If you think that working on a laptop without a mouse is inconvenient, try switching to managing keyboard shortcuts. This will allow you to complete routine tasks much faster!
I was prompted to write today’s article by a real-life incident. On Monday evening, a friend calls and says that her children typed something on her laptop, and now its screen has turned over. Rebooting, of course, didn't help...
I immediately realized that the problem lay in the monitor settings, which are usually provided by the video card driver, but I couldn’t explain anything remotely, so I had to go... On the spot I found something like the following picture:
The laptop (like mine) had a Radeon video card, so in order to flip the screen image to the desired position, I immediately called up the standard AMD Catalyst Control Center driver configuration utility and in the “Desktop Management” section in its properties I specified the value “Landscape” in the list "Turn".
As it turned out, it would be possible to flip the screen using the standard monitor settings dialog (Control Panel - Screen - Screen Resolution):
However, I was interested in the question, what did I have to press for the screen to turn over? In search of an answer, I opened the AMD Catalyst Control Center again and decided to check the “Options” of the program itself. There the desired “Keyboard Combination” was found. It turned out that to turn it was enough to press ALT+CTRL+up arrow (or down/left/right to select alternative rotation options).
Actually, this incident with rotating the screen made me think about what other “pitfalls” fraught with laptop control. Let's sort this out now :)
Fn button
A laptop keyboard is practically no different from a PC keyboard. However, on it (usually in the bottom row on the left) there is a small Fn button, which can pretty much spoil the nerves of those who do not know what it is for:
Pressing this button in combination with one of the function keys allows you to perform a particular task without having to open the system settings. Among the most common possibilities are:
- adjusting the display brightness (sun icon);
- adjusting the volume level (speaker symbol);
- switching between connected monitors or projector and monitor (display symbol);
- Windows player control (rewind, play and pause symbols);
- enable/disable Wi-Fi (antenna symbol);
- enable/disable Bluetooth (Bluetooth symbol);
- enable/disable touchpad (finger symbol);
- enable/disable the webcam (camera symbol);
- turning on sleep mode (symbols in the form of two or more letters “Z”);
- enable/disable NumLock and ScrollLock modes (corresponding inscriptions);
- emulation of the operation of missing keys on shortened keyboards, for example, the right block of buttons with numbers (corresponding inscriptions).
Now take a closer look at the keyboard of your laptop and look for icons on the keys that are highlighted in a different color (usually blue) or size. These will be the function keys that are available to you.
It is worth noting, however, that the Fn button may only work partially for you or not work at all! This depends on whether you installed the keyboard driver for your laptop (you can download it from the manufacturer’s website). If the driver is installed, but some of the function keys do not work, most likely the driver needs to be updated or reinstalled.
I think, having figured out the set of functions of your keyboard, you will understand how to turn on the sound that disappeared after the cat ran across the laptop, or why the display went dark :) Just hold down the Fn key with the corresponding function button, and you will be happy!
Touchpad
The touchpad (or more correctly “touchpad” from the English “touch pad” - “touch panel”) is an alternative cursor control device in laptops.
The standard touchpad is a small rectangle that can recognize finger touches, and two buttons (analogous to the left and right buttons of a mouse). However, there are more sophisticated models with additional functions:
Many users who are used to using a mouse find using the touchpad inconvenient. And there are a number of objective reasons for this:
- The small area of the touchpad does not always allow you to move the cursor from one point to another without lifting your finger.
- Inconvenient operation of dragging objects with the need to hold down the left button.
- The accuracy of touch coordinate recognition is not always high or false positives occur when the sensitivity is too high.
Indeed, to make working with the touchpad comfortable, you need to get used to it. However, there are a few "tricks" that can make interacting with Windows easier:
- To use the scroll bar in the current window, you do not need to grab the caret with the left touchpad button. On most laptops, this can be done by swiping up and down on the right edge of the touch area. On some laptop models, a similar effect can be achieved by moving up and down with two fingers at the same time (for example, the middle and index fingers).
- You can also select text without pressing keys. To do this, quickly touch the touchpad, placing the cursor in the desired place, and then hold down your finger and drag to the end of the desired fragment. Double-tapping without holding will highlight the current word, and triple-tapping the entire paragraph.
- By pinching and spreading two fingers at the same time, you can scale an open image or text in the working window of most programs.
- In the standard image viewer, you can “scroll through” pictures using a left-right sliding gesture (like on Android), and also rotate them with two fingers (for example, rotating your index finger around your thumb, which is at one point at the time).
However, that's not all! The fact is that for the touchpad (as well as for the Fn button) you can, and even need, install a driver that will allow you to access numerous settings and new functions of the touchpad. You can find this driver, again, on the official website of your laptop manufacturer.
