To view and manage these features:

The Accessibility features are installed by default in Windows 95. However, in some cases a computer might be set up without these components. If the Accessibility Options are not installed on your computer, you can install them using Control Panel.

To install the Accessibility options:

1. On the Start menu, select Settings, and then select Control Panel.
2. Choose the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. On the Windows Setup tab, select the check box for Accessibility Options to mark it for installation.
4. Choose OK, and then follow the instructions on your screen.
5. When installation is complete, you will be prompted to shut down the computer and restart Windows 95.

The Accessibility section in the Windows 95 Help¾ which appears in both the Contents and the Index¾ provides a quick reference and pointer to topics that can help you adjust the system for people with disabilities.

To read Help on Accessibility topics, go to the Start menu, choose Help, and then look up "Accessibility" in the Help Index.

Also, you can select the Contents tab to browse through Help topics that make learning and using Windows 95 easier. Some topics of particular interest under "How To" are:

	Change Windows Settings
	Set Up Windows Accessibility Features
	Use Help

Some topics of particular interest under "Tips and Tricks" are:

	For Setting Up the Desktop Efficiently
	For Working with Files and Folders

Customizing and Using Accessibility Features:
Accessibility Options Properties

In the Accessibility status indicator, the three rectangles represent the left SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys when the StickyKeys feature is being used. As each modifier key is held down by the StickyKeys feature, the corresponding rectangle appears filled. For more information on the StickyKeys feature, see the section "StickyKeys for One-Finger or Mouthstick Typing" later in this document.

The mouse icon in the Accessibility status indicator may show either the left or right button dimmed, depending on which is selected for use with the MouseKeys feature. Pressing 5, plus sign (+), or INS is equivalent to using that button. If you are working with both buttons (equivalent to using the middle button on a three-button mouse), both buttons are dimmed. If you lock down one or more mouse buttons by using the INS key, the status indicator shows those buttons as filled, rather than dimmed. (To release them, press DEL.) For more information on the MouseKeys feature, see the section "MouseKeys for Keyboard-Only Input" later in this document.

In the Accessibility Options properties, the Automatic Reset option turns off accessibility functionality after the computer has been idle for a certain period of time. It returns the operating system to its default configuration. This feature is useful on shared computers.

To enable the Automatic Reset (timeout) feature:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the General tab, make sure the Automatic Reset box is checked.
3. Select a time in the list for the number of minutes to wait before turning off Accessibility features.
4. Choose OK.

Windows 95 enables you to specify a keyboard preference option that informs programs that you prefer to use the keyboard rather than the mouse. You can turn on this option to have programs that support this feature display any keyboard-related elements or instructions that might otherwise be hidden.

To get extra keyboard help in programs:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the Keyboard tab, select the option at the bottom of the window to show extra keyboard help in programs where this feature is available.
3. Choose OK.

When StickyKeys is on, pressing any modifier key (CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT) "latches" that key down until you release the mouse button or press a key that is not a modifier key. Pressing a modifier key twice in a row locks the key down until it is tapped a third time.

To adjust StickyKeys functionality:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the Keyboard tab, make sure the Use StickyKeys check box is selected.
3. To configure StickyKeys, choose the related Settings button.
4. In the settings for StickyKeys, select the options you want.
5. Choose OK.

To turn StickyKeys on or off by using an emergency hot key, press the SHIFT key five times.

StickyKeys operates in two modes: Latched mode and Locked mode:

	Tapping once on a modifier key puts it into Latched mode. If the StickyKeys sound features are enabled, you will hear a short low-beep/high-beep. When the next non-modifier key is pressed, the modifier key(s) are released.
	Tapping twice in succession on a modifier key puts it into Locked mode. If the StickyKeys sound features are enabled, you will hear a short low-beep/high-beep after the first tap and a single high beep after the second tap. Once a modifier key is locked, it stays locked until it is pressed a third time.

Any and all of the modifier keys (shift, ctrl, and alt) can be latched or locked in combination.

Windows 95 includes features designed to work either separately or in combination to address problems related to keyboard sensitivity. These features are grouped as FilterKeys and are known separately as SlowKeys, BounceKeys, and RepeatKeys. These options include the following:

	SlowKeys instructs Windows to disregard keystrokes that are not held down for a minimum period of time. This allows you to brush against keys without any effect. When you place a finger on the proper key, you can hold the key down until the character appears on the screen.
	RepeatKeys enables you to adjust the repeat rate or disable the key-repeat function on your keyboard. Most keyboards allow you to repeat a key just by holding it down. Although this automatic repeat feature can be convenient for some people, it poses a problem for individuals who can’t lift their fingers off the keyboard quickly.
	BounceKeys instructs the computer to ignore keystrokes that are repeated quickly. This is useful for people with tremors whose fingers tend to bounce on the keys when pressing or releasing them.

You can adjust FilterKeys settings by using the Accessibility Options icon in Control Panel, or turn on or off a specific FilterKeys feature by using an emergency hot key.

To activate FilterKeys with your default settings, hold down the right SHIFT key for at least eight seconds.

The following sequence of events happens:

	After 4 seconds, three short warning beeps sound. This enables you to stop the process if you were turning on FilterKeys accidentally.
	After 4 more seconds, a single rising siren indicates that FilterKeys is turned on, using the previously chosen or default settings.
	After 4 more seconds, you will hear two rising siren sounds, which is the first level of emergency settings—no key repeats, no acceptance delay, and ignoring repeated keystrokes.
	After 4 more seconds (total of about 16 seconds), you will hear three rising sirens, which is the second level of emergency settings—no key repeats, with an acceptance delay of two seconds.

When you disable FilterKeys (using the same keyboard action), you will hear a falling siren.

You can adjust the FilterKeys settings so that unwanted functions have no effect.

To adjust FilterKeys settings:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the Keyboard tab, choose the Settings button related to FilterKeys.
3. Complete the settings as described below.

The Filter options are mutually exclusive (select one or the other):

	Select Ignore Repeated Keystrokes, and then choose the related Settings button. Drag the slider bar to show how much time must elapse after you press a key before subsequent presses of the same key are accepted. (This feature is called BounceKeys.)
	Select Ignore Quick KeyStrokes, and then choose the related Settings button. You can then configure settings for RepeatKeys and SlowKeys.

For RepeatKeys, which overrides the settings made using the Keyboard properties in Control Panel:

	First choose whether you want to slow down the repeat rate on the keyboard or disable the repeat altogether.
	If you choose to slow down the repeat rate, drag a slider bar to set the length of time you must hold a key down before it begins to repeat. If you have trouble releasing a key in time, set this to a long setting. Then drag the second slider bar to indicate how long to wait between repeated keystrokes for the key that is held down.

For SlowKeys, you must define the acceptance delay, which enables you to adjust the amount of time that you must hold a key down before it is accepted by the computer.

People with visual impairments may not be able to see the lights on the keyboard that indicate caps lock, num lock and scroll lock status. ToggleKeys provides audio cues — high and low beeps — to tell you whether these keys are active or inactive. If ToggleKeys is enabled, when you press one of these keys and it turns on, you will hear a high beep. When you press one of these keys and it turns off, you will hear a low beep.

To adjust ToggleKeys settings:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the Keyboard tab, select the Use ToggleKeys option.
3. To turn the hot key on or off, choose the related Settings button. Then select the Use Shortcut Key option. If this option is selected, the shortcut key is on.
4. Choose OK.

To turn ToggleKeys on or off by using an emergency hot key, hold down the NUM LOCK key for eight seconds.

This feature lets you control the mouse pointer by using the keyboard. Although Windows 95 is designed to allow you to perform all actions without a mouse, some programs might still require one, and a mouse might be more convenient for some tasks. MouseKeys is also useful for graphic artists and others who need to position the pointer with great accuracy. You do not need to have a mouse to use this feature.

To adjust MouseKeys functionality:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Option icon.
2. On the Mouse tab, make sure the Use MouseKeys check box is selected.
3. To configure MouseKeys, choose the Settings button.
4. In the settings for MouseKeys, select the options you want.
5. Choose OK.

To turn on MouseKeys from the keyboard, press Left alt + left shift+ num lock.

If you are using only one finger, a mouthstick, or a headpointer to operate the computer, the easiest way to activate MouseKeys is to first activate StickyKeys by tapping either shift key five times. You can then press the three keys in sequence rather than simultaneously.

Note: If SlowKeys is active, all the MouseKeys control keys respond according to the acceptance delay set for SlowKeys.

