your computer does not
support this setting.
Under Change the color of your window
borders, Start menu, and taskbar,
50
Accessibility in Windows 7
select:
•
•
•
select:
A color scheme from the available
options
Enable transparency to apply that
effect
Adjust Transparency by moving
the slider to the desired level
5 If you want to adjust hue, saturation, and
brightness, select:
•
•
Show color mixer, and move the
sliders to the desired levels
Select the Save changes button
•
•
•
If you want to adjust hue, saturation, and
brightness, select:
•
•
•
www.microsoft.com/enable/
A color scheme from the available
options by pressing TAB and the
arrow keys
Enable transparency to apply that
effect by pressing ALT+N
Adjust Transparency by moving
the slider to the desired level by
pressing ALT+I, then the arrow keys
Show color mixer, by pressing
ALT+X
Move the sliders to the desired
levels by pressing TAB to select, and
then the arrow keys
Select the Save changes button by
pressing TAB, then ENTER
51
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Fine tune display effects
You can change the visual appearance of windows, the Start menu, and the taskbar, and
you can fine tune effects such as how the edges of screen fonts are smoothed, show
shadows under menus and the contents of windows while dragging.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings:
•
Select Make the computer easier
to see
3 Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
Fine tune display effects
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
Fine tune display effects, by
pressing ALT+C
52
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Make the focus rectangle thicker
You can change the size of the focus rectangle to make it easier to see which item on screen
has focus.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
3 Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
•
Make the focus rectangle thicker
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen easier
to see select:
•
•
Make the focus rectangle thicker
by pressing ALT+K
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
53
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Set the thickness of the blinking cursor
You can set the thickness of the blinking cursor to make it easier to see where your cursor
is located on screen.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
3 Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
A number from 1 to 20 from the
drop-down list to Set the
thickness of the blinking cursor
Note: You can preview your selection in
the Preview box.
•
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
A number from 1 to 20 from the
drop-down list to Set the
thickness of the blinking cursor
by pressing ALT+B, and then the
arrow keys
Note: You can preview your selection in
the Preview box.
•
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
54
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Use On-Screen Keyboard
There are two ways to start On-Screen Keyboard:
•
Start On-Screen Keyboard from Quick Access to common tools for use in
•
the current session, or
Turn on On-Screen Keyboard so that it automatically starts each time you
log on.
Start On-Screen Keyboard for the current session
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Quick access to common tools,
select:
•
Start On-Screen Keyboard
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Quick access to common tools,
select:
•
Start On-Screen Keyboard by
pressing ALT+K
Turn on On-Screen Keyboard so that it starts automatically each
time you log on to your computer
Mouse actions
1 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
mouse or keyboard
2 Under Type using a pointing device,
select:
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use the computer without a
mouse or keyboard by pressing
TAB, then ENTER
Under Type using a pointing device,
select:
55
Accessibility in Windows 7
•
•
Use On-Screen Keyboard
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
•
•
Use On-Screen Keyboard by
pressing ALT+K
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
56
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Use Speech Recognition
Speech Recognition allows you to control your computer by voice. Using only your voice,
you can start programs, open menus, click buttons and other objects on the screen, dictate
text into documents, and write and send emails. Just about everything you do with your
keyboard and mouse can be done with only your voice.
This tutorial shows you how to Start Speech Recognition the first time you use Speech
Recognition, and to set it to turn on each time you log on.
Mouse actions
1 On the Start menu, select:
•
•
•
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Speech Recognition
Keyboard actions
Display the Start menu by pressing the
Windows logo key , then select.
•
•
•
2 In Configure your Speech Recognition
experience, select:
•
Start Speech Recognition
The first time you select Start Speech
Recognition you'll be taken through
setting up your microphone and the Speech
Tutorial. You'll also be given the option to
set Speech Recognition to start each time
you log on to your computer.
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Control Panel by pressing the
arrow keys, then ENTER
Ease of Access by pressing the
arrow keys, then ENTER
Speech Recognition by pressing
the arrow keys, then ENTER
In Configure your Speech Recognition
experience, select:
•
Start Speech Recognition by
pressing ALT+S
The first time you select Start Speech
Recognition you'll be taken through
setting up your microphone and the Speech
Tutorial. You'll also be given the option to
set Speech Recognition to start each time
you log on to your computer.