My HP laptop uses a touchpad from Synaptics, so let’s look at the setup principles using this particular driver as an example. Although, the essence and set of capabilities are now similar for everyone, so I think you can easily understand the parameters of drivers from other manufacturers.
To get to the settings, you need to open all the elements of the Control Panel and in it call up the item corresponding to the name of your touchpad driver (for me it’s Synaptics TouchPad). A window similar to the following will open:
Here you have the opportunity to set settings for multi-finger gestures, scrolling, touch sensitivity and many other properties. Each item is equipped with a checkbox to enable/disable the function and a help button (in the form of a question mark), and some also contain additional settings, accessible by double-clicking or a button in the form of gears.
In principle, you can look at all the settings, but I especially recommend looking at the sensitivity parameters to set the thresholds for activating the touchpad, as well as in the “Light finger touch” section. The latter allows you to configure the ability to conveniently drag objects, as well as deactivate the upper left corner, double-tapping on which disables the touchpad:
After you have fully configured your touchpad properly, I recommend that you make one more simple adjustment - enable the auto-off function of the touchpad when you connect a mouse. To do this, go back to the Control Panel, select the "Mouse" section, in the window that opens, go to the "Device Settings" tab and activate the option:
Now, when you connect a mouse, your touchpad will automatically turn off and will not interfere with normal work with the keyboard.
Hotkeys
We have already written about this several times. Here I would like to draw attention to those keyboard shortcuts that will allow you to work more efficiently on a laptop (although they all work just as well on a PC).
The main reason it makes sense to use keyboard shortcuts on a laptop is the slower cursor movement with a touchpad compared to a mouse. Accordingly, trying to hit this or that button using the touchpad, you will inevitably waste more time. Which wouldn't happen if you used hotkeys.
So, to control the system it is convenient to use the following key combinations:
| Combination | Function |
|---|---|
| Navigation and Explorer | |
| Cursor arrows | Selecting a file, setting the cursor position in the text, or switching between navigation elements on a web page (on the latter it is more convenient to use SHIFT+TAB) |
| ALT | Usually switching between the workspace and the program menu bar (ALT+underlined letter - activation of the corresponding item on the menu bar) |
| ALT+TAB | Quickly switch between open windows |
| ALT+Enter | Open the Properties window for the current file or folder |
| WIN | Opening the Start menu or switching to the tiled interface in Windows 8 |
| WIN+E | Launching Explorer |
| WIN+R | Opening the "Run" line |
| WIN+D | Collapse/maximize all windows |
| WIN+Pause/Break | Opening the My Computer properties window |
| WIN+up arrow | Maximize the current window to full screen |
| WIN+down arrow | Exit full screen mode or minimize the current window |
| WIN+side arrow | Dock/undock the current window to the left or right edge of the screen |
| WIN+L | Enable a lock screen with a password (convenient if you need to go somewhere) |
| Escape | Exit menu/close dialog box |
| Delete | delete the selected file to the Trash |
| SHIFT+Delete | Delete a file permanently without placing it in the Trash |
| Functional row of keys (top row without Fn) | |
| F1 | Reference |
| F2 | Rename selected object |
| F3 | Open search bar |
| F5 | Refresh the list of files in Explorer or page in the browser |
| F6 | Switching between functional window elements |
| F11 | Enable/disable display of a window in full screen without frame |
| ALT+F4 | Closing the active window |
| SHIFT+F10 | Calling the context menu of the element under the cursor (if there is no special button) |
| Browsers | |
| CTRL+T | Open new tab |
| CTRL+N | Open new window |
| CTRL+S | Save current page |
| CTRL+D | Bookmark this page |
| CTRL+D | Bookmark this page |
| CTRL+R | Reload page (similar to F5 command) |
| CTRL+H | Open Browser History |
| CTRL+D | Bookmark this page |
| CTRL+TAB | List open tabs in order |
| CTRL+SHIFT+TAB | Going through open tabs in reverse order |
| CTRL+W | Close tab |
| CTRL+SHIFT+T | Open closed tab |
| CTRL+F | Search by page |
| ALT+right/left arrow | Activating the forward/backward function |
| Work with text | |
| SHIFT+arrows | Selecting text from the current cursor position |
| CTRL+A | Select all |
| CTRL+C | Copy |
| CTRL+V | Insert |
| CTRL+X | Cut |
| CTRL+Z | Cancel |
| CTRL+Y | Repeat |
| CTRL+S | Save document |
| CTRL+O | Dialog "Open" |
| CTRL+P | Seal |
| CTRL+up/down arrow | Scrolling a document |
There are other combinations, but, firstly, it is impossible to remember all of them, and, secondly, it is not necessary, since they are used mainly only in specific cases.