When MouseKeys is on, use the following keys to move the pointer on the screen:

	On the numeric keypad, press any of the numbered keys immediately surrounding the 5 key (also called the arrow keys) to move the pointer in the direction indicated by their arrows.
	Use the 5 key for a single mouse-button click and the plus sign (+) key for a double-click.
	To drag and release an object, place the pointer on the object and then press the ins key to begin dragging. Move the object to its new location, and then press del to release it.
	To select the left, right, or both mouse buttons for clicking, press the slash (/) key, the minus sign (-) key, or the asterisk (*) key, respectively.
	To cause the pointer to "jump" across large sections of the screen, hold down the CTRL key while using the movement keys (any numeric keypad key except 5).
	To move the mouse a single pixel at a time for greater accuracy, hold down the SHIFT key while using the movement keys (any numeric keypad key except 5).

You can use the num lock key to toggle the MouseKeys control pad back to the numeric keypad and vice versa. This is especially useful with a laptop or notebook computer that doesn't have a separate numeric keypad. On these computer keyboards, the numeric keypad is usually overlaid on top of the standard QWERTY keyboard.

Note: If the MouseKeys feature is on but NUM LOCK is toggled to the opposite setting, the MouseKeys icon in the taskbar shows that MouseKeys is disabled.

For example, if you were using the numeric keypad for number entry before starting MouseKeys, when you toggle out of MouseKeys by using the num lock key, you can enter numbers with the numeric keypad. If you were using the numeric keypad as a cursor keypad before starting MouseKeys, when you toggle out of MouseKeys by using the num lock key, you will have a cursor keypad.

It can be useful to combine use of MouseKeys and a physical mouse. For example, you can use the standard mouse to move quickly around the screen, and then use MouseKeys to move more precisely (unit by unit) to your final destination. Some people cannot use the standard mouse while simultaneously holding down the mouse button, so you can use MouseKeys to lock down the currently active mouse button, then move the mouse cursor by using MouseKeys or the real mouse, and then release the mouse button by using MouseKeys.

SoundSentry and ShowSounds for Visual Feedback

SoundSentry and ShowSounds can only be enabled from the ShowSounds tab within the Accessibility Options in Control Panel.

ShowSounds is a global flag that instructs programs to provide visible feedback—in effect, asking the programs to be "closed-captioned."

SoundSentry tells Windows to send a visual cue, such as a blinking title bar or a screen flash, whenever the computer generates a sound. This enables you to see when the computer is generating sounds, although it cannot enable you to distinguish between different sounds. You can choose separate display options for two situations:

Use the Warning For Windowed Programs option to choose a visual cue when the active window is a Windows-based or MS-DOS-based program running in a window. You can choose to flash the Windows desktop (the entire display), flash the active window, or flash only the active window's title bar. You can also choose to have no visual cue in this situation.

Note: if you choose to flash the active window's title bar, you may not see any visual cue if the active window has no title bar.

Use the Warning For Full-Screen Text Programs option to choose a visual cue when the you are running an MS-DOS–based program running in a full screen. You can choose either to flash the entire display, flash the border of the display, or flash characters in the upper-right corner of the screen. You can also choose to have no visual cue in this situation.

Note: some displays do not have a border that can be flashed, so you will see no visual cue if you choose this option on incompatible display hardware. This is true of some liquid crystal displays (LCDs) typically found on laptop computers.

Note: the Access Pack for MS-DOS has a feature allowing SoundSentry to work with full-screen graphical programs, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator or other DOS-based games. This feature is not fully implemented in Windows 95 and in fact can cause problems with certain programs when SoundSentry is active. For information on this please refer to Microsoft document Q132850, "SoundSentry does not work for MS-DOS graphics programs".

In Windows 95, the SoundSentry feature only supports sounds generated through the computer's internal speaker. It cannot detect sounds made using multimedia sound cards or MIDI systems. If your computer has a multimedia sound card, you may need to disable this hardware to force sounds to be played through the computer's built-in speaker. This allows SoundSentry to detect these sound events. You can disable your multimedia sound card by using the Multimedia icon in Control Panel.

To disable your multimedia sound card:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Multimedia icon.
2. On the Advanced tab, select Audio Devices in the Multimedia devices list. You can show the available audio devices by pressing the right arrow key or clicking the plus sign (+) icon.
3. Select the audio device that you want to disable, and then select Properties.
4. Select the Do Not Use Audio Features Of This Device option.
5. Choose OK.
6. Choose OK or Apply.

You need to restart Windows for this change to take effect. To re-enable your multimedia sound card, repeat the same procedure but select the option Use Audio Features Of This Device in the Properties dialog box.

High-Contrast Mode for People with Low Vision

Many people with low vision require a high degree of contrast between foreground and background objects, in order to distinguish the objects. For example, some people may not be able to easily read black text on a gray background, or text drawn over a picture. By setting a global flag, you can now instruct Windows 95 and programs to display information with a high degree of contrast. Activating high-contrast mode automatically selects your preferred color scheme.

To turn on high-contrast mode and adjust settings:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the Display tab, make sure the Use High Contrast check box is selected.
3. Choose the related Settings button.
4. Choose the contrast scheme that you want to use.

To turn on high-contrast mode by using the keyboard, press the left ALT, left SHIFT, and PRINT SCREEN keys simultaneously.

Windows 95 color schemes enable you to choose from several well-designed sets of screen-color options, designed both to match users’ individual tastes and to meet their visual needs. The new color schemes in Windows 95 include high-contrast colors, such as white text on a black background, or black text on a white background. These high-contrast color schemes optimize the visibility of screen objects for people with visual impairments.

SerialKeys for Alternative Input Devices

This feature, in conjunction with a communications aid interface device, enables you to control the computer by using an alternative input device. Such a device needs only to send coded command strings through the computer’s serial port to specify keystrokes and mouse events, which are then treated as typical keyboard or mouse input. This feature is designed for people who are unable to use the computer's standard keyboard and mouse.

In some cases, these special input devices can be connected to a computer's serial port (the connector commonly used for attaching a modem or printer). However, this is in itself not enough to enable you to emulate or control keyboard and mouse functions, because the computer is designed to receive keyboard and mouse signals through its keyboard and mouse ports.

Using SerialKeys enables you to control keyboard and mouse functions through the serial port. This is done by sending the right series of letters and commands from the special input device to the computer's serial port. The regular keyboard and mouse can still be used while SerialKeys is being used.

Note: Typing at the standard keyboard while simultaneously entering commands using SerialKeys can cause SerialKeys to loose track of the status of various keys on the standard keyboard.

The most commonly used special input device for SerialKeys is a communication aid: an electronic device often used by people who can't communicate by speech alone because of a physical disability. Using SerialKeys requires you to program specific key definitions into the special input device. You will need the documentation for the device to carry out this programming.

This section describes how to set up SerialKeys with a device such as a communication aid (referred to as "the aid" in these instructions), including how to hook up the aid to the computer, how to set up SerialKeys on the computer, and what letters or commands to send so you can type any key on the keyboard and make any mouse movement you want from the aid. Follow these instructions step-by-step. If you are the user of the aid, someone may need to assist you the first time you set up SerialKeys.

Note: These instructions do NOT tell you how to program a particular aid. You must consult the documentation for the aid, or contact the manufacturer if you have questions.

Task 1: Determine whether the communication aid works with SerialKeys.

First, make sure the aid works with SerialKeys. You should be able to answer yes to all of the following questions:

	Can you program selections on the aid to have unique words and sentences stored under them? Most electronic communication aids let you program any series of characters (letter, numbers, symbols) for a particular selection.
	Can the aid store at least 84 programmable selections? You need at least one selection space for each key on the computer's keyboard, plus more if you want to use the mouse. There are 84 keys on the standard IBM AT keyboard, and now many keyboards have 101 keys. You don't need to be able to store all of the keys and mouse actions on the same level (or overlay) on the aid. You might, for instance, want to use one level for the keyboard and one for the mouse.
	Does the aid have a serial port? This is the connection used to attach a printer to your computer. It is sometimes called an RS-232 serial port.
	Can you program selections on the aid so that when they are selected, they are automatically sent to the serial port? Many aids have this capability, because it can be useful for printing messages. If you have a printer connected to the serial port, typing h-e-l-l-o on the aid and sending it out the serial port makes "hello" print on the printer. If you have the aid's serial port connected to the computer's serial port, and you have SerialKeys working, typing h-e-l-l-o on the aid and sending it out the aid's serial port causes the word "hello" to appear on the computer screen—just as if it had been typed on the computer's keyboard.
	Does your computer have a serial port? This is sometimes called a COM port. If the computer doesn’t have a serial port, you can probably add one. If you have a serial port but you are using it for something else, such as connecting a printer or a modem, you will have to either disconnect the printer or modem or add another serial port.
	Can the aid send information through its serial port at the rate of 300 baud? (The term 300 baud refers to the speed at which characters are transmitted.) SerialKeys can "talk to" an aid that's sending information at 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, or 19200 baud.

