Computers are invaluable tools that help us to be productive every day – until they stop working. As with any complex machine, computers can suffer from a myriad of problems and stop you dead in your tracks. The mouse is something that many take for granted, but when it breaks it can be infuriating. Luckily, Mouse Keys in Windows allows you to use your keyboard’s numeric keypad in order to emulate an inactive mouse.
Note: Linux users can check out this article to use Mouse keys in Ubuntu.
This shortcut should work in all versions of Windows. Press “Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock” simultaneously. A window labeled “Mouse Keys” will appear asking if you want to enable the Mouse Keys feature. You can use the “Tab” key to select Yes or No and hit the “Enter” key or “Spacebar” to select your choice.
If the above keyboard shortcut doesn’t work, you can still enable Mouse Keys in various versions of Windows. Continue reading to find the instructions for your version of Windows. Remember, if your mouse is inoperable, you will need to use the “Tab” and “Enter” keys in order to make selections.
First, press the “Windows” key. In the search box type “Ease of Access mouse settings” and hit Enter. Select “Mouse Keys” and navigate to the section labeled “Use numeric keypad to move mouse around the screen.” Hit the Spacebar or Enter key to toggle this option to “On.”
Type the word “Mouse” anywhere on the Start Screen. Use your keyboard’s arrow keys to select “Ease of Access mouse settings” and hit Enter. Toggle the option under “Mouse Keys” to “On.”
Hit the Windows key. Use the keyboard’s arrow keys to navigate to “Control Panel” and hit Enter to select it.
In the Control Panel window use the Tab or arrow keys to highlight “Ease of Access” and press Enter. This will bring up the Ease of Access Center.
Select “Change how your mouse works” and press Enter. In “Make the mouse easier to use” check the box next to “Turn on Mouse Keys with Enter or spacebar.” Finally, select “Apply.”
Using the Numeric Keypad to Control the Mouse
|To move the mouse pointer||Press|
|Up and to the left||7|
|Up and to the right||9|
|Down and to the left||1|
|Down and to the right||3|
Before you can use Mouse Keys to click on items, you must select which mouse button is active, left, right or both.
|Select the left mouse button||The forward slash (/)|
|Select both buttons||The asterisk (?)|
|Select the right mouse button||The minus sign (-)|
The selected mouse button will remain the active button until another button is made active. Once you have chosen an active mouse button, you can begin clicking on items using the following commands.
|Click an item||With the left button selected as your active button, point to the item, and then press 5|
|Right-click an item||With the right button selected as your active button, point to the item and then press 5|
|Double-click an item||With the left button selected as your active button, point to the item and press the plus sign (+)|
In order to drag and drop items, do the following.
|Drag an item||Point to the item and then press zero (0)|
|Drop an item||Point to the location where you want to move the item and then press the decimal point (.)|
Whether your mouse has kicked the bucket or simply run out of batteries, a mouse that no longer works can seriously hamper your productivity. While Mouse Keys may not be the most efficient way of manipulating your mouse cursor, knowing how to use it in an emergency can save you lots of time and frustration. Have you used Mouse Keys? Do you have any tips on using Mouse Keys? Let us know in the comments.