How To Use An On Screen Keyboard

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

In my previous tech post, I discussed how I used an on screen keyboard to supplement certain non working keys on my laptop. This is for Windows 7. I’ve looked at other log in screens for different versions of Windows and the icons are similar. I’m sharing what I’ve learned as I go. You can Google “How To Find The On Screen Keyboard” for the kind of computer system you currently use and click on the matching videos or articles.

Windows 7 shows an icon in the bottom left that looks like a clock showing 3 o’clock inside a square. Some versions of Windows have this on the bottom left of the screen. Left click once on the icon with your mouse. If you have a laptop, use your touchpad to move over to the icon and tap once.

A menu should pop up. If your speakers are on, you may hear in

structions or narration. Check the box that says, “Type without the keyboard (On-Screen Keyboard). Then click the OK icon.

If you have just turned on your computer, it may take a few minutes for the keyboard to pop up. Click inside the white rectangular box that says “Password.” This will let the keyboard know where to land whatever you type. Always click the cursor where you want to type, whether it is a post, an email or filling out a form. You can then click on the keyboard the same way you would click on any other icon on the screen. Press the Enter key after typing in your password. You can also click on the arrow to the right of the Password box. Once logged in, the keyboard will retract to the bottom of the page and you can click on it whenever you need to type.

If it is blocking where you need to type, click in the keyboard above the keys in the blue area until the color becomes a darker blue. You can then click and drag it where it is more convenient for you. If you have a mouse, you would hold the left click down in the area above the keys and drag it to you desired place. If you have a laptop, click in the same area with the left click button and use your sensor pad with your other finger or hand to move the keyboard to your desired area.

Once you have finished typing, hit the minimize button on the top left of the keyboard that loos like a minus sign “-“. This will bring the keyboard back to the bottom of the page, allowing for full view of your screen.

If you make a mistake and X out of the keyboard, you can click on the Windows button with the four colored squares and click on On Screen Keyboard when the menu pops up. If it is not there, you can type in the search box below “All Programs”. Type On-Screen Keyboard and hit Enter or the magnifying glass. Then click on On-Screen Keyboard when the title comes up. That’s it. It took some time for us to figure it out but it’s good to have this knowledge in case something stops working on your keyboard.