Task 2: Connect the aid to the computer.

Plug one end of the serial cable into the serial port on the aid and the other end into the serial port on the computer. If you don't already have a serial cable, obtain one from the manufacturer of the aid.

Note: The aid may require an adapter to match the connector on the computer. In addition, the aid may require a null-modem adapter (available at most computer stores) to transmit properly with the computer.

Task 3: Configure the aid for serial transmission.

To communicate, the aid and SerialKeys must be transmitting to each other at the same speed (baud rate). The recommended speed is 300 baud. You must also make sure the aid is configured with the following settings:

	1 start bit
	8 data bits
	1 stop bit
	No parity

You don't have to know what this means; you just have to make sure the aid is configured that way. In addition, most aids have a special selection or a switch for sending the characters stored in the aid out the serial port. Make sure you turn on this function. Other aids may require that you program special codes to set up the serial port. In all cases, check the documentation for the aid to determine how to configure it.

Task 4: Activate SerialKeys.

Make sure SerialKeys is active in Windows 95.

To activate SerialKeys:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Accessibility Options icon.
2. On the General tab, make sure the Support SerialKeys Devices check box is selected.
3. Choose the related Settings button.
4. Select the Serial Port (either COM port 1, 2, 3, or 4).
5. Select the Baud Rate (300 baud is recommended).
6. Choose OK.

Note: SerialKeys does not attempt to verify whether the computer hardware actually supports COM ports 1 through 4. Rather, it depends on Windows to configure and communicate with the hardware. Before attempting to connect the communication aid, you may want to review your computer documentation to be sure it supports your choice of COM port.

The following topics tell you how to program each different type of key or mouse movement. The examples are provided to help you set up the aid and computer properly, and to help you understand how to program the aid, before you program the complete set of keys and mouse movements. There are four types of SerialKeys actions you can program into any selection (position) on the aid:

	Basic keys
	Special keys
	Modifier keys
	Mouse movements

Note: Before you start typing keys, send three null characters from the aid to the computer. This resets SerialKeys. (The null character is different from a zero; usually it can be made on the aid by pressing ctrl+@.)

Typing Basic Keys by Using SerialKeys

Each key on your computer keyboard has a keyname, and it is this keyname that you must program into the aid to be able to type that key. Many of the keynames consist of a single character, which are referred to here as the "basic keys":

`1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 -

q w e r t y u i o p [ ]

a s d f g h j k l ; '

z x c v b n m , . / \

To type one of these keys, you just send that single character out the serial port of the aid. For example, to type the word "hello," you simply select the "h" keyname, the "e" keyname, the "l" keyname, another "l" keyname, and finally an "o" keyname. Most aids have all of these single-character keynames programmed into them, so there is no additional programming to do for these keys.

Typing Special Keys by Using SerialKeys

Many keys do not have single-character keynames. For example, the num lock and caps lock keys each have more than a single-character name. These are called special keys because you have to do something different to type them using the aid. To type special keys, you must program a sequence of characters into a single selection on the aid. The sequence for special keys is different for each key, but always follows two rules:

	The sequence must begin with the Escape character.
	The sequence must end with a period.

The Escape character usually can be generated on the aid by selecting the Control function along with the left bracket ( [ ). On some aids, this appears as ^[. Check the documentation for the aid if you're not sure how to make the Escape character on it. We will refer to the Escape character by putting "esc" between two angle brackets, like this: <esc>.

Note: In these instructions, when you see <esc> in a sequence of characters, it just means ONE character (the Escape character), not five characters, as it might appear.

To program the name of a special key into the aid:

1. Program the Escape character.
2. Program the correct name for the special key.
3. Program a period.

These should all be programmed as one word or selection on the aid. When you need the special keys, the entire string is sent out to the serial port of the computer by making only one selection on the aid. For example, to type the enter key, the character sequence would be:

<esc>enter.

SerialKeys has official names for each of the special keys on your keyboard. Because the sequences for special keys are somewhat long, you will want to program an entire sequence for a special key into a single selection on the aid. Then you can label this selection (such as Enter) and have it ready for when you need to type the key. In fact, you will probably want to program the sequences for all the special keys on the computer keyboard into selections on the aid. The time spent doing this will be made up many times once you begin using the aid to access the computer.

See "Programming the Aid for Keyboard and Mouse Functions" later in this section to learn how to set up the complete keyboard and for a table of all the keynames.

Typing Modifier Keys (shift, ctrl, alt) by Using SerialKeys

There are three special keys that must be typed differently from the other special keys: shift, Control (ctrl), and Alternate (alt). These three keys are called the modifier keys, since they don't do anything themselves but modify the action of another key. shift, for instance, makes a small "a" into a capital "A." On an ordinary keyboard, you hold down the modifier key while pressing the other key. SerialKeys imitates this action by using a command called "hold."

Following is the sequence you have to type on the aid to type a modifier key:

1. The Escape character
2. Comma (,)
3. The word "hold"
4. Another comma (,)
5. The name for the modifier key (see "Programming the Aid for Keyboard and Mouse Functions" later in this section)
6. Period (.)
7. The key you want to modify

The following command string would be used to send a capital A on your computer by using SerialKeys.

<esc>,hold,shift. Holds the shift key down

a while you send the "a" key)

Remember, <esc> means the Escape character on the aid. And don't forget the commas and the period. If you've typed the sequence successfully, a capital "A" should appear on your computer, just as if you had held down the shift key on the regular keyboard and then pressed the "a" key.

Most keyboards have two shift keys, a right shift key and a left shift key. You can use different keynames (lshift and rshift) for the two keys to distinguish between them if you like. Some keyboards also have right and left Control keys and right and left Alternate keys. SerialKeys also distinguishes between these. See "Programming the Aid for Keyboard and Mouse Functions" to learn how to set up the complete keyboard, and for a table of all the keynames.

Using SerialKeys to Move and Click the Mouse

If your computer is equipped to use a mouse, you can operate all the mouse functions from the aid as well, using SerialKeys. If you're not interested in performing mouse functions, skip to "Programming the Aid for Keyboard and Mouse Functions" later in this section.

Before you perform any mouse functions by using SerialKeys, you should send the moureset (mouse reset) command. This should be done whenever you start up a program (such as a word processing program) that uses the mouse. Just send this command from the aid:

<esc>,moureset.

The mouse pointer should move to the upper-left corner of the screen.

To Move the Mouse: You can do the equivalent of moving the mouse by sending a move command from the aid to the computer. Here are the parts of a move command, in the proper order:

1. The Escape character (see Task 4 if you don't know what this is)
2. Comma
3. The word "move"
4. Comma
5. Plus (+) or minus (-) sign followed by a number (for horizontal movement)
6. Comma
7. Plus or minus sign followed by a number (for vertical movement)
8. Period

The move command takes two numbers after it: first the motion in the horizontal direction and then the motion in the vertical direction. There must be either a plus (+) or a minus (-) sign before each number, unless the number is a zero. Positive numbers move the mouse pointer to the right or down. Negative numbers move the mouse pointer to the left or up. Examples:

<esc>,move,+10,-20. Moves 10 units to right and 20 units up

<esc>,move,-10,+20. Moves 10 units to left and 20 units down

To Click the Mouse: To click the button on a mouse, you use the click command. The commands should be typed as shown below. Remember, <esc> means a single "Escape" character. Examples:

<esc>,click,left. Clicks the left button

<esc>,click,right. Clicks the right button

To Double-click the Mouse: You can double-click the mouse by using the same commands as shown above, but with the command dblclick in place of the command click. Example:

<esc>,dblclick,left.

To Click and Drag with the Mouse: SerialKeys lets you do the equivalent of holding the mouse button down while moving the mouse ("dragging") by using the moulock (mouse lock) and mourel (mouse release) commands, together with the move command. If, for example, you want to select text in a word-processing program that uses the mouse, you would:

	Move the mouse to the beginning of the text you want to select by using the move command as described earlier.
	Press the mouse button down and keep it down by using the moulock command:

<esc>,moulock,left.

