How To Access Virtual Keyboard In Windows XP

Do you have problems using your computer keyboard or is your keyboard damaged making it difficult to use it? Whatever be the case, Windows lets you overcome such an issue with the help of the very useful feature called the virtual On-Screen Keyboard that is built into the Windows operating systems.

This virtual keyboard feature lets you perform all tasks that you could otherwise do with a physical keyboard. Instead of keystrokes, here, you will be using your mouse pointer to navigate through the keyboard buttons that you see on-screen. In this section, we will see how to use the virtual On-Screen keyboard on Windows XP. Read on the following Windows XP support guidelines to know how to access the on-screen keyboard.

Instructions

• Go to the Start menu and select All Programs, then Accessories. Further select Accessibility and then choose On-Screen Keyboard.
• You can now select the type of keyboard you would like to use. You can choose between Enhanced keyboard and Standard keyboard. You also have the option to select the keyboard layout like the Regular and Block layout. There is also the option to select the number of keys from 101, 102 or 106 keys.
• You can select your preferences from the Settings menu. Always On Top is a very good option, and is the program's default setting. You also have the option to have a click sound each time a key is selected. You may also choose Click to Select, Hover to Select, or Use Joystick to Select. Further options like setting the amount of time for the Hover or Joystick can also be adjusted as per your need. You can choose this amount of time between half of a second to three seconds. If you want to change the keyboard font, you have that option too.
• Now open the application where you want to enter the text. Click on the text area where you want to type. Now move the mouse pointer over the On-screen keyboard. You can left click the mouse button to select the keys on the virtual keyboard.
• When you want to make the keyboard letters capital, simply click on the Shift key using your mouse button. Now type the text just the way you do with a regular keyboard. The features and functions are all the same, except that you use your mouse to do the typing.
• If you want to type numbers, make sure that nlk (number lock) key over the number pad is selected.

If you have any difficulty using the On-Screen Keyboard, you may click Help and then select Contents. This contains topics that you might find helpful. For more assistance contact Windows XP Support team.