Microsoft Windows XP includes the On-Screen Keyboard for those who prefer using a mouse or other pointing device (rather than a physical keyboard) to enter text. Different typing modes allow you to select a key by clicking, hovering over a key for a specific number of seconds, or using a joystick. You can start the On-Screen Keyboard using the Start menu. If you use the On-Screen Keyboard regularly, add a shortcut to your desktop to make it easier to open.

Start the On-Screen Keyboard using the Start menu

To launch the On-Screen Keyboard

1.	Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, and then On-Screen Keyboard.
2.	The On-Screen Keyboard and On-Screen Keyboard dialog box appear. Click OK.

You can now use the On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the buttons with your mouse. To hold down the SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT keys, just click them once, and the keys will stay pressed until you click the next key.

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Create a desktop shortcut for the On-Screen Keyboard

To make a shortcut on your desktop to launch the On-Screen Keyboard

1.	Right-click your desktop, point to New, and click Shortcut.
2.	In the location field, type osk. Then click Next.
3.	Type On-Screen Keyboard. Then, click Finish.

That’s it! The shortcut to the On-Screen Keyboard utility is on your desktop.

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How to change the typing mode

On-Screen Keyboard has three different modes:

•	Clicking mode. This is the default mode in which you use a mouse or other pointing device to click keys.
•	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.
•	Scanning mode. On-Screen Keyboard continually scans the keyboard and highlights areas where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut or by using a switch-input device.

To change typing mode

1.	Click the Settings menu, and then click Typing Mode.
2.	In the Typing Mode dialog box, click your preferred method of selecting keys. Then, click OK.

The On-Screen Keyboard simplifies text entry for users who prefer using a pointing device. For more information about Windows XP accessibility features, read Set up accessibility features.

The Web has many beautiful pictures. If you find a picture you particularly like, such as the following image of the puppy, you can make it your desktop background, so that you can see it whenever you use your computer.

To use a Web graphic for your desktop background

1.	Use Microsoft Internet Explorer to open the Web page with the picture you like.
2.	Right-click the picture, and then click Set as Background.

Microsoft Windows XP displays the picture as your desktop background. For best results, use large pictures that are wider than they are tall.

A toolbar is a collection of buttons or icons—usually displayed across the top of the screen—that represents the different tasks you can do within a program. For example, in Microsoft Internet Explorer, there is a toolbar for the standard Internet Explorer command buttons, one for entering an Internet address, and one for quick links you can set up.

When you open a toolbar, it will appear in a particular spot on the screen. If you want to change the location of the toolbar you can move it by dragging it to the new location. You can also resize the toolbar by dragging its edge. If you find a toolbar that cannot be moved or resized, the toolbar may be locked.

To unlock a toolbar

Note: If Lock the Toolbars does not appear on the shortcut menu, you may not be able to move or resize the toolbar.

If you are able move the toolbar, once you’ve moved the toolbar to the location where you want it, select Lock the Toolbars so that it isn’t inadvertently moved. To make sure the change is permanent, lock the toolbar, exit the program, and then reopen it. The toolbar should be locked.

Keyboard shortcuts can save you a lot of time by putting files or commands you use often right at your fingertips. Some keyboard shortcuts, however, require you to hold down three keys at a time. If you want to use a keyboard shortcut but find it difficult to hold down two or three keys at the same time, StickyKeys makes it easy. When a shortcut requires a key combination, the StickyKeys feature in Microsoft Windows XP lets you press a key, such as SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT, and keep it active until another key is pressed. StickyKeys is also helpful when you want to type uppercase letters without holding down SHIFT while you press each letter key.

To activate StickyKeys

1.	Press the SHIFT key five times. A dialog box opens with instructions on how to set up the StickyKeys feature.
2.	Click OK. An icon (a group of squares) appears in the notification area.

With StickyKeys enabled, you can press and release the SHIFT, CTRL, ALT, or Windows logo key, and Windows XP will hold the key down for you until you press the next key. For example, to type a capital A, you could press and release SHIFT, and then press and release the A key.

To turn off StickyKeys, press the SHIFT key five times, and then click Cancel in the StickyKeys dialog box.

Start a program using a keyboard shortcut

The Start menu is great for finding programs, but its multiple levels of folders can be time consuming to navigate. If there is a program you start frequently, you should set a keyboard shortcut for it so that you can start the program without taking your hands off the keyboard.

To set a keyboard shortcut to start a program

1.	Click the Start menu, and then click All Programs. Right-click the program that you want to start with a keyboard shortcut, and then click Properties.
2.	Click in the Shortcut keybox. Now press the letter on your keyboard that you want to use to start the program. Make it easy to remember—for example, press I for Microsoft Internet Explorer.Note: You can use either uppercase or lowercase letters when creating your keyboard shortcuts—and when accessing them later. In the Shortcut key box, Microsoft Windows XP automatically adds Ctrl + Alt + before the key you pressed. When you want to start the program, hold down both the CTRL and ALT keys simultaneously, while also pressing the letter you chose. This way, your program won’t start every time you type that letter.
3.	Click OK.
4.	Now test your shortcut. Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, and then press the letter you chose. If you find it difficult to hold down two keys at once, read Turn on the Sticky Keys feature. Your program should start.