	Move the mouse to the end of the text you want to select by using the move command as described earlier.
	Release either button (or both) by using the mourel command:

<esc>,mourel.

Programming the Aid for Keyboard and Mouse Functions

Before you program all of the keys and mouse actions into the aid, you probably want to decide how to lay out the selections on the aid. Look at the number of different keys you might want to have (see the following table). You will probably want mouse movements also. If the aid stores vocabulary in levels, decide whether you want keyboard and mouse actions on separate levels in the aid. If the aid uses combinations of symbols to store vocabulary, decide which combinations you want to use for keyboard and mouse functions.

The following table lists character sequences you send from the aid to simulate the individual keyboard keys. In some cases, there are several character sequences that all simulate the same key.

In this table, the term p/r indicates a key being pressed and immediately released. Toggled indicates that a key such as caps lock will be turned on if currently off, or turned off if currently on. Pressed down indicates that the key will be pressed and remain held down during the next key simulated.

Key name	Command Code	Send from aid	Action(s)
alt	alt	<esc>,hold,alt.	alternate (alt) key pressed down
backspace	backspace bksp	<esc>backspace. <esc>bksp.	backspace key p/r
caps lock	capslk capslock	<esc>capslk. <esc>capslock.	caps lock key toggled
comma	comma	<esc>comma.	comma key p/r
ctrl	control ctrl	<esc>,hold,control. <esc>,hold,ctrl.	ctrl key pressed down
del	del	<esc>del.	numeric pad del key p/r, "." or "del"
delete	delete	<esc>delete.	delete key p/r
divide	divide	<esc>divide.	divide key p/r, "/"
down arrow	down	<esc>down.	down arrow key p/r
end	end	<esc>end.	end key p/r
enter	enter	<esc>enter.	enter or return key p/r
esc	esc escape	<esc>esc. <esc>escape.	escape key p/r
f1	f1	<esc>f1.	function 1 key p/r
f2	f2	<esc>f2.	function 2 key p/r
f3	f3	<esc>f3.	function 3 key p/r
f4	f4	<esc>f4.	function 4 key p/r
f5	f5	<esc>f5.	function 5 key p/r
f6	f6	<esc>f6.	function 6 key p/r
f7	f7	<esc>f7.	function 7 key p/r
f8	f8	<esc>f8.	function 8 key p/r
f9	f9	<esc>f9.	function 9 key p/r
f10	f10	<esc>f10.	function 10 key p/r
f11	f11	<esc>f11.	function 11 key p/r
f12	f12	<esc>f12.	function 12 key p/r
home	home	<esc>home.	home key p/r
ins	ins	<esc>ins.	numeric pad ins key p/r, "0" or "ins"
insert	insert	<esc>insert.	insert key toggled
numeric pad star	kp* kpstar kptimes	<esc>kp*. <esc>kpstar. <esc>kptimes.	numeric pad star key p/r, "*"
numeric pad plus	kp+ kpplus	<esc>kp+. <esc>kpplus.	numeric pad plus key p/r, "+"
numeric pad minus	kp- kpminus	<esc>kp-. <esc>kpminus.	numeric pad minus key p/r, "-"
numeric pad divide	kp/ kpdivide kpslash	<esc>kp/. <esc>kpdivide. <esc>kpslash.	numeric pad divide key p/r, "/"
numeric pad 0	kp0 kpins kpinsert	<esc>kp0. <esc>kpins. <esc>kpinsert.	numeric pad 0 key p/r, "0" or "ins"
numeric pad 1	kp1 kpend	<esc>kp1. <esc>kpend.	numeric pad 1 key p/r, "1" or "end"
numeric pad 2	kp2 kpdown	<esc>kp2. <esc>kpdown.	numeric pad 2 key p/r, "2" or "down arrow"
numeric pad 3	kp3 kppagedown kppgdn	<esc>kp3. <esc>kppagedown. <esc>kppgdn.	numeric pad 3 key p/r, "3" or "pgdn"
numeric pad 4	kp4 kpleft	<esc>kp4. <esc>kpleft.	numeric pad 4 key p/r, "4" or "left arrow"
numeric pad 5	kpmidl kp5	<esc>kpmidl. <esc>kp5.	numeric pad 5 key p/r, "5"
numeric pad 6	kp6 kpright	<esc>kp6. <esc>kpright.	numeric pad 6 key p/r, "6" or "right arrow"
numeric pad 7	kp7 kphome	<esc>kp7. <esc>kphome.	numeric pad 7 key p/r, "7" or "home
numeric pad 8	kp8 kpup	<esc>kp8. <esc>kpup.	numeric pad 8 key p/r, "8" or "up arrow"
numeric pad 9	kp9 kppageup kppgup	<esc>kp9. <esc>kppageup. <esc>kppgup.	numeric pad 9 key p/r, "9" or "pgup"
numeric pad .	kpdel kpdelete kpdp	<esc>kpdel. <esc>kpdelete. <esc>kpdp.	numeric pad . key p/r, "." or "delete"
numeric pad enter	kpenter	<esc>kpenter.	numeric pad enter key p/r
left alt key	lalt	<esc>,hold,lalt.	left alternate key pressed down
left ctrl key	lcontrol lctrl leftcontrol leftctrl	<esc>,hold,lcontrol. <esc>,hold,lctrl. <esc>,hold,leftcontrol. <esc>,hold,leftctrl.	left control key pressed down
left arrow key	left	<esc>left.	left arrow key p/r
	leftalt	<esc>,hold,leftalt.	left alternate key pressed down
left shift key	leftshift lshift	<esc>,hold,leftshift. <esc>,hold,lshift.	left shift key pressed down
* key	multiply	<esc>multiply.	star key p/r, "*"
num lock key	numlk num lock	<esc>numlk. <esc>numlock.	num lock key toggled
page down key	page down pgdn	<esc>pagedown. <esc>pgdn.	page down key p/r
page up key	page up pgup	<esc>pageup. <esc>pgup.	page up key p/r
period key	period	<esc>period.	period key p/r, "."
right alt key	ralt rightalt	<esc>,hold,ralt. <esc>,hold,rightalt.	right alternate key pressed down
right ctrl key	rcontrol rctrl rightcontrol rightctrl	<esc>,hold,rcontrol. <esc>,hold,rctrl. <esc>,hold,rightcontrol. <esc>,hold,rightctrl.	right control key pressed down
return or enter key	ret return	<esc>ret. <esc>return.	return or enter key p/r
right arrow key	right	<esc>right.	right arrow key p/r
right shift key	right shift rshift	<esc>,hold,rightshift. <esc>,hold,rshift.	right shift key pressed down
scroll lock key	scroll scrolllock	<esc>scroll. <esc>scrolllock.	scroll lock key toggled
shift key	shift	<esc>,hold,shift.	shift key pressed down
spacebar key	space	<esc>space.	spacebar key p/r
tab key	tab	<esc>tab.	tab key p/r
tilde key	tilde	<esc>tilde.	tilde key p/r, "`"
up arrow key	up	<esc>up.	up arrow key p/r

 

Troubleshooting and Advanced Topics for SerialKeys

If you are using SerialKeys and the aid stops sending keys successfully, try the following:

	Check to make sure you included any necessary periods in your keynames.
	Send three null characters. (The null character is different from a zero; usually it can be made on the aid by typing ctrl+-@.
	Reset both the aid and SerialKeys to 300 baud. (If there is a communication difficulty, SerialKeys may automatically reset itself to 300 baud, making it unable to communicate with the aid if the aid is sending at a different rate.)

Note the following:

SerialKeys uses hardware handshaking (DTR/RTS) and software (XON/OFF) handshaking to control the flow of characters from the aid. Characters may be lost if the aid ignores these handshaking signals.

Windows 95 manages the COM ports, including the hardware interrupt lines. Windows might not allow another device to use or share the interrupt line that SerialKeys is using. This means that if, for example, you have SerialKeys turned on using COM port 1, you probably cannot use the Windows Terminal program on COM port 1. Also, if you have SerialKeys on COM 1, and another program is experiencing problems while using COM 3, you might need to move the program or SerialKeys to COM 2 or COM 4. See your computer documentation for details on how COM 1 and 3 and COM 2 and 4 should be set, and whether the computer supports COM ports 3 and 4.