57
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Change the color and size of mouse pointers
You can choose a mouse pointer scheme to increase visibility of the mouse pointer on your
screen.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the mouse easier to use
3 Under Mouse pointers:
•
•
Select a cursor and pointer
combination
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the mouse easier to use by
pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Mouse pointers, select a
cursor/pointer combination by pressing:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ALT+R for Regular White
ALT+U for Regular Black
ALT+G for Regular Inverting
ALT+L for Large White
ALT+B for Large Black
ALT+I for Large Inverting
ALT+X for Extra Large White
ALT+K for Extra Large Black
ALT+N for Extra Large Inverting
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
58
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Activate a window by hovering over it with the
mouse
You can make it easier to switch between windows by choosing to activate windows by
hovering over them with the mouse pointer, rather than clicking the mouse button.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the mouse easier to use
3 Under Make it easier to manage
windows, select:
•
•
Activate a window by hovering
over it with the mouse
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the mouse easier to use by
pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make it easier to manage
windows, select:
•
•
Activate a window by hovering
over it with the mouse by
pressing ALT+W
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
59
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on Mouse Keys
Instead of using the mouse, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard or the numeric
keypad to move the mouse.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the mouse easier to use
3 Under Control the mouse with the
keyboard, select:
•
Turn on Mouse Keys
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the mouse easier to use by
pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Control the mouse with the
keyboard, select:
•
Turn on Mouse Keys by pressing
ALT+M
To set up Mouse Keys
4
Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
Under Control the mouse with the
keyboard, select:
Under Control the mouse with the
keyboard, select:
•
5
Set up Mouse Keys
Under Set up Mouse Keys select:
•
Turn on Mouse Keys
•
Set up Mouse Keys by pressing
ALT+Y
Under Set up Mouse Keys select:
•
Turn on Mouse Keys by pressing
ALT+M
Then, select from the following setting
www.microsoft.com/enable/
60
Accessibility in Windows 7
options:
6 Under Keyboard shortcut:
•
•
•
7
Under Pointer speed:
•
•
•
8
Turn on Mouse Keys with left
ALT + left SHIFT + NUMLOCK if
you want to turn Mouse Keys on and
off by using this shortcut
Display a warning message
when turning a setting on if you
want a visual alert when Mouse
Keys is turned on or off
Make a sound when turning a
setting on or off if you want an
audio alert when Mouse Keys is
turned on or off
Top Speed of the pointer by
moving the slider bar to the left (for
low), or to the right (for high)
Acceleration of the mouse pointer
by moving the slider bar to the left
(for slow), or the right (for fast)
Hold down CTRL to speed up and
SHIFT to slow down if you want
to use the CTRL and SHIFT keys to
control the pointer speed
Under Other settings, select:
•
•
To use Mouse Keys when NUM
LOCK is On, or Off
Display the Mouse Keys icon on
the taskbar if you want a visual
reminder when Mouse Keys is
turned on
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Then, select from the following setting
options:
Under Keyboard shortcut:
•
•
•
Turn on Mouse Keys with left
ALT + left SHIFT + NUMLOCK if
you want to turn Mouse Keys on and
off by using this shortcut, by
pressing ALT+K
Display a warning message
when turning a setting on if you
want a visual alert when Mouse
Keys is turned on or off, by pressing
ALT+A
Make a sound when turning a
setting on or off if you want an
audio alert when Mouse Keys is
turned on or off, by pressing ALT+U
Under Pointer speed:
•
•
•
Top Speed of the pointer by
moving the slider bar to the left (for
low), or to the right (for high), by
pressing TAB to select the bar, then
the arrow keys
Acceleration of the mouse pointer
by moving the slider bar to the left
(for slow), or the right (for fast), by
pressing TAB to select the bar, then
the arrow keys
Hold down CTRL to speed up and
SHIFT to slow down if you want
to use the CTRL and SHIFT keys to
control the pointer speed, by
pressing ALT+W
Under Other settings:
•
•
To use Mouse Keys when NUM
LOCK is On, press ALT+N
Display the Mouse Keys icon on
the taskbar if you want a visual
reminder when Mouse Keys is
turned on, by pressing ALT+Y
61
Accessibility in Windows 7
•
Select OK
•
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
Tutorial: Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys
By pressing keys that correspond to the underlined letters in menus, commands, or dialog
box options, you can quickly select options using the keyboard, rather than the mouse. If
they are not already showing, you can choose to show underlined letters for keyboard
navigation and input indicators (the dotted rectangles around objects) to navigate in
Windows, generally with the ALT, TAB or arrow keys.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
3 Under Make it easier to use keyboard
shortcuts, select:
•
•
Underline keyboard shortcuts
and access keys
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make it easier to use keyboard
shortcuts, select:
•
•
Underline keyboard shortcuts
and access keys, by pressing
ALT+N
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
62
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Prevent windows from being automatically
arranged when moved to the edge of the screen
This option prevents windows from automatically resizing and docking along the sides of
your screen when you move them there.