Some programs allow you to customize and change standard keyboard shortcuts, but in addition, Windows provides the ability to assign combinations to launch any files! To do this, you need to create a shortcut to the desired file and assign buttons for Shortcuts in its Properties:
Assigning such keyboard shortcuts will allow you to remove unnecessary icons from the desktop and open the necessary programs, files and folders with one click!
conclusions
As you can see, the inconvenience of operating a laptop can be quite easily compensated for by correctly setting up the touchpad and using hotkeys. At first, however, it may be difficult to remember everything, but in the process of everyday work you will quickly get used to it.
There are, of course, specific tasks when using a mouse is, if not mandatory, then at least very desirable (for example, working in graphic editors). However, to perform standard actions or web surfing, you can completely do without a manipulator.
By the way, if you know all the necessary keyboard combinations, then you will be able to work on any computer, even if it is! Therefore, we learn - it will come in handy;)
P.S. Permission is granted to freely copy and quote this article, provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.
The computer and its components fail, usually at the most inopportune moment. And if in the event of a hardware failure it will not be possible to continue working, then in the event of a failure of peripheral devices, not all is lost. This article will talk about how to control the cursor if the computer mouse stops working.
You can work on a PC or laptop without a mouse.
Controlling your computer using the keyboard
It is possible to control the cursor using the keyboard. There is nothing complicated here.
After the above steps, the system will give you the ability to control the cursor without using a mouse. To work, you will use the following Num Lock panel keys:
- 1–9 (except 5) - to move the cursor. For example, buttons 4 and 6 are responsible for moving left and right (on some keyboard models, these buttons have arrows with the direction of movement);
- “+” is equivalent to a double click;
- “/” - use LMB (left mouse button);
- “-” - use RMB (right mouse button);
- “*” - mode of simultaneous use of the left and right mouse buttons;
- “0” - holding down the mouse button;
- “-” - releases holding the mouse.
In fact, this mode is simply emulation (imitation) of a mouse using the Num Lock panel. Using it is not difficult at all - a little practice and you will quickly get the hang of it.
Hotkeys
Working with hotkeys is not new, but for inexperienced computer users it will be quite a challenge. We will list a number of the most popular hotkey combinations.
- Ctrl+C -Copy;
- Ctrl+V -Paste;
- Ctrl+X -Cut;
- Ctrl+A -Select all;
- Ctrl+F -Search;
- Ctrl+Z- Undo last actions;
- Ctrl+Y -Repeat last actions;
- Alt+F4 -Quit the application;
- Alt+Tab -Switch between elements;
- F5 -Update the active element or desktop;
- Ctrl+S -Save;
- Ctrl+N -Create document;
- Ctrl+O -Open;
- Ctrl+P -Print;
- Ctrl+W -You can close/open a file or folder;
- WindowsKey+E - Opens Explorer;
- F1 - Help;
- F7 - Spell check;
- F12 -Save as...;
- Power -Turn off the computer;
- Alt+PrtScr - Snapshot of the active window;
- Win+D - Minimize all windows;
- Alt+Enter - Disable/enable full screen mode;
- F2 - Rename object;
- Shift+Delete - Delete an object, bypassing the trash bin;
- Ctrl+Esc - Start.
Such a number of combinations is quite difficult to remember - for this reason, the previous method will be more practical for inexperienced Windows users. As practice shows: the more time a person spends at the computer, the more often he uses hot keys. If you remember at least some of them, your work will immediately become more productive. However, the above list is not a complete list of hotkeys. To view all available combinations, you can go to Windows Help.
Assigning hotkey shortcuts
This method requires preliminary preparation and is not suitable for users whose mouse has suddenly failed. Its essence is that for each shortcut you can assign any key combination not occupied by the system. To do this you need to take the following steps:
- Right-click on the shortcut you are interested in.
- Go to properties.
- Click on the field called “Quick input” and hold down a convenient key combination.
- Click OK.
That's all. If you have a lot of free time, you can assign hotkeys to almost all shortcuts on your computer. This will help partially avoid using the mouse.
How to control a laptop without a mouse
Operating a laptop without a mouse is very simple - the developers themselves took care of this by inventing a touchpad (English touchpad: touch - touch, pad - pad). This device is located below the keyboard and is a small rectangle, usually equipped with buttons. Using the touchpad is not difficult, but some skill is required to manipulate the cursor. Otherwise, it is no different from a mouse.