We recommend programming the aid to use the IBM Enhanced Keyboard (101 keys). Even if the computer does not have this keyboard, SerialKeys will function as the 101-key keyboard. This can be to your advantage, as some programs recognize the additional keys, enabling you to use additional features. If you choose to program the 83- or 84-key keyboard, there are a few exceptions you should be aware of:

	To use the Break function, you would ordinarily press and hold down the ctrl key and press the scroll key. For SerialKeys, press and hold down the ctrl key and press the pause key.
	To use the Pause function, you would ordinarily press and hold down the ctrl key and press the num lock key. For SerialKeys, just press the pause key.

Advanced Mouse Movements: It's a good idea to at least program some square or selection on the aid to move the mouse in the four directions by 1, by 10, and by 100 units. This allows you to make small, fine movements and large, fast movements. Examples:

<esc>,move,+1,0. Moves mouse pointer 1 unit right

<esc>,move,-1,0. Moves mouse pointer 1 unit left

<esc>,move,0,+1. Moves mouse pointer 1 unit down

<esc>,move,0,-1. Moves mouse pointer 1 unit up

<esc>,move,+10,0. Moves mouse pointer 10 units right

<esc>,move,-10,0. Moves mouse pointer 10 units left

<esc>,move,0,+10. Moves mouse pointer 10 units down

<esc>,move,0,-10. Moves mouse pointer 10 units up

<esc>,move,+100,0. Moves mouse pointer 100 units right

<esc>,move,-100,0. Moves mouse pointer 100 units left

<esc>,move,0,+100. Moves mouse pointer 100 units down

<esc>,move,0,-100. Moves mouse pointer 100 units up

Resetting SerialKeys: If you are using SerialKeys in a multi-user environment, the first command you send to SerialKeys should be the reset command. This ensures that SerialKeys will be at 300 baud and ready to accept your keyboard and mouse actions. The reset command consists of sending three null (ASCII 0) characters with the aid configured to 300 baud. A null character can usually be generated on the aid by pressing ctrl+ @.

Using Lock and Release: This command can be used to hold a key down and lift it back up again as separate actions. Its primary use is in using SerialKeys in combination with MouseKeys.

	Turn on MouseKeys by pressing left alt + left shift + num lock.
	Decide which direction you want to move the mouse. Find out what numeric keypad key moves the mouse in that direction in MouseKeys.
	Send a lock command with that keyname. For example, to move the mouse pointer to the right:

<esc>,lock,kpright.

or

<esc>,lock,kp6.

When the mouse pointer has moved as far as you want in that direction, send the release command:

<esc>,rel.

You can program the lock part and the release part of this sequence under a different selection on the aid, so you don't have to type them out each time you use them. Make sure to include the commas and periods.

Note: MouseKeys also enables you to hold and release a mouse button or click a mouse button.

Using the Keyboard Combine Command: If you want to program a modifier key and another key under a single selection on the aid, use the combine command to put several keystrokes under one selection on the aid. This can be useful for common multiple-key command combinations required by software. There must be commas between the keys and a period at the end. No more than five keys can be combined. Example:

<esc>,combine,shift,ctrl,enter.

Using the Mouse Goto Command: This moves the mouse to a specified location. You should send the moureset command first. Both the horizontal and vertical direction numbers require only a plus (+) sign. (See the example for moving the mouse, earlier in this section.) Example:

<esc>,goto,+20,+25.

Using the Mouse Anchor Command: This command can be used to anchor the mouse pointer to a position within a Windows-based program. An example is shown below of using the mouanchor (mouse anchor) command to mark a current window position, go to a new location and click the mouse to select a new tool, go to another new location and click the mouse to select another color, and then return to the exact location you left to use that tool. If you change the active window between setting the mouse anchor and returning to that anchor, the mouse anchor command will not work. Example:

<esc>,mouanchor. Sets the position or anchors the cursor

<esc>,goto,+10,+10. Goes to a new location

<esc>,click. Click selects a new tool in this

program at location 10,10

<esc>,goto,+50,+10. Goes to a new location

<esc>,click. Click selects a new color in this

program at location 50,10

<esc>,mouanchor. Returns to where you left from,

anchor released

Using the Baudrate Command: This command enables you to change the baud rate of SerialKeys from the aid. The possible baud rates are 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, and 9600. This command is never absolutely necessary, since you can also set the baud rate of SerialKeys. Example:

<esc>,baudrate,300.

If you decide to run SerialKeys at a baud rate faster than 300, you must be aware of the special automatic reset feature of SerialKeys. Whenever SerialKeys receives three consecutive characters with a transmission error, it automatically resets to 300 baud. This enables people in a multi-user environment to put SerialKeys in a known state (300 baud). SerialKeys signals any transmission problem with a short beep. If SerialKeys resets to 300 baud, it makes a long beep. SerialKeys also signals a baud rate change with a long beep.

Keyboard and Mouse Input Features for Windows 95

This section describes the features in Windows 95 for customizing keyboard and mouse behavior. These customization features are available on all computers running Windows 95.

Additional documentation is available that describes how to use Windows 95 with a keyboard instead of a mouse. For more information see the section, "Getting More Information for People with Disabilities" later in this document.

Adjusting Keyboard Properties for Easier Typing

The following sections summarize ways to adjust the keyboard to make typing easier. For additional keyboard features, see the section "Accessibility Options in Windows 95" earlier in this document.

Setting Keyboard Auto-Repeat Delay and Speed

The Keyboard icon in Control Panel enables you to adjust the keyboard repeat rate, which determines how long a key must be held down before it starts repeating, and how fast it repeats when you continue to hold it down. You can choose any settings supported by the computer system; if you need a rate even slower, or you want to turn off the keyboard repeat feature altogether, use the RepeatKeys feature in the Accessibility Options properties.

To change the way your keyboard responds:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Keyboard icon.
2. On the Speed tab, drag a slider bar to adjust keyboard behavior:
   To adjust how long you must hold down a key before it begins repeating, drag the Repeat Delay slider.
   To adjust how fast a key repeats when you hold it down, drag the Repeat Rate slider.
3. Choose OK.

You can test the repeat delay and repeat rate by moving the insertion point to the edit box below the sliders and then holding down a key.

Using Dvorak Keyboard Layouts

Windows 95 includes Dvorak keyboard layouts that make the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible to people who have difficulty typing on the standard QWERTY layout. There are three Dvorak layouts: one for people who use two hands to type, one for people who type only with their left hand, and one for people who type only with their right hand. The left- or right-hand keyboard layouts can also be useful for people who type with a wand. You do not need to modify your hardware keyboard to use these layouts.

The Two-handed Dvorak keyboard layout is included with the Windows 95 CD-ROM. To get the left- and right-hand Dvorak layouts, you will need to order Application Note GA0650 "Dvorak Keyboard Layouts" from one of the sources listed in the Getting More Information for People with Disabilities section below.

A keyboard layout is a map or a definition of how keys are laid out on your keyboard, and the keyboard layout you use is determined by software in your computer. The letters on your keys indicate the standard layout for your keyboard. There are many different keyboard layouts in use throughout the world; the one you ordinarily use depends on the country you are in and the language you use. The letters on your keys indicate the standard layout for your keyboard.

Dvorak keyboard layouts are based on designs created by August Dvorak during the 1930s and 1940s. Dr. Dvorak studied the way people type standard English, and determined the most common letter combinations. He then designed new keyboard layouts to speed up typing and reduce fatigue. These layouts, now called Dvorak or simplified keyboard layouts, were initially developed for two-handed typists. Following World War II, Dvorak layouts were developed for typists who use the right or left hand alone.

Dvorak layouts reduce the amount of motion required to type common English text. This may help avoid some types of repetitive strain injuries associated with typing. Studies have also shown an increase in typing speed and accuracy when using the Dvorak layout for two hands. The one-handed layouts dramatically reduce the amount of motion required for users who type with a single hand.

To select a Dvorak keyboard layout:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Keyboard icon.
2. On the Language tab, choose Properties.
3. In the Keyboard Layout list, select United States-Dvorak.
4. Choose OK.

Windows 95 also enables you to switch between two or more layouts quickly by using a single keystroke. This is especially useful for people who rely on the one-handed or two-handed Dvorak layouts but share their computer with another person who does not. See the section "Using Custom Configurations for Individuals" later in this document.

You may need to switch back and forth between the Dvorak layout and another layout. An easy way to do this is to set up the Dvorak layout as another language, and then switch back and forth between languages. To do so, follow these steps:

To switch between a Dvorak layout and another layout:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Keyboard icon.
2. On the Language tab, choose Add.
3. In the Language box, select a language other than the language you are currently using, and then choose OK.