1
Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
•
•
•
2
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
3
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
Make the keyboard easier to use
Under Make it easier to manage
windows, select:
•
Prevent windows from being
automatically arranged when
moved to the edge of the screen
4 To save your selection:
•
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make it easier to manage
windows, select:
•
Prevent windows from being
automatically arranged when
moved to the edge of the screen
by pressing TAB, then Spacebar
To save your selection:
•
Press ALT+O
63
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on visual notifications for sounds
This option sets sound notifications to run when you log on to Windows. Sound notifications
replace system sounds with visual cues, such as a flash on the screen, so that system alerts
are noticeable even when they’re not heard. You can also choose how you want sound
notifications to warn you.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use text or visual alternatives
for sounds
3 Under Use visual cues instead of
sounds, select:
•
Turn on visual notifications for
sounds (Sound Sentry)
4 Under Choose visual warning, select one
of the following options:
•
•
•
•
•
None
Flash active caption bar
Flash active window
Flash desktop
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use text or visual alternatives
for sounds by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
Under Use visual cues instead of
sounds, select:
•
Turn on visual notifications for
sounds (Sound Sentry) by
pressing ALT+R
Under Choose visual warning, select one
of the following options:
•
•
•
•
•
None by pressing ALT+N
Flash active caption bar by
pressing ALT+B
Flash active window by pressing
ALT+W
Flash desktop by pressing ALT+K
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
64
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on text captions for spoken dialog
This option causes Windows to display text captions in place of sounds to indicate that
activity is happening on your computer (for example, when a document starts or finishes
printing.)
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use text or visual alternatives
for sounds
3 Under Use visual cues instead of
sounds select:
•
•
Turn on text captions for spoken
dialog (when available)
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Use text or visual alternatives
for sounds by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
Under Use visual cues instead of
sounds, select:
•
•
Turn on text captions for spoken
dialog (when available) by
pressing ALT+U
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
65
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Remove background images
If you find background images make your screen difficult to see, or if they are otherwise
bothersome or undesirable, you can remove them (where available).
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
3 Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
•
Remove background images
(where available)
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the computer easier to see
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make things on the screen easier
to see, select:
•
•
Remove background images
(where available) by pressing
ALT+G
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
66
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on Sticky Keys
Instead of having to press three keys at once (such as when you must press the CTRL, ALT,
and DELETE keys together to log on to Windows), you can press one key at a time by
turning on Sticky Keys. Then, you can press a modifier key (such as CTRL) and have it
remain active until another key is pressed.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
3 Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
Turn on Sticky Keys
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
Turn on Sticky Keys by pressing
ALT+R
To set up Sticky Keys
Mouse actions
1 Then, select:
•
Set up Sticky Keys
2 In Set up Sticky Keys select:
•
Turn on Sticky Keys
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
Then, select:
•
Set up Sticky Keys by pressing
TAB, then ENTER
In Set up Sticky Keys select:
•
Turn on Sticky Keys by pressing
ALT+R
67
Accessibility in Windows 7
3 Under Keyboard shortcut, select:
•
Turn on Sticky Keys when SHIFT
is pressed five times if you want
to use the shortcut to turn Sticky
Keys on and off
4 Under When using keyboard shortcuts
to turn Ease of Access settings on
select from these options:
•
•
Display a warning message
when turning a setting on
Make a sound when turning a
setting on or off
5 Under Options and Feedback you can
choose to:
•
•
•
•
6
•
Lock modifier keys when
pressed twice in a row
Turn off Sticky Keys when two
keys are pressed at once
Play a sound when keys are
pressed
Display the Sticky Keys icon on
the task bar
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Under Keyboard shortcut, select:
•
Turn on Sticky Keys when SHIFT
is pressed five times by pressing
ALT+K, if you want to use the
shortcut to turn Sticky Keys on and
off
Under When using keyboard shortcuts
to turn Ease of Access settings on
choose from these options:
•
•
Display a warning message
when turning a setting on by
pressing ALT+A
Make a sound when turning a
setting on or off by pressing
ALT+M
Under Options and Feedback you can
choose to:
•
•
•
•
•
Lock modifier keys when
pressed twice in a row by
pressing ALT+L
Turn off Sticky Keys when two
keys are pressed at once by
pressing ALT+U
Play a sound when keys are
pressed by pressing ALT+Y
Display the Sticky Keys icon on
the task bar by pressing ALT+I
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
68
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on Toggle Keys
Toggle Keys can play an alert each time you press the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock
keys. These alerts can help prevent the frustration of inadvertently pressing a key and not
realizing it.
1
Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
•
•
•
2
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
3
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
Make the keyboard easier to use
Under Make it easier to type select:
•
•
•
Turn on Toggle Keys
Turn on Toggle Keys by holding
down the NUM LOCK key for 5
seconds if you want to use the
shortcut to turn Toggle Keys on and
off
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
•
•
Turn on Toggle Keys by pressing
ALT+K
Turn on Toggle Keys by holding
down the NUM LOCK key for 5
seconds if you want to use the
shortcut to turn Toggle Keys on and
off, by pressing ALT+5
Select OK by pressing ALT+O
69
Accessibility in Windows 7
Tutorial: Turn on Filter Keys
You can set Windows to ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession, or keystrokes that
are held down for several seconds unintentionally.