If it happens that both your mouse and touchpad are broken, then the methods for controlling the cursor on a laptop and a simple computer are the same.
A little advice: Buy an inexpensive mouse as a spare. This kind of forethought will help you continue working in the event of an unexpected breakdown.
We hope the article was informative and answered all your questions regarding controlling your computer without using a mouse.
NastroyVse.ru
Laptop control
If you think that working on a laptop without a mouse is inconvenient, try switching to managing keyboard shortcuts. This will allow you to complete routine tasks much faster!
I was prompted to write today’s article by a real-life incident. On Monday evening, a friend calls and says that her children typed something on her laptop, and now its screen has turned over. Rebooting, of course, didn't help...
I immediately realized that the problem lay in the monitor settings, which are usually provided by the video card driver, but I couldn’t explain anything remotely, so I had to go... On the spot I found something like the following picture:
The laptop (like mine) had a Radeon video card, so in order to flip the screen image to the desired position, I immediately called up the standard AMD Catalyst Control Center driver configuration utility and in the “Desktop Management” section in its properties I specified the value “Landscape” in the list "Turn".
As it turned out, it would be possible to flip the screen using the standard monitor settings dialog (Control Panel - Screen - Screen Resolution):
However, I was interested in the question, what did I have to press for the screen to turn over? In search of an answer, I opened the AMD Catalyst Control Center again and decided to check the “Options” of the program itself. There the desired “Keyboard Combination” was found. It turned out that to turn it was enough to press ALT+CTRL+up arrow (or down/left/right to select alternative rotation options).
Actually, this incident with rotating the screen made me think about what other “pitfalls” fraught with laptop control. Let's sort this out now :)
Fn button
A laptop keyboard is practically no different from a PC keyboard. However, on it (usually in the bottom row on the left) there is a small Fn button, which can pretty much spoil the nerves of those who do not know what it is for:
Pressing this button in combination with one of the function keys allows you to perform a particular task without having to open the system settings. Among the most common possibilities are:
- adjusting the display brightness (sun icon);
- adjusting the volume level (speaker symbol);
- switching between connected monitors or projector and monitor (display symbol);
- Windows player control (rewind, play and pause symbols);
- enable/disable Wi-Fi (antenna symbol);
- enable/disable Bluetooth (Bluetooth symbol);
- enable/disable touchpad (finger symbol);
- enable/disable the webcam (camera symbol);
- turning on sleep mode (symbols in the form of two or more letters “Z”);
- enable/disable NumLock and ScrollLock modes (corresponding inscriptions);
- emulation of the operation of missing keys on shortened keyboards, for example, the right block of buttons with numbers (corresponding inscriptions).
Now take a closer look at the keyboard of your laptop and look for icons on the keys that are highlighted in a different color (usually blue) or size. These will be the function keys that are available to you.
It is worth noting, however, that the Fn button may only work partially for you or not work at all! This depends on whether you installed the keyboard driver for your laptop (you can download it from the manufacturer’s website). If the driver is installed, but some of the function keys do not work, most likely the driver needs to be updated or reinstalled.
I think, having figured out the set of functions of your keyboard, you will understand how to turn on the sound that disappeared after the cat ran across the laptop, or why the display went dark :) Just hold down the Fn key with the corresponding function button, and you will be happy!
Touchpad
The touchpad (or more correctly "touchpad" from the English "touch pad" - "touch panel") is an alternative cursor control device in laptops.
The standard touchpad is a small rectangle that can recognize finger touches, and two buttons (analogous to the left and right buttons of a mouse). However, there are more sophisticated models with additional functions:
Many users who are used to using a mouse find using the touchpad inconvenient. And there are a number of objective reasons for this:
- The small area of the touchpad does not always allow you to move the cursor from one point to another without lifting your finger.
- Inconvenient operation of dragging objects with the need to hold down the left button.
- The accuracy of touch coordinate recognition is not always high or false positives occur when the sensitivity is too high.
Indeed, to make working with the touchpad comfortable, you need to get used to it. However, there are a few "tricks" that can make interacting with Windows easier:
- To use the scroll bar in the current window, you do not need to grab the caret with the left touchpad button. On most laptops, this can be done by swiping up and down on the right edge of the touch area. On some laptop models, a similar effect can be achieved by moving up and down with two fingers at the same time (for example, the middle and index fingers).
- You can also select text without pressing keys. To do this, quickly touch the touchpad, placing the cursor in the desired place, and then hold down your finger and drag to the end of the desired fragment. Double-tapping without holding will highlight the current word, and triple-tapping the entire paragraph.
- By pinching and spreading two fingers at the same time, you can scale an open image or text in the working window of most programs.