Note: It does not matter which language you choose, because the Dvorak layout will be applied to the language instead of the normal keyboard layout for that language. It is helpful to choose a language that has a different two-letter code to indicate which language is in use. We recommend choosing Danish because it uses "Da" as its two-letter code, which might be helpful in distinguishing it as the Dvorak layout.

4. Select the language to which you want to add the Dvorak layout, and then choose Properties.

Note: Be sure to apply the Dvorak layout to the new language, and not to the "English (United States)" language.

5. In the Keyboard Layout box, select United States-Dvorak for two-handed typists, United States-LH Dvorak for left-handed typists, or United States-RH Dvorak for right-handed typists, and then choose OK.
6. In the Switch Languages box, select the option you want to use to switch languages.
7. If you want a constant language indicator on the screen, select the Enable Indicator On Taskbar check box.
8. Choose OK.

Adjusting Mouse Properties for Easier Use

The following summarizes mouse settings you can change. For additional features related to the mouse, see the section on the MouseKeys feature earlier in this document and the section, "Adjusting Mouse Properties To Improve Visibility" later in this document.

Adjusting Mouse Speed

You can adjust the speed at which the mouse pointer moves when you move the mouse.

To adjust the speed of the mouse pointer:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Mouse icon, and then select the Motion tab.
2. In the Pointer Speed area, drag the slider bar to select a mouse pointer speed between Slow and Fast.
3. Choose OK.

Snap to Default

To make the mouse pointer automatically move to the default button (such as OK and Apply) in dialog boxes:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Mouse icon and then choose the Motion tab.
2. In the Snap to Default area, select the check box for Snap mouse to the default button in dialogs.
3. Choose OK.

Switching Mouse Buttons

If you are left-handed or have difficulty using the left button on your mouse, you can reverse the buttons so that the right mouse button is the primary button.

To reverse the mouse buttons:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Mouse icon.
2. On the Button tab, select Right-Handed or Left-Handed in the Button Configuration area.
3. Choose OK.

Setting Mouse Double-Click Speed

Windows and many programs support double-clicking as a shortcut for common tasks. To double-click, you must click the mouse button twice in rapid succession without moving it more than a certain amount. If you have difficulty clicking twice rapidly, you can increase the amount of time you have between the first and the second mouse clicks.

To increase the amount of time you can take between clicks:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Mouse icon.
2. On the Buttons tab, go to the Double-Click Speed area, and then drag the slider to the right.
3. To test the speed, double-click the image in the Test Area.
4. Choose OK.

You can also adjust the amount of tolerance the mouse has for movement while double-clicking. The physical action of pressing the mouse button down twice rapidly causes the mouse to move a little and Windows 95 adjusts for that. If you find that your double-clicks are not being recognized, or you have tremors in your hand, wrist or arm, you might want to increase the tolerance that Windows 95 has for movement between mouse clicks. The default value is 4 pixels of horizontal or vertical movement between the two clicks of a double-click.

Note: the procedure described below is for advanced users only.

To increase the amount of mouse movement between clicks:

1. Back up the System.dat and User.dat files from the Windows folder.
2. From the Start menu, select Run…
3. Type "Regedit" (without the quotes) and press enter.
4. Click the "+" signs to expand the keys HKEY_CURRENT_USER and Control Panel.
5. Double-click on the Desktop.
6. To add the entries, click Edit, select New, and click String Value, then type the name "DoubleClickWidth" or "DoubleClickHeight" (without quotes) press enter.
7. To set the values, click the name of the value, then click Edit and Modify. Type the desired number of pixels and press enter.
8. Close Regedit. The settings will take effect after the computer is restarted.

 

Features for People with Visual Impairments

This section summarizes some features in Windows 95 that can assist people with low vision. These options are available on all computers running Windows 95.

Adjusting Display Properties to Improve Visibility

Setting Size and Color Schemes

Windows 95 enables you to adjust the size and color of most screen elements, such as window text, menus, and caption bars. This can make the system easier to use and can reduce eyestrain. The following procedures describe how to customize these elements.

To change the appearance of screen elements:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon. Or use the right mouse button to click an empty place on the desktop, and then choose Properties.
2. On the Appearance tab, select a scheme from the Scheme list. You will see a preview of what the scheme will look like.
3. Choose OK.

To customize a desktop scheme or create a new scheme:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Appearance tab, select the scheme you want to start with.
3. To change the appearance of each screen element, click that element in the Item list, or click the depiction of that element in the preview. Then change the settings in the Size and Color areas for Item and Font.
4. To save the custom settings, choose Save As…, and then type a name for the scheme. That name will appear in the Scheme list, so you can choose the settings again any time.
5. Choose OK.

Adjusting Screen Font Size

Depending on the capabilities of your display adapter, you may be able to choose between two sizes for the Windows system font or specify a custom font size to scale text and other items on screen.

You cannot choose a system font larger than the two choices offered, because many dialog boxes would then stretch off the screen, making some items, such as OK buttons, unusable. However, if Font Size choices are not available, or if the font still isn’t large enough for you, consider using a commercial screen magnification utility. Such utilities provide pan and zoom capabilities to enable you to view a virtual desktop that is larger than your actual display.

The system font is used to display information in some programs and dialog boxes. The system font is always available, even in low-memory situations and critical error conditions, so it cannot be scaled. You can select either a large or small font appropriate for your display settings.

To choose a large or small system font:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Settings tab, select either the large or small font option in the Font Size list.
3. Choose OK. You will need to restart the computer for the change to take effect

If the large system font provided isn’t large enough or is an inappropriate size, try using the Custom button to specify a scaled display.

The Custom Font Size feature enables you to scale most information on the screen by a certain percentage. In essence, you are redefining an inch to be a larger or smaller number of pixels; thus when a program draws a letter at a certain height in inches, it is proportionately larger than when this feature was not in use.

To increase the size of most information on the screen:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Settings tab, choose Custom.
3. Drag the controls until the sample shows the size you want, and then click OK.
   For devices that are not Plug and Play, you must shut down and then restart Windows 95 for the changes to take effect.

Note: Both the Font Size and Custom Font Size features may only be available for high-resolution displays. You can change the screen resolution using the Settings tab in the Display properties. However, not all monitors and display adapters support high-resolution mode.

Adjusting the Icon Size

If you have difficulty seeing or recognizing the various icons that are displayed, you can adjust the display so that they are larger. You can increase the number of points used to display each icon using the "Large Icon view." Normally, icons are displayed 32-points wide and 32-points high. Icons are always square.

To adjust the large icon size:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Appearance tab, select the scheme you want to start with.
3. In the Item list, select Icon.
4. In the Size box, select a larger size.
5. To save these settings, choose Save As…, and then type a name for the scheme. That name will appear in the Scheme list, so you can choose the settings again any time.
6. Choose OK.

Adjusting Window Borders for Changing Window Size

If you have trouble positioning the mouse on a window border so that you can adjust the window size, or if you cannot see the border of windows, you can increase the window border width.

To adjust the window border width:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Appearance tab, select the scheme you want to start with.
3. In the Item list, select Active Window Border.
4. In the Size box, select a larger size.
5. To save these settings, choose Save As… and type a name for the scheme. That name will appear in the Scheme list, so you can choose the settings again any time.
6. Choose OK.

You can also resize a window by using the keyboard instead of the mouse.

To adjust the window size using the keyboard:

1. Press alt+space to select the window’s control menu, and then choose the Size command.
2. Press an arrow key to select the top, bottom, left or right border to resize. The mouse pointer will move to the corresponding window edge.
3. Press the arrow keys to move the selected window edge, and then press enter when you are finished. Or you can press esc to cancel.

Adjusting the Desktop Pattern or Wallpaper

If the desktop pattern or wallpaper causes eye strain, you can adjust them using the Display icon in Control Panel.

To change the desktop pattern or wallpaper:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Background tab, select the pattern or wallpaper you want from the respective lists.
3. Choose OK.

Adjusting the Text Size of Windows 95 Messages

You can adjust the font size in regular messages displayed by Windows 95.

To change the font size in Windows 95 messages:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Display icon.
2. On the Appearance tab, select Message Box in the Item list.
3. In the Font, Size, and Color lists, select the settings you want.
4. Choose OK.

Adjusting Text Size in Command Prompt Windows

For MS-DOS sessions (the command prompt), or for programs that run under MS-DOS, you can adjust the size of text displayed in the window.