When your friends see you start up programs without touching your mouse, they just might think you have a psychic connection with your computer!

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Navigate menus using the keyboard

You can speed up tasks in almost any program by choosing menu items using your keyboard instead of your mouse. This operation is particularly handy when you’re performing repetitive tasks.

To control menus using your keyboard

1.	With your program open, press the ALT key. Notice that one letter on each menu name is now underlined. To open the menu, press the underlined key. For example, in Internet Explorer, the View menu name shows the V underlined after you press the ALT key. To open the Viewmenu, press the ALT key, and then press V.
2.	Now, each menu item will show one letter underlined. To access or activate the menu item you want, simply press the underlined key. For example, in Internet Explorer, after you open the View menu, the Privacy Report menu item shows the V underlined. Instead of clicking Privacy Reportwith your mouse, you can just press the V key.
3.	You can also choose menu commands by pressing key sequences quickly, without waiting for the menus to open. For example, to quickly view a Web page’s privacy report in Internet Explorer, press ALT, V, V. Similarly, to save a Web page in Internet Explorer, you would normally click the File menu, and then click Save As. To choose the same commands using your keyboard, press ALT, F, A.

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Control windows using your keyboard

If you like to keep four or five windows open while you work (or play) on your computer, you’ll appreciate knowing these keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly switch between your Web browser, e-mail, instant message windows, and other programs without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Programs often start up in a “restored” state, where the window takes up only part of the screen. To maximize the window so that it takes up the entire screen, press the ALT key, press the SPACEBAR, and then press X. This will feel natural after you do it a few times, and you will feel much more efficient while using your computer.

Microsoft Windows XP uses many visual effects to provide a rich, friendly interface. One of these settings allows menus to fade into view when you open them. This visual effect is so smooth that you may never have noticed it; however, the effect does cause menus to take a little longer to appear.

On a fast computer, this shouldn’t be an issue. But on a computer that isn’t responding as quickly as you’d like, you can make menus display faster.

To speed up menu display

1.	Click Start. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2.	Click the Advanced tab. In the Performance area, click Settings.
3.	On the Visual Effects tab in the Performance Options dialog box, clear the Fade or slide menus into viewcheck box.
4.	Click OK.
5.	In the System Properties dialog box, click OK.

Now when you click a menu, it will appear almost instantly.

Finding programs on your All Programs menu can become difficult if you have a lot of programs installed. When you install new programs, Microsoft Windows XP adds each new item to the end of the All Programs menu. You can, however, quickly sort the items on your All Programs menu in alphabetical order.

To sort items on your All Programs menu alphabetically

1.	Click Start, click All Programs, and then right-click any folder or icon.
2.	On the shortcut menu, click Sort by Name.

That’s it—your programs are instantly alphabetized. Enjoy your newly organized All Programs menu.

This same tip works for your Favorites menu in Internet Explorer. In both cases, you’ll probably need to go back periodically and sort the lists again, because Windows XP doesn’t automatically keep the list in alphabetical order.

When you browse the Web with Microsoft Internet Explorer, links open with a single click. Yet, when you browse My Computer or My Documents, a single click lets you select a file or folder, but you have to double-click to open it.

If you’d rather single-click to open files and folders, you can change the setting on your mouse (don’t worry, this process doesn’t require any double clicks).

To change the settings on your mouse

1.	Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.	Click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
3.	Click Single-click to open an item. Then, click OK.

Now you can navigate folders and open files with a single rather than a double click. If you need to select a file, simply hold your mouse over the file for a few seconds without clicking.

Microsoft Windows XP lets you show the contents of folders in a variety of ways, such as a simple or detailed list of the files, or as thumbnail images. Each folder in My Computer or My Documents can have its own view. That’s useful for folders like My Music or My Pictures, because you can look at your digital photos in Thumbnails or Filmstrip view, and see your song titles in Tiles view. But changing the view for every folder can be time-consuming.

If you prefer to have all your folder contents displayed in a particular way, you can save yourself some time by changing the view for all the folders on your computer at once.

To set your windows so they all have the same view

1.	Click Start, and then click My Documents.
2.	Click the Viewsbutton, and then click the view you want to apply to all folders.Note: For more information about views, read Specify how folders open.
3.	Click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
4.	Click the View tab, and then click Apply to All Folders.
5.	Click Yes.
6.	Click OK.

The next time you open a folder, it will be displayed using the view you chose. To restore your original folder settings, repeat steps 1-3. Then, in step 4, click Reset All Folders.