- In the standard image viewer, you can “scroll through” pictures using a left-right sliding gesture (like on Android), and also rotate them with two fingers (for example, rotating your index finger around your thumb, which is at one point at the time).
However, that's not all! The fact is that for the touchpad (as well as for the Fn button) you can, and even need, install a driver that will allow you to access numerous settings and new functions of the touchpad. You can find this driver, again, on the official website of your laptop manufacturer.
My HP laptop uses a touchpad from Synaptics, so let’s look at the setup principles using this particular driver as an example. Although, the essence and set of capabilities are now similar for everyone, so I think you can easily understand the parameters of drivers from other manufacturers.
To get to the settings, you need to open all the elements of the Control Panel and in it call up the item corresponding to the name of your touchpad driver (for me it’s Synaptics TouchPad). A window similar to the following will open:
Here you have the opportunity to set settings for multi-finger gestures, scrolling, touch sensitivity and many other properties. Each item is equipped with a checkbox to enable/disable the function and a help button (in the form of a question mark), and some also contain additional settings, accessible by double-clicking or a button in the form of gears.
In principle, you can look at all the settings, but I especially recommend looking at the sensitivity parameters to set the thresholds for activating the touchpad, as well as in the “Light finger touch” section. The latter allows you to configure the ability to conveniently drag objects, as well as deactivate the upper left corner, double-tapping on which disables the touchpad:
After you have fully configured your touchpad properly, I recommend that you make one more simple adjustment - enable the auto-off function of the touchpad when you connect a mouse. To do this, go back to the Control Panel, select the "Mouse" section, in the window that opens, go to the "Device Settings" tab and activate the option:
Now, when you connect a mouse, your touchpad will automatically turn off and will not interfere with normal work with the keyboard.
Hotkeys
We have already written about what “hot keys” are more than once. Here I would like to draw attention to those keyboard shortcuts that will allow you to work more efficiently on a laptop (although they all work just as well on a PC).
The main reason it makes sense to use keyboard shortcuts on a laptop is the slower cursor movement with a touchpad compared to a mouse. Accordingly, trying to hit this or that button using the touchpad, you will inevitably waste more time. Which wouldn't happen if you used hotkeys.
So, to control the system it is convenient to use the following key combinations:
| Cursor arrows | Selecting a file, setting the cursor position in the text, or switching between navigation elements on a web page (on the latter it is more convenient to use SHIFT+TAB) |
| ALT | Usually switching between the workspace and the program menu bar (ALT+underlined letter - activation of the corresponding item on the menu bar) |
| ALT+TAB | Quickly switch between open windows |
| ALT+Enter | Open the Properties window for the current file or folder |
| WIN | Opening the Start menu or switching to the tiled interface in Windows 8 |
| WIN+E | Launching Explorer |
| WIN+R | Opening the "Run" line |
| WIN+D | Collapse/maximize all windows |
| WIN+Pause/Break | Opening the My Computer properties window |
| WIN+up arrow | Maximize the current window to full screen |
| WIN+down arrow | Exit full screen mode or minimize the current window |
| WIN+side arrow | Dock/undock the current window to the left or right edge of the screen |
| WIN+L | Enable a lock screen with a password (convenient if you need to go somewhere) |
| Escape | Exit menu/close dialog box |
| Delete | delete the selected file to the Trash |
| SHIFT+Delete | Delete a file permanently without placing it in the Trash |
| F1 | Reference |
| F2 | Rename selected object |
| F3 | Open search bar |
| F5 | Refresh the list of files in Explorer or page in the browser |
| F6 | Switching between functional window elements |
| F11 | Enable/disable display of a window in full screen without frame |
| ALT+F4 | Closing the active window |
| SHIFT+F10 | Calling the context menu of the element under the cursor (if there is no special button) |
| CTRL+T | Open new tab |
| CTRL+N | Open new window |
| CTRL+S | Save current page |
| CTRL+D | Bookmark this page |
| CTRL+D | Bookmark this page |
| CTRL+R | Reload page (similar to F5 command) |
| CTRL+H | Open Browser History |
| CTRL+D | Bookmark this page |
| CTRL+TAB | List open tabs in order |
| CTRL+SHIFT+TAB | Going through open tabs in reverse order |
| CTRL+W | Close tab |
| CTRL+SHIFT+T | Open closed tab |
| CTRL+F | Search by page |
| ALT+right/left arrow | Activating the forward/backward function |
| SHIFT+arrows | Selecting text from the current cursor position |
| CTRL+A | Select all |
| CTRL+C | Copy |
| CTRL+V | Insert |
| CTRL+X | Cut |
| CTRL+Z | Cancel |
| CTRL+Y | Repeat |
| CTRL+S | Save document |
| CTRL+O | Dialog "Open" |
| CTRL+P | Seal |
| CTRL+up/down arrow | Scrolling a document |
There are other combinations, but, firstly, it is impossible to remember all of them, and, secondly, it is not necessary, since they are used mainly only in specific cases.
