Thread: MouseKeys

windows 98/Me/XP relies on a mouse for clicking and dragging, but there is little-known feature of Windows 98/Me/XP called MouseKeys that allows you to use the numeric keypad to move the mouse arrow around the screen, click, double-click and drag. MouseKeys can be useful when your mouse is not working properly or you are troubleshooting a defective mouse and you need to navigate the Windows 98/Me/XP environments.



The MouseKeys feature is activated through the Accessibility option present under the Control Panel. To activate this feature, you may undertake the following steps.

1. Move the mouse-pointer over the Start button and click the left mouse-button. A push-up menu appears. Inside the push-up menu, move the mouse-pointer over the Control Panel option and ~Iick the left mouse-button.

2. The window of Control Panel appears. Move the mouse¬pointer over the Accessibility option and double-click the left mouse-button.

3. The Accessibility Options dialog box appears. Move the mouse-pointer and click over the Mouse tab.

4. Now move the mouse-pointer over the check-box beside the Use MouseKeys option and click the left mouse¬button. Finally, move the mouse-pointer over the Apply button and click the left mouse-button and then make a click over the OK button.



You can further optimize MouseKeys settings by clicking over the Settings button. If you check the Use shortcut box, you can turn MouseKeys in and off by pressing Left Alt + Left Shift + NumLock keys. Once the MouseKeys feature is on:

• Move the pointer by pressing the arrow keys or1 the numeric keypad.

• Use the Home, End, PageUp, and PageDown keys to move the mouse arrow diagonally on the screen.

• You can perform the left-button click by pressing the 5 key on the numeric keypad.

• To perform the left-button double-click, press the + key on the numeric keypad.

• To perform the right-click, press the - button on the numeric pad first, and then press 5 to click or + to double¬click.

• To click as if you were using both mouse buttons at once, press the key on your numeric keypad, and then press \ to click or + to double-c,lick. If you want to switch back to standard mouse clicking, press / key on your numeoc keypad.

•To drag and drop objects (files and folder) on the screen, move the mouse-pointer over the desired object. Press the Ins key on the numeric keyboard to hold down ~ mouse button and grab the object. Now move the mouse pointer over the new desired area/folder/drive, and then press the Del key on the numeric keypad.