Mouse actions
1 To open the Ease of Access Center,
select:
•
•
•
•
Start
Control Panel
Ease of Access
Ease of Access Center
2 Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
3 Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
Turn on Filter Keys
Keyboard actions
To open the Ease of Access Center,
press:
•
Windows logo key
+U
Under Explore all settings, select:
•
Make the keyboard easier to use
by pressing TAB, then ENTER
Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
Turn on Filter Keys by pressing
ALT+I
Set up Filter Keys
Mouse actions
1 Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
Set up Filter Keys
2 In Set up Filter Keys, be sure Turn on
Filter Keys is selected, then select from
the following options:
•
Turn on Filter Keys when right
SHIFT is pressed for 8 seconds if
you want to use the shortcut key to
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Keyboard actions
Under Make it easier to type, select:
•
Set up Filter Keys by pressing
ALT+L
In Set up Filter Keys, be sure Turn on
Filter Keys is selected (if not, press
ALT+I), then select from the following
options:
•
Turn on Filter Keys when right
SHIFT is pressed for 8 seconds
70
Accessibility in Windows 7
•
•
•
•
•
turn Filter Keys on and off
Display a warning message
when turning a setting on if you
want to see a visual message when
turning Filter Keys on and off
Make a sound when turning a
setting on and off if you want an
audible message when turning Filter
Keys on and off
Beep when keys are pressed or
accepted if you want to hear a
beep when keystrokes are accepted
Display the Filter Keys icon on
the taskbar if you want a visual
reminder that Filter Keys is on.
Save to save your settings and
close the dialog box
3 Under Type text here to test settings:
•
Test your settings by typing within
the box before saving your settings
•
•
•
•
by pressing ALT+K, if you want to
use the shortcut key to turn Filter
Keys on and off
Display a warning message
when turning a setting on by
pressing ALT+A, if you want to see
a visual message when turning Filter
Keys on and off
Make a sound when turning a
setting on and off by pressing
ALT+M, if you want an audible
message when turning Filter Keys
on and off
Beep when keys are pressed or
accepted by pressing ALT+W, if
you want to hear a beep when
keystrokes are accepted
Display the Filter Keys icon on
the taskbar by pressing ALT+Y, if
you want a visual reminder that
Filter Keys is on
Move to:
•
Type text here to test settings,
by pressing ALT+N
Test your settings by typing within the box
before saving your settings
4 Save your settings and close the dialog
box.
•
Select OK
www.microsoft.com/enable/
Save your settings and close the dialog
box.
•
Select OK by pressing TAB, then
ENTER
71
Accessibility in Windows 7
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more
keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a
task that would typically require a mouse or other
pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it
easier to interact with your computer, saving you time
and effort as you work with Windows and other
programs.
More Information


Keyboard shortcuts online
Microsoft Accessibility website
Most programs also provide accelerator keys that can make it easier to work with menus
and other commands. Check the menus of programs for accelerator keys. If a letter is
underlined in a menu it usually means that pressing the Alt key in combination with the
underlined key will have the same effect as clicking that menu item.
Pressing the Alt key in some programs, such as Paint and WordPad, shows commands that
are labeled with additional keys that you can press to use them.
You can also create new keyboard shortcuts to open programs. For more information, see
Create keyboard shortcuts to open programs.
A complete list of keyboard shortcuts is available in Windows Help, and following:
Ease of Access keyboard shortcuts .......................................................................... 73
General keyboard shortcuts ..................................................................................... 73
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts ................................................................................. 75
Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts....................................................................... 76
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts ....................................................................... 77
Taskbar Keyboard shortcuts .................................................................................... 78
Magnifier keyboard shortcuts ................................................................................... 79
Remote Desktop Connection keyboard shortcuts ........................................................ 79
Paint keyboard shortcuts ......................................................................................... 80
WordPad keyboard shortcuts ................................................................................... 81
Calculator keyboard shortcuts .................................................................................. 83
Windows Journal keyboard shortcuts ........................................................................ 86
Windows Help viewer keyboard shortcuts .................................................................. 87
Create keyboard shortcuts to open programs ............................................................. 87
www.microsoft.com/enable/
72
Accessibility in Windows 7
Ease of Access keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that can help make your computer easier to
use.
Press this key
To do this
Right Shift for eight seconds
Turn Filter Keys on and off
Left Alt+Left Shift+PrtScn (or PrtScn)
Turn High Contrast on or off
Left Alt+Left Shift+Num Lock
Turn Mouse Keys on or off
Shift five times
Turn Sticky Keys on or off
Num Lock for five seconds
Turn Toggle Keys on or off
Windows logo key
Open the Ease of Access Center
+U
General keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains general keyboard shortcuts.