Some programs allow you to customize and change standard keyboard shortcuts, but in addition, Windows provides the ability to assign combinations to launch any files! To do this, you need to create a shortcut to the desired file and assign buttons for Shortcuts in its Properties:
Assigning such keyboard shortcuts will allow you to remove unnecessary icons from the desktop and open the necessary programs, files and folders with one click!
conclusions
As you can see, the inconvenience of operating a laptop can be quite easily compensated for by correctly setting up the touchpad and using hotkeys. At first, however, it may be difficult to remember everything, but in the process of everyday work you will quickly get used to it.
There are, of course, specific tasks when using a mouse is, if not mandatory, then at least very desirable (for example, working in graphic editors). However, to perform standard actions or web surfing, you can completely do without a manipulator.
By the way, if you know all the necessary keyboard combinations, then you will be able to work on any computer, even if the mouse on it breaks! Therefore, we learn - it will come in handy;)
P.S. Permission is granted to freely copy and quote this article, provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.
www.bestfree.ru
How to use a keyboard without a mouse on a computer or laptop
Has your mouse stopped working or just frozen? Are you desperate? Don't worry! You can work on a computer or laptop with Windows 7 - Windows 10 or XP, without a mouse and even without a keyboard shortcut.
In this case, you can work without a mouse and control the cursor using the mouse keys. This is a standard feature of all versions of Windows and you do not need to install anything.
This feature allows the keyboard to completely replace the mouse. When working without a mouse, you can not only use the cursor, but also paste and copy, save or write on the Internet.
In a word, you can completely do without a mouse, although at the first stage such control may seem a little inconvenient.
I just assure you that you will get used to it very quickly, this is especially true for laptops that come with a touchpad.
Of course, you can’t always argue with the fact that a mouse is more convenient, but for several days you can easily do without it.
There are also programs that help you move the mouse more efficiently without a keyboard - try what suits you best. All this is discussed in the guide below.
Controlling the cursor from the keyboard without a mouse
To start controlling the cursor on a computer or laptop from the keyboard without a mouse, alternately press the combination left Alt + left Shift + Num Lock.
Immediately after this, you will hear a beep and see a window as in the picture. In the window that appears, click the “OK” button.
You can now move the cursor using the numeric keypad (press and hold a specific key).
The picture below shows the diagram. Each number indicates the correct direction of the cursor.
To exit the activated keyboard control function, press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock again.
Keyboard operations without mouse
The overall control process is the numeric keypad, which is part of the keyboard on the right side. Main functions:
- Num Lock - turn it on and off. If you disable the mouse keys, the keyboard will again function as a numeric keypad.
- Key 5 – right mouse button.
- Key / + 5 – LMB.
- Button _ - RMB.
- Button * - both mouse keys.
- Button 0 - select and drag. There is no need to hold it, you just need to press once. It can also be used for scrolling.
- The Del button allows you to drag and drop a file.
- Number keys - cursor control and not only right, left, up and down, but also intermediate directions.
If the function is enabled, an icon will appear in the tray (lower right corner). It shows whether the function is active.
If you right-click on it, settings will appear, among other things, to set the cursor speed.
Programs for cursor without mouse
If “trouble” has already arrived, and you need to work quickly, do not forget about hot keys. It’s hard to get used to them right away, but there is a way out - programs will come to the rescue.
The first Hotkeys program (free). After installation, press and hold the “Win” button (or “Win” + “Z”) for a few seconds.
Then a virtual keyboard will appear on the screen, which will show all the available key combinations.
The second program is “LabelControl”. After installation and pressing Ctrl you will see numbered elements for cursor control.
If you work with browsers, then pay attention to Firefox and its “Mouseless Browsing” extension.
With its help you will instantly move from site to site. There are also similar extensions in other browsers (I don’t remember the names right now).
I was inspired to write this guide because my mouse was broken. This forced me to learn to use another option to move the cursor.
I think this knowledge may be useful to someone else and I hope this text helps someone else.
If something goes wrong for you, ask in the comments. Whoever asks will not get lost. Good luck.
It's hard to imagine working on Windows 7, Windows 10, or Windows XP without a mouse. It's only when a device stops working that most of us become helpless and the operating system suddenly becomes an impenetrable fortress.