To change text size in any MS-DOS window:

1. Press alt+space and then choose the Properties command.
2. From the Font page, select the appropriate size from the Font Size listbox.
3. Choose OK.

To change the text size for an MS-DOS program

1. Use the right mouse button to click the program name in My Computer. Or select the program name, and then press shift+f10.
2. Choose Properties.
3. On the Font tab, select the size you want to use when running this program.
4. Choose OK.

Adjusting the Appearance of Text Messages

There are rare occasions when Windows 95 needs to display a message as a full screen of text. If you have trouble reading full-screen messages displayed by Windows 95, you can adjust the colors by using a text editor such as Notepad to add entries for MessageBackColor and MessageTextColor in the [386Enh] section of the System.ini file. For example, the following entries generate bright yellow text on a black background in message screens:

[386Enh]

MessageTextColor=E

MessageBackColor=0

The following table shows the possible color values for MessageBackColor and MessageTextColor.

0 = Black	4 = Red	8 = Gray	C = Bright red
1 = Blue	5 = Magenta	9 = Bright blue	D = Bright magenta
2 = Green	6 = Yellow/brown	A = Bright green	E = Bright yellow
3 = Cyan	7 = White	B = Bright cyan	F = Bright white

For information about making changes to System.ini, see "Modifying Initialization Files" later in this document.

Limiting the Number of Fonts

You can limit the number of fonts used throughout Windows to one or more of your own choosing. To do this, use the Fonts icon in Control Panel to remove all the fonts you don’t want to appear. If you remove all TrueType® scaleable fonts and leave only raster fonts, you can also restrict the sizes that will be used. Removing fonts does not delete them from the hard drive, so the fonts can be reinstalled easily for later use.

Note: This operation will also limit the number of fonts available to applications. This will affect the display of documents on the screen and how they are printed. This operation should be used with caution.

To limit your system to a single font:

1. Create a new folder on your desktop or hard disk, and give it a name such as Other Fonts.
2. In Control Panel, choose the Fonts icon.
3. Select all the fonts in your Fonts folder, and then move them to the new folder named Other Fonts. (The system font is not listed, so it remains even when you delete all other fonts.)
4. Restart your computer.

To restore the fonts:

1. Move or copy the fonts from your Other Fonts folder to the Fonts folder in Control Panel.
2. Restart your computer.

Adjusting Mouse Properties to Improve Visibility

If you have difficulty seeing or following the mouse pointer, you can set the following characteristics to improve its visibility:

	Pointer size
	Pointer color
	Pointer speed
	Visible trails of pointer movement
	Pointer animation

Windows 95 also features an animated hourglass pointer for better viewing.

Note: Windows 95 supports multiple pointing devices working in combination. This enables you to add alternative pointing devices, such as head-pointers or eye-gaze systems without replacing or disabling the mouse.

Using Mouse Pointer Schemes for Better Visibility

Windows 95 allows for custom mouse pointers. There are 14 different mouse pointers used. For example, the default pointer for when the system is busy is an Hourglass symbol. To make setting up pointers easier, Windows 95 includes 5 mouse pointer schemes. They are:

	3D Pointers
	Animated Hourglasses
	Windows Standard
	Windows Standard (Extra-Large)
	Windows Standard (Large)

If the mouse pointer schemes are not shown, you must install them depending on the type of media used to install Windows from:

CD-ROM or Network Installation:

1. On the Start menu, select Settings, and then choose Control Panel.
2. Choose the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. Click on the Windows Setup tab
4. In the list of Components, select Accessories.
5. Press alt-d or click the Details button.
6. Scroll down and select the Mouse Pointers check box. Note: if Mouse Pointers isn’t available under Accessories, follow the directions for the floppy disk installation below.
7. Press enter or click OK to close the Accessories details dialog box.
8. Choose OK, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

Floppy Disk Installation:

1. On the Start menu, select Settings, and then choose Control Panel.
2. Choose the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. On the Windows Setup tab, choose Have Disk.
4. Insert the Supplemental Disk into drive A or B.
5. In the Install from Disk dialog box, choose the correct disk drive and press enter.
6. Follow the instructions on your screen from that point on.

Note: Color cursors require a Windows 95 display driver running at 256 or more colors. They are not supported for ATI mach8 display adapters. In addition, if Windows 95 is not using 32-bit disk access, cursors will not animate. You can check this setting in System properties on the Performance tab.

To adjust the appearance of the mouse pointer:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Mouse icon.
2. On the Pointer tab, select the appropriate scheme, and then choose OK.

Using Mouse Trails for Better Visibility

The mouse trails feature can make it easier to see the mouse pointer while it is moving by leaving behind an animated trail of pointer images.

To turn on mouse trails:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Mouse icon.
2. On the Motion tab, make sure the check box named Show Pointer Trails is selected.
3. Drag the slider bar to adjust the length of the pointer trail.
4. Choose OK.

Note: You can only turn on the mouse trails if the feature is supported by your display driver. If the mouse trails option is disabled, contact your display driver manufacturer to find out about availability of an updated driver.

Improving Audible Feedback

Windows 95 enables you to assign audible cues to many actions or events, such as the opening or closing of a window. These sounds can be useful if you cannot see the visual cues on the screen. For information on customizing these sounds, see the section, "Customizing Sound Schemes" later in this document.

Adjusting the Text Cursor to Improve Visibility

You can increase the visibility of the text cursor by changing the rate at which it flashes. The text cursor is the vertical bar that appears when you're editing or selecting text.

To change the speed at which the text cursor flashes:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Keyboard icon.
2. On the Speed tab, go to the Cursor Blink Rate area, and then drag the slider bar to choose a speed.
3. Choose OK.

Difficulties with MS-DOS screen access products not speaking correctly

Screen access products, such as screen readers that use speech or Braille output, may have difficulty with Windows 95 in an MS-DOS session or in MS-DOS Compatibility Mode. If you discover that your screen reader is not speaking at the command prompt, it could be due to changes made to improve performance when displaying the command prompt. You can fix this problem by making a change to the CONFIG.SYS file.

To change the CONFIG.SYS file to correct incorrect speaking or display of the command prompt:

1. Using NOTEPAD or another text editor, open the CONFIG.SYS file in the root directory of the startup drive (usually C:\CONFIG.SYS)
2. If the file is not present, you can create an empty file.
3. Add to the file the following statement:

SWITCHES=/C

4. This should be placed on a line by itself and not added to a existing statement.
5. If there is already a SWITCHES= statement, simply add the "/C" (without the quotes) to the end of it, for example:

SWITCHES=/N/C

6. Save the file and restart the computer.
7. If this does not correct the problem, contact the manufacturer of your screen access product.

If you’d like your computer to start up to the command prompt first with the option of loading the GUI portion of Windows 95 there are two methods. The first method is useful if you only occasionally need to go to the DOS command prompt before loading the GUI portion of Windows 95. The second method makes Windows 95 always stop at the command prompt before loading the GUI.

To automatically present the command prompt (one session only):

1. Restart the computer.
2. When "Starting Windows 95…" appears, press the F8 key and hold it down until the Start menu appears.
   Note: If you cannot see the "Starting" message, you can wait until the computer beeps, indicating that it has completed its self-test and is now loading the operating system. At the beep, press the F8 key and hold it down until you can hear the hard disk drive stop accessing.
3. Select Command-Prompt Only and press enter.
4. If you cannot see the Start menu and you have a stand-alone computer, you can press the 5 key and press enter to proceed to the command prompt. If your computer is networked, you can press the 6 key and press enter.
5. The system processes the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files but does not load the GUI portion of Windows 95.
6. You can type WIN and press ENTER at any time to continue to the Windows 95 GUI.

To automatically present the command prompt (every time):

1. Determine what your startup drive is. Normally, this is drive C, but if you are using DriveSpace or DoubleSpace disk compression, determine what the Host drive is. By default, this is drive H but it could be different on your machine.
2. Follow the above steps to get to the command prompt.
3. Go to the root directory of the startup drive. (Normally, this is drive C.)
4. Type "Copy MSDOS.SYS to MSDOS.BAK" (without the quotes) and press enter.
   This saves a copy of your current MSDOS.SYS file that you can refer to later if there are problems.
5. Type "Attrib -R -H -S MSDOS.SYS" (without the quotes) and press enter.
   This allows the MSDOS.SYS to be edited.
6. Type "Edit MSDOS.SYS" (without the quotes) and press enter.
   This will run the Edit program with the file loaded.
7. Look for the line that reads "BootGUI=1". Change the 1 to a 0.