Press this key
To do this
F1
Display Help
Ctrl+C
Copy the selected item
Ctrl+X
Cut the selected item
Ctrl+V
Paste the selected item
Ctrl+Z
Undo an action
Ctrl+Y
Redo an action
Delete (or Ctrl+D)
Delete the selected item and move it to the
Recycle Bin
Shift+Delete
Delete the selected item without moving it to
the Recycle Bin first
F2
Rename the selected item
Ctrl+Right Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next
word
Ctrl+Left Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the
previous word
Ctrl+Down Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next
paragraph
Ctrl+Up Arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of the
previous paragraph
Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key
Select a block of text
www.microsoft.com/enable/
73
Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Shift with any arrow key
Select more than one item in a window or on
the desktop, or select text within a
document
Ctrl with any arrow key+Spacebar
Select multiple individual items in a window
or on the desktop
Ctrl+A
Select all items in a document or window
F3
Search for a file or folder
Alt+Enter
Display properties for the selected item
Alt+F4
Close the active item, or exit the active
program
Alt+Spacebar
Open the shortcut menu for the active
window
Ctrl+F4
Close the active document (in programs that
allow you to have multiple documents open
simultaneously)
Alt+Tab
Switch between open items
Ctrl+Alt+Tab
Use the arrow keys to switch between open
items
Ctrl+Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size of icons on the desktop
Windows logo key
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by
using Aero Flip 3-D
+Tab
Ctrl+Windows logo key
+Tab
Use the arrow keys to cycle through
programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip
3-D
Alt+Esc
Cycle through items in the order in which
they were opened
F6
Cycle through screen elements in a window
or on the desktop
F4
Display the address bar list in Windows
Explorer
Shift+F10
Display the shortcut menu for the selected
item
Ctrl+Esc
Open the Start menu
Alt+underlined letter
Display the corresponding menu
Alt+underlined letter
Perform the menu command (or other
underlined command)
F10
Activate the menu bar in the active program
www.microsoft.com/enable/
74
Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Right Arrow
Open the next menu to the right, or open a
submenu
Left Arrow
Open the next menu to the left, or close a
submenu
F5
Refresh the active window
Alt+Up Arrow
View the folder one level up in Windows
Explorer
Esc
Cancel the current task
Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Open Task Manager
Shift when you insert a CD
Prevent the CD from automatically playing
Left Alt+Shift
Switch the input language when multiple
input languages are enabled
Ctrl+Shift
Switch the keyboard layout when multiple
keyboard layouts are enabled
Right or Left Ctrl+Shift
Change the reading direction of text in rightto-left reading languages
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for use in dialog boxes.
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+Tab
Move forward through tabs
Ctrl+Shift+Tab
Move back through tabs
Tab
Move forward through options
Shift+Tab
Move back through options
Alt+underlined letter
Perform the command (or select the option)
that goes with that letter
Enter
Replaces clicking the mouse for many
selected commands
Spacebar
Select or clear the check box if the active
option is a check box
Arrow keys
Select a button if the active option is a group
of option buttons
F1
Display Help
F4
Display the items in the active list
www.microsoft.com/enable/
75
Accessibility in Windows 7
Backspace
Open a folder one level up if a folder is
selected in the Save As or Open dialog box
Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows logo key
Press this key
To do this
Windows logo key
Open or close the Start menu.
.
Windows logo key
+Pause
Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows logo key
+D
Display the desktop.
Windows logo key
+M
Minimize all windows.
Windows logo key
+Shift+M
Restore minimized windows to the desktop.
Windows logo key
+E
Open Computer.
Windows logo key
+F
Search for a file or folder.
Ctrl+Windows logo key
+F
Search for computers (if you're on a
network).
Windows logo key
+L
Lock your computer or switch users.
Windows logo key
+R
Open the Run dialog box.
Windows logo key
+T
Cycle through programs on the taskbar.
Windows logo key
+number
Start the program pinned to the taskbar in
the position indicated by the number. If the
program is already running, switch to that
program.
Shift+Windows logo key
Ctrl+Windows logo key
Alt+Windows logo key
Windows logo key
+number
+number
+number
+Tab
Ctrl+Windows logo key
+Tab
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Start a new instance of the program pinned
to the taskbar in the position indicated by
the number.
Switch to the last active window of the
program pinned to the taskbar in the
position indicated by the number.
Open the Jump List for the program pinned
to the taskbar in the position indicated by
the number.
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by
using Aero Flip 3-D.
Use the arrow keys to cycle through
programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip
3-D.
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+Windows logo key
+B
Switch to the program that displayed a
message in the notification area.