Usually in this case, we try to remember the key combinations that will allow us to take the simplest, most basic steps.
However, if memory fails, there is a way to at least simulate a mouse.
Windows allows you to control the mouse cursor using the numeric keypad. Here are tips, methods, instructions.
- Win + D: Minimize or restore all windows.
- Win + E: Launch Windows Explorer (Explorer).
- Win + F: Start searching for files.
- Win + Ctrl + F: Start searching for computers on the network.
- Win + R: Displays the Run dialog box.
- Win + Break: Displays System Properties.
- Win + L: Change user (Lock computer).
- Win + M: Minimize the window.
- Win + SHIFT + M: Undoes minimizing the window.
- Win + TAB: Cycle through the buttons on the taskbar.
- F1: Help.
- CTRL + ESC: Open the Start menu.
- ALT + TAB: Switch between open programs.
- ALT + F4: Closes the program.
- SHIFT + DELETE: Permanently delete the file.
How to Manage Copy and Paste on the Keyboard Without a Mouse
- CTRL + C: Copy.
- CTRL + X: Delete.
- CTRL + V Paste.
- CTRL + Z: Undo.
- CTRL + B: Bold text.
- CTRL + U: Underlines text.
- CTRL + I: Cut.
Common keyboard and mouse control commands
- SHIFT + F10 opens a menu for the selected object (acts like the right mouse button).
- ALT + spacebar: Opens the program system menu.
- CTRL + F4: Closes the internal window, but not the program itself.
- ALT + F6: Switch between windows of the same program.
- F5: Refreshes the current window.
- CTRL + A: Select everything in the window.
- BACKSPACE: Return to the top level folder.
Controlling keyboard without mouse in explorer
- F2: renames.
- F3: Search all files.
- ALT + ENTER: Open the properties window for the selected element.
What inspired me to write this guide was that my mouse broke - it was night and I didn’t have another one.
A list of some parameters will appear, where there will be two “” sliders. We set them to maximum, check the box opposite “ Ctrl - acceleration" And " Shift – slow down" We confirm our intentions.
To quickly and easily manage in this way, you can use the “blind method”. To do this, place the fingers of your right hand on the buttons: 4, 5, 6, 0. Now, to press other keys, move the desired limb up and down.
It is worth noting that exactly the same system is provided in the Linux operating system. The only difference in launching is that you need to use the “ Shift + Num Lock" And the manipulations themselves are performed in exactly the same way as in the version with the Microsoft operating system.
Well, as you can see, different operating systems provide options for controlling the cursor, without connecting the corresponding manipulator. It turns out that the keyboard can be used as a mouse. This is convenient because such cases can happen late, when the stores that sell gadgets are simply closed. At the same time, there is no way to take a “substitute” even from friends. Users are offered not the most convenient but at the same time effective tool that allows them to complete current affairs.
How to control the mouse cursor using the keyboard(number block) in Windows 7 And Windows XP you will find out by reading this article. This will be very useful for those who the mouse is missing or not working.
How to enable mouse cursor control from the keyboard on Windows 7, XP:
To enable this function, press the keys simultaneously: Shift + Alt + Num lock and press Enter.How to control the cursor from the keyboard:
- Function activation by button Num Lock;
- All numbers except 5
And 0
this is movement in directions;
- 5
This is the left mouse button by default;
- What to change 5
click on the right mouse button "-"
(minus) on the numeric keypad, now when pressing 5
the right mouse button will work;
- To change it back 5
click on the left mouse button "/"
on the numeric keypad;
- You can also press the right mouse button with the combination Shift + F10 but this is a less convenient option, I advise you to use the option above;
- To double-click, press "+"
or press the key 2 times quickly "5"
digital block;
- To pinch and hold the desired object, with the left or right mouse button selected, press and hold "0"
on the number pad, this is done to drag objects to the desired location;
- To release the clamped object, press "."
on the number pad.
Basically ready press NumLock and controlled using NumPad, but there is one caveat, moving the cursor will be very slow, but this can be fixed.
To speed up the movement of the mouse cursor, in Windows 7 we go:
Start >
>
Accessibility Center >
Making the mouse easier to use >
Setting up pointer control
You can enter using the cursor and keyboard, or by moving using the TAB hotkeys and arrow keys.
There should be small icons in the control panel to see the desired section:
And set both sliders to maximum, and check the box next to CTRL - acceleration, SHIFT - deceleration, as shown in the figure above.
And of course we press Apply, or OK.
Now, when you press CTRL, our mouse cursor will fly when controlled from the keyboard as quickly as if we were using a real mouse.
How to speed up the mouse cursor when using the keyboard on Windows XP?
