How to Get Around a Computer Using the Keyboard Only

You can use your keyboard to navigate your computer if your mouse fails.

Windows operating systems use keyboard shortcuts to move between programs and to interact with programs. These shortcuts are typically combinations of the "Ctrl" or "Alt" keys, and the keyboard's other keys. In ordinary situations, these shortcuts facilitate faster interaction with a computer, but if your computer's mouse or trackpad fails, these shortcuts can go from being useful to being vital. These shortcuts are applicable in multiple versions of Windows, including all editions of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Instructions

1. Press "Ctrl" and "Esc" at the same time to open your computer's start menu. Alternately, you can open the start menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.

2. Press the arrow keys to move between highlighted components. You can use this on the start menu to highlight a program or a folder. Press "Enter" to activate the currently highlighted item. Hold "Shift" and press "F10" to simulate a right-click on the currently highlighted item.

3. Press "Alt" and "Tab" at the same time to switch between currently open windows. Press "Alt" and "F4" to close the currently active window.

4. Press the "Tab" key to cycle through accessible components in the current window. For example, in your Web browser you can press tab to cycle through the links, buttons and text fields on a page. Once you've cycled through the current page, pressing "Tab" will cycle through the Web browser's components, including the address bar. Hold "Shift" and press "Tab" to cycle backward.

5. Press "Alt" and "Space" at the same time to bring up movement and resizing options for the currently active window. Scroll through the menu with the arrow keys and press "Enter" to select an option. If you select "Move" you can use the arrow keys to move the window around the screen.

6. Hold "Ctrl" and press "F" to search for a component in the current window. Type the name of the object you are searching for and press "Enter" to search. Not all programs support search, but the Windows Explorer and most Web browsers do.

References

• Microsoft: Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows; September 16 2010