Windows logo key
+Spacebar
Preview the desktop.
Windows logo key
+Up Arrow
Maximize the window.
Windows logo key
+Left Arrow
Maximize the window to the left side of the
screen.
Windows logo key
+Right Arrow
Maximize the window to the right side of the
screen.
Windows logo key
+Down Arrow
Minimize the window.
Windows logo key
+Home
Minimize all but the active window.
Windows logo key
+Shift+Up Arrow
Stretch the window to the top and bottom of
the screen.
Windows logo key
Right Arrow
+Shift+Left Arrow or
Move a window from one monitor to another.
Windows logo key
+P
Choose a presentation display mode.
Windows logo key
+G
Cycle through gadgets.
Windows logo key
+U
Open Ease of Access Center.
Windows logo key
+X
Open Windows Mobility Center.
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Windows Explorer windows
or folders.
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+N
Open a new window
Ctrl+W
Close the current window
Ctrl+Shift+N
Create a new folder
End
Display the bottom of the active window
Home
Display the top of the active window
F11
Maximize or minimize the active window
Ctrl+Period (.)
Rotate a picture clockwise
Ctrl+Comma (,)
Rotate a picture counterclockwise
Num Lock+Asterisk (*) on numeric keypad
Display all subfolders under the selected
folder
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Num Lock+Plus Sign (+) on numeric keypad
Display the contents of the selected folder
Num Lock+Minus Sign (-) on numeric
keypad
Collapse the selected folder
Left Arrow
Collapse the current selection (if it's
expanded), or select the parent folder
Alt+Enter
Open the Properties dialog box for the
selected item
Alt+P
Display the preview pane
Alt+Left Arrow
View the previous folder
Right Arrow
Display the current selection (if it's
collapsed), or select the first subfolder
Alt+Right Arrow
View the next folder
Alt+Up Arrow
View the parent folder
Ctrl+Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size and appearance of file and
folder icons
Alt+D
Select the address bar
Ctrl+E
Select the search box
Ctrl+F
Select the search box
Taskbar keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with items on the taskbar.
Press this key
To do this
Shift+Click on a taskbar button
Open a program or quickly open another
instance of a program
Ctrl+Shift+Click on a taskbar button
Open a program as an administrator
Shift+Right-click on a taskbar button
Show the window menu for the program
Shift+Right-click on a grouped taskbar
button
Show the window menu for the group
Ctrl+Click on a grouped taskbar button
Cycle through the windows of the group
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Magnifier keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Magnifier.
Press this key
Windows logo key
Sign
To do this
+ Plus Sign or Minus
Zoom in or out
Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar
Preview the desktop in full-screen mode
Ctrl+Alt+F
Switch to full-screen mode
Ctrl+Alt+L
Switch to lens mode
Ctrl+Alt+D
Switch to docked mode
Ctrl+Alt+I
Invert colors
Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys
Pan in the direction of the arrow keys
Ctrl+Alt+R
Resize the lens
Windows logo key
+ Esc
Exit Magnifier
Remote Desktop Connection keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Remote Desktop
Connection.
Press this key
To do this
Alt+Page Up
Move between programs from left to right.
Alt+Page Down
Move between programs from right to left.
Alt+Insert
Cycle through programs in the order that
they were started in.
Alt+Home
Display the Start menu.
Ctrl+Alt+Break
Switch between a window and full screen.
Ctrl+Alt+End
Display the Windows Security dialog box.
Alt+Delete
Display the system menu.
Ctrl+Alt+Minus Sign (-) on the numeric
keypad
Place a copy of the active window, within the
client, on the Terminal server clipboard
(provides the same functionality as pressing
Alt+PrtScn on a local computer).
Ctrl+Alt+Plus Sign (+) on the numeric
keypad
Place a copy of the entire client window area
on the Terminal server clipboard (provides
the same functionality as pressing PrtScn on
a local computer).
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to
a control in the host program (for example,
a button or a text box). Useful when the
Remote Desktop controls are embedded in
another (host) program.
Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow
“Tab” out of the Remote Desktop controls to
a control in the host program (for example,
a button or a text box). Useful when the
Remote Desktop controls are embedded in
another (host) program.
Note Ctrl+Alt+Break and Ctrl+Alt+End are available in all Remote Desktop sessions, even
when you've set up the remote computer to recognize Windows keyboard shortcuts.
Paint keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Paint.