Almost the same, even simpler. Press the keys again (together): Shift + Alt + Num lock;
We see the same window as when the function was enabled:
Select "Options", a window appears:
Click “Settings”, the checkbox should look like in the picture.
We do it the same way as in the picture, the main thing is to set the sliders to maximum, and check CTRL for acceleration, SHIFT for deceleration.
Everything is ready, now click “OK” or “Apply” and start working.
PS: for convenience and speed up control, you can use the blind method: It is better to put your fingers in the starting position "4" , "5" , "6" , "0" (index - "4" , average - "5" , nameless - "6" , big - "0" .) and raise your finger up or down as necessary.)
To find out what position the mouse is in, you can look at the third one, you will see one of these images (provided that the last checkbox in the picture above is checked).
Almost every user has found themselves in a situation where the mouse completely refuses to work. Not everyone knows that a computer can be controlled without a manipulator, so all work stops and a trip to the store is organized. In this article, we'll talk about how you can perform some common actions without using a mouse.
Various manipulators and other input means have long been included in our everyday life. Today you can control a computer even by touching the screen or even using ordinary gestures, but this was not always the case. Even before the invention of the mouse and trackpad, all commands were performed using the keyboard. Despite the fact that technology and software development have reached a fairly high level, the ability to use combinations and single keys to call up menus and launch programs and control functions of the operating system remains. This “relic” will help us hold out some time before buying a new mouse.
Cursor control
The most obvious option is to replace the mouse with a keyboard to control the cursor on the monitor screen. The numpad on the right will help us with this. In order to use it as a control tool, you need to make some settings.
- Press the key combination SHIFT+ALT+NUM LOCK, after which a beep will sound and the function dialog box will appear on the screen.
- Here we need to move the selection to the link leading to the settings block. We do this using the key TAB by pressing it several times. Once the link is highlighted, click "Space".
- In the settings window, use the same key TAB Let's move on to the sliders for controlling the speed of cursor movement. Use the arrows on the keyboard to set the maximum values. This is necessary because by default the pointer moves very slowly.
- Next, switch to the button "Apply" and press it with the key ENTER.
- Close the window by pressing the combination once ALT+F4.
- Call the dialog box again ( SHIFT+ALT+NUM LOCK) and in the way described above (move with the TAB key), press the button "Yes".
Now you can control the cursor using the numpad. All numbers except zero and five determine the direction of movement, and the 5 key replaces the left mouse button. The right button is replaced by the context menu key.
To disable control, you can press NUM LOCK or completely stop the execution of the function by calling the dialog box and pressing the button "No".
Managing the desktop and taskbar
Since the speed of moving the cursor using the numpad leaves much to be desired, you can use another, faster method for opening folders and launching shortcuts on the desktop. This is done with a keyboard shortcut Win+D, which “clicks” on the desktop, thereby activating it. A highlight will appear on one of the icons. Moving between elements is carried out by arrows, and launching (opening) is carried out by a key ENTER.
If access to desktop icons is hampered by open folder and application windows, you can clear it using the combination Win+M.
To go to element management "Taskbars" you need to press the already familiar TAB key while on the desktop. The panel, in turn, also consists of several blocks (from left to right) - menu "Start", "Search", "Task View"(in Win 10), "Notification area" and button "Collapse all windows". Custom panels may also be located here. Switching between them is carried out with the key TAB, moving between elements - arrows, launch - ENTER, and expanding drop-down lists or grouped items - "Space".
Window management
Switching between blocks of an already open folder or program window - a list of files, input fields, address bar, navigation area, and others - is done with the same key TAB, and movement within the block is indicated by arrows. Call menu "File", "Edit" etc. - can be pressed ALT. Context expands by clicking the arrow "Down".
The windows are closed one by one using the combination ALT+F4.
Calling the "Task Manager"
"Task Manager" caused by a combination CTRL+SHIFT+ESC. Then you can work with it as with a simple window - switch between blocks, open menu items. If you need to terminate any process, you can do this with the key DELETE followed by confirmation of your intention in the dialog box.
Calling basic OS elements
The computer is restarted using the well-known combination CTRL+ALT+DELETE or ALT+F4. You can also go to the menu "Start" and select the desired function.
The lock screen is called by a keyboard shortcut Win+L. This is the simplest method available. There is one condition that must be met for this procedure to make sense - setting an account password.
Conclusion
Don't panic or get discouraged when your mouse fails. You can easily control your PC from the keyboard, the main thing is to remember the key combinations and the sequence of some actions. The information presented in this article will help you not only temporarily do without a pointing device, but also significantly speed up your work with Windows under normal working conditions.