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+N
Create a new picture
Ctrl+O
Open an existing picture
Ctrl+S
Save changes to a picture
F12
Save the picture as a new file
Ctrl+P
Print a picture
Alt+F4
Close a picture and its Paint window
Ctrl+Z
Undo a change
Ctrl+Y
Redo a change
Ctrl+A
Select the entire picture
Ctrl+X
Cut a selection
Ctrl+C
Copy a selection to the Clipboard
Ctrl+V
Paste a selection from the Clipboard
Right Arrow
Move the selection or active shape right by
one pixel
Left Arrow
Move the selection or active shape left by
one pixel
Down Arrow
Move the selection or active shape down by
one pixel
Up Arrow
Move the selection or active shape up by one
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
pixel
Esc
Cancel a selection
Delete
Delete a selection
Ctrl+B
Bold selected text
Ctrl++
Increase the width of a brush, line, or shape
outline by one pixel
Ctrl+-
Decrease the width of a brush, line, or shape
outline by one pixel
Ctrl+I
Italicize selected text
Ctrl+U
Underline selected text
Ctrl+E
Open the Properties dialog box
Ctrl+W
Open the Resize and Skew dialog box
Ctrl+Page Up
Zoom in
Ctrl+Page Down
Zoom out
F11
View a picture in full-screen mode
Ctrl+R
Show or hide the ruler
Ctrl+G
Show or hide gridlines
F10 or Alt
Display keytips
Shift+F10
Show the current shortcut menu
F1
Open Paint Help
WordPad keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with WordPad.
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+N
Create a new document
Ctrl+O
Open an existing document
Ctrl+S
Save changes to a document
F12
Save the document as a new file
Ctrl+P
Print a document
Alt+F4
Close WordPad
Ctrl+Z
Undo a change
Ctrl+Y
Redo a change
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+A
Select the entire document
Ctrl+X
Cut a selection
Ctrl+C
Copy a selection to the Clipboard
Ctrl+V
Paste a selection from the Clipboard
Ctrl+B
Make selected text bold
Ctrl+I
Italicize selected text
Ctrl+U
Underline selected text
Ctrl+=
Make selected text subscript
Ctrl+Shift+=
Make selected text superscript
Ctrl+L
Align text left
Ctrl+E
Align text center
Ctrl+R
Align text right
Ctrl+J
Justify text
Ctrl+1
Set single line spacing
Ctrl+2
Set double line spacing
Ctrl+5
Set line spacing to 1.5
Ctrl+Shift+>
Increase the font size
Ctrl+Shift+<
Decrease the font size
Ctrl+Shift+A
Change characters to all capitals
Ctrl+Shift+L
Change the bullet style
Ctrl+D
Insert a Microsoft Paint drawing
Ctrl+F
Find text in a document
F3
Find the next instance of the text in the Find
dialog box
Ctrl+H
Replace text in a document
Ctrl+Left Arrow
Move the cursor one word to the left
Ctrl+Right Arrow
Move the cursor one word to the right
Ctrl+Up Arrow
Move the cursor to the line above
Ctrl+Down Arrow
Move the cursor to the line below
Ctrl+Home
Move to the beginning of the document
Ctrl+End
Move to the end of the document
Ctrl+Page Up
Move up one page
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+Page Down
Move down one page
Ctrl+Delete
Delete the next word
F10
Display keytips
Shift+F10
Show the current shortcut menu
F1
Open WordPad Help
Calculator keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Calculator.
Press this key
To do this
Atl+1
Switch to Standard mode
Alt+2
Switch to Scientific mode
Alt+3
Switch to Programmer mode
Alt+4
Switch to Statistics mode
Ctrl+E
Open date calculations
Ctrl+H
Turn calculation history on or off
Ctrl+U
Open unit conversion
Alt+C
Calculate or solve date calculations and
worksheets
F1
Open Calculator Help
Ctrl+Q
Press the M- button
Ctrl+P
Press the M+ button
Ctrl+M
Press the MS button
Ctrl+R
Press the MR button
Ctrl+L
Press the MC button
%
Press the % button
F9
Press the +/– button
/
Press the / button
*
Press the * button
+
Press the + button
-
Press the – button
R
Press the 1/× button
@
Press the square root button
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
0-9
Press the number buttons (0-9)
=
Press the = button
.
Press the . (decimal point) button
Backspace
Press the backspace button
Esc
Press the C button
Del
Press the CE button
Ctrl+Shift+D
Clear the calculation history
F2
Edit the calculation history
Up Arrow key
Navigate up in the calculation history
Down Arrow key
Navigate down in the calculation history
Esc
Cancel editing the calculation history
Enter
Recalculate the calculation history after
editing
F3
Select Degrees in Scientific mode
F4
Select Radians in Scientific mode
F5
Select Grads in Scientific mode
I
Press the Inv button in Scientific mode
D
Press the Mod button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+S
Press the sinh button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+O
Press the cosh button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+T
Press the tanh button in Scientific mode
(
Press the ( button in Scientific mode
)
Press the ) button in Scientific mode
N
Press the ln button in Scientific mode
;
Press the Int button in Scientific mode
S
Press the sin button in Scientific mode
O
Press the cos button in Scientific mode
T
Press the tan button in Scientific mode
M
Press the dms button in Scientific mode
P
Press the pi button in Scientific mode
V
Press the F-E button in Scientific mode
X
Press the Exp button in Scientific mode
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
Q
Press the x^2 button in Scientific mode
Y
Press the x^y button in Scientific mode
#
Press the x^3 button in Scientific mode
L
Press the log button in Scientific mode
!
Press the n! button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+Y
Press the y√x button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+B
Press the 3√x button in Scientific mode
Ctrl+G
Press the 10x button in Scientific mode
F5
Select Hex in Programmer mode
F6
Select Dec in Programmer mode
F7
Select Oct in Programmer mode
F8
Select Bin in Programmer mode
F12
Select Qword in Programmer mode
F2
Select Dword in Programmer mode
F3
Select Word in Programmer mode
F4
Select Byte in Programmer mode
K
Press the RoR button in Programmer mode
J
Press the RoL button in Programmer mode
<
Press the Lsh button in Programmer mode
>
Press the Rsh button in Programmer mode
%
Press the Mod button in Programmer mode
(
Press the ( button in Programmer mode
)
Press the ) button in Programmer mode
|
Press the Or button in Programmer mode
^
Press the Xor button in Programmer mode
~
Press the Not button in Programmer mode
&
Press the And button in Programmer mode
A-F
Press the A-F buttons in Programmer mode
Spacebar
Toggles the bit value in Programmer mode
A
Press the Average button in Statistics mode
Ctrl+A
Press the Average Sq button in Statistics
mode
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
S
Press the Sum button in Statistics mode
Ctrl+S
Press the Sum Sq button in Statistics mode
T
Press the S.D. button in Statistics mode
Ctrl+T
Press the Inv S.D. button in Statistics mode
D
Press the CAD button in Statistics mode
Windows Journal keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with Windows Journal.
Press this key
To do this
Ctrl+N
Start a new note
Ctrl+O
Open a recently used note
Ctrl+S
Save changes to a note
Ctrl+Shift+V
Move a note to a specific folder
Ctrl+P
Print a note
Alt+F4
Close a note and its Journal window
Ctrl+Z
Undo a change
Ctrl+Y
Redo a change
Ctrl+A
Select all items on a page
Ctrl+X
Cut a selection
Ctrl+C
Copy a selection to the Clipboard
Ctrl+V
Paste a selection from the Clipboard
Esc
Cancel a selection
Delete
Delete a selection
Ctrl+F
Start a basic find
Ctrl+G
Go to page
F5
Refresh find results
F5
Refresh the note list
F6
Toggle between a note list and a note
Ctrl+Shift+C
Display a shortcut menu for column headings
in a note list
F11
View a note in full-screen mode
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Accessibility in Windows 7
Press this key
To do this
F1
Open Journal Help
Windows Help viewer keyboard shortcuts
The following table contains keyboard shortcuts for working with the Help viewer.
Press this key
To do this
Alt+C
Display the Table of Contents
Alt+N
Display the Connection Settings menu
F10
Display the Options menu
Alt+Left Arrow
Move back to the previously viewed topic
Alt+Right Arrow
Move forward to the next (previously
viewed) topic
Alt+A
Display the customer support page
Alt+Home
Display the Help and Support home page
Home
Move to the beginning of a topic
End
Move to the end of a topic
Ctrl+F
Search the current topic
Ctrl+P
Print a topic
F3
Move the cursor to the search box
Create keyboard shortcuts to open programs
You can create keyboard shortcuts to open programs. Opening programs this way is often
simpler than opening them using your mouse or other pointing device. Before you get
started, you need to create a shortcut for the program to which you want to assign a
keyboard shortcut. To do this, open the folder that contains the program, right-click the
program's executable file, and then click Create Shortcut. For more information about
creating shortcuts to programs, see Create or delete a shortcut, in Help.
Locate the shortcut to the program that you want to create a keyboard shortcut for.
•
Right-click the shortcut, and then click Properties.
In the Shortcut Properties dialog box,
•
•
Click the Shortcut tab.
Click in the Shortcut key box,
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Accessibility in Windows 7
•
Press the key on your keyboard that you want to use in combination with Ctrl+Alt
(keyboard shortcuts automatically start with Ctrl+Alt), and then click OK.
You can now use this keyboard shortcut to open the program.
Notes
The word None appears in the Shortcut key box until you press a key; then it's replaced
with Ctrl+Alt+the key that you pressed.
The new shortcut might not work for programs that have their own keyboard shortcuts.
You cannot use the Esc, Enter, Tab, Spacebar, PrtScn, Shift, or Backspace keys to create a
keyboard shortcut.
You can also create keyboard shortcuts to open files and folders.
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