Make no other changes to the file.

8. Press alt-f4 or select Close.
9. When prompted, save the file and exit.
10. Type "Attrib +R +H +S MSDOS.SYS" (without the quotes) and press enter.
    This reverses step 6 and prevents the file from being edited any further.
11. Restart the computer. It will no longer start up nto the Windows 95 GUI directly.
12. Follow the above steps and change BootGUI=0 back to BootGUI=1 to go back to automatic loading of Windows 95.

Note: The TweakUI PowerToy has the ability to make the same changes as described above, from within the Windows 95 Control Panel. TweakUI does not come with Windows 95 and is available for download from Microsoft’s World Wide Web (WWW) site on the Internet at http://www.microsoft.com. TweakUI is part of the PowerToys set of helpful tools and utilities available from Microsoft, but are not officially supported.

Features for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

The following sections summarize features for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. See also the descriptions of the SoundSentry and ShowSounds features earlier in this document.

Adjusting Sound Properties to Improve Feedback

Adjusting the Volume

If your computer has a sound card, you can adjust the volume of all sounds played by Windows by using the Sounds icon in Control Panel. You can also adjust the sound volume by using the speaker icon on the taskbar or by using Volume Control.

Note: This doesn’t affect the PC’s built-in speaker. Only sounds generated by a sound card, such as the Windows Sound System®, SoundBlaster® or similar multimedia sound cards can be adjusted.

To adjust the volume of your speakers by using the speaker icon on the taskbar:

1. Choose the speaker icon on the taskbar.
2. Drag the volume slider bar to the setting you want.
3. Choose OK.

To adjust the volume of your speakers by using Volume Control:

1. On the Start menu, select Programs, select Accessories, select Multimedia, and then select Volume Control.
2. Drag the volume slider bar to the setting you want. Then choose OK.

You can also control speaker volume by choosing the Multimedia icon in Control Panel and then selecting the Audio tab. For more information, look up "Volume Control" in the Help Index.

Note: If you are unable to use a mouse or pointing device, you can adjust the volume with the keyboard by using the Sound Volume utility located on the Start Menu->Programs->Accessories->Multimedia.

Customizing Sound Schemes

Windows provides a wide variety of sounds that you can associate with many events. These events can be generated by Windows or by programs. If you have difficulty distinguishing between the default sounds, you can choose a new sound scheme, or design your own to make the sounds easier to identify. Sound schemes can also help draw attention to or provide additional feedback for tasks as you do them.

To change the sounds associated with any event:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Sounds icon.
2. On the Sounds tab, select a sound scheme from the Schemes list.
3. Select an event from the Events list, and then select the appropriate sound from the Name box.
4. Choose OK.

Chat

You can use the Chat utility to have an electronic conversation with up to seven other people who are using Windows 95, and whose computers are connected through a network or by modems. Unlike an electronic mail message that you compose, save, and then send to another person, a Chat message is visible to others as you type it. Chat is in the Other\Chat folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM.

Chat is useful for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Chat provides an alternative form of communication when an interpreter or a text telephone (called a "TT" or "TDD") is not available.

If you previously ran Chat under Windows for Workgroups, and then upgraded to Windows 95 in your previous Windows directory, Chat is still available on your computer.

If Windows 95 is installed on a computer that did not previously have Windows for Workgroups installed, you can install Chat from the Windows 95 CD-ROM.

To install Chat:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Add/Remove Programs icon.
2. On the Windows Setup tab, choose Have Disk.
3. In the Install From Disk dialog box, supply the path to the Other\Chat folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM.
4. In the Have Disk box, select WinChat in the Components list, and then choose Install.

To learn how to use Chat, see the Chat Help. Chat will not respond to chat requests unless NETDDE is loaded. When you load Chat, it automatically loads NETDDE if it isn’t already present. In order to be notified of chat requests, place either NETDDE or Chat in your StartUp Group.

Features for People With Seizure Disorders

Adjusting the Rate at Which Objects Flash

Repetitive flashing signals can trigger seizures in some individuals. You can adjust the rate at which most objects flash to select a frequency that is less likely to trigger seizures. Other programs should tie all of their flashing signals to the cursor blink rate you set.

To change the speed at which objects flash:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Keyboard icon.
2. On the Speed tab, drag the slider bar in the Cursor Blink Rate area to change the speed.
3. Choose OK.
   

Other Ease-of-Use Features in Windows 95

This section provides information about using and customizing Windows 95 to make it easier to use.

Using Custom Configurations for Individuals

Windows 95 can be configured to enable multiple people who share the same workstation to keep their own set of user preferences and system settings. The per-person settings include most of the options described in this document.

To enable multiple individuals to use personal settings:

1. In Control Panel, choose the Passwords icon.
2. On the User Profiles tab, make sure the second option is selected.
3. Choose OK.

The next person who logs on to Windows can change settings without affecting the settings you prefer. The next time you log on, your settings are restored.

When no one is logged on and the screen contains a logon prompt, the accessibility options are set to their default values. Several accessibility options have "hot keys" that can be used to turn on the feature at this point, and any features you've turned on using the hot key will stay on once you are logged on.

Network administrators can also use system policies to control how the computer is configured. The following policies are of particular interest for controlling the computer configuration for people with disabilities.

Policy Name	Description
Custom Programs Folder	Customizes the contents of the Programs folder.
Custom Desktop Icons	Customizes desktop icons.
Custom Startup Folder	Customizes the contents of the StartUp folder.
Custom Network Neighborhood	Customizes the contents of Network Neighborhood.
Custom Start Menu	Customizes what is listed on the Start menu.
Hide All Items On Desktop	Prevents access to all items on the desktop.
Don’t Save Settings At Exit	Prevents settings from being written to the file system when you shut down Windows.
Wallpaper Name	Specifies the bitmap to be used as the wallpaper.
Color Scheme	Specifies the color scheme to use automatically.

For detailed information about using system policies, see the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit.

Using Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer enables you to navigate through files and other objects in your computer or the network. It provides a consistent interface on all types of objects and can be an easier way to navigate to objects on the desktop than standard keyboard techniques.

To open a window by using Windows Explorer, on the Start menu, select Programs, and then choose Windows Explorer. You can also click a folder by using your right mouse button, or select a folder and then press shift+f10, and then choose Explore.

Windows Explorer enables you to choose from several different views of folders and files, including single-column or multiple-column lists. The Details view can be easier to navigate for people who have difficulty navigating within complex groups of objects.

The following summarizes some shortcuts for using Windows Explorer and other common navigational elements in Windows 95.

	To copy a file, press CTRL while you drag the file to a folder. Or use the Copy command on the File menu.
	To create a shortcut, press CTRL+SHIFT while you drag the file to the desktop or a folder. Or use the New command on the File menu.
	To close the current folder and all its subfolders, press SHIFT and click the Close (X) button on the folder.
	To move among tabs in a properties dialog box, press CTRL+TAB or CTRL+SHIFT+TAB. Or press tab until the focus is on the tab itself, and then use arrow keys to select other tabs.

Using Windows Shortcuts

This section summarizes some of the shortcuts you can use with Windows.

Shortcuts for a Selected Object

Shortcut	Action
F2	Rename
F3	Find
CTRL+x	Cut
CTRL+c	Copy
CTRL+v	Paste
DEL	Delete
SHIFT+DEL	Delete file immediately without putting it in the Recycle Bin
aLT+ENTER	Display properties
aLT + double-click	Display properties
CTRL+click the right mouse button	Place alternative commands on the context menu (such as the Open With… command; these alternative commands are automatically included when the menu is displayed using shift+f10)
SHIFT + double-click	Open Windows Explorer; if the object does not have an Explore command, this starts the default action (usually the Open command)

Shortcuts for Managing Folders and Windows Explorer

Shortcut	Action
f4	In Windows Explorer, display contents of the desktop in a list.
f5	Refresh display.
f6	In Windows Explorer, move the focus between panes.
CTRL+g	In Windows Explorer, choose the Go To command.
CTRL+z	Undo
CTRL+a	Select All
BACKSPACE	Go to the folder one level up.

Shortcuts in Windows Explorer

The following shortcut keys work in the left-hand pane of the Windows Explorer:

Shortcut	Action
* on numeric keypad	Expand everything under the selection.
– on numeric keypad	Collapse the selection.
RIGHT ARROW	Expand the current selection if it is not expanded; otherwise, go to the first subfolder.
LEFT ARROW	Collapse current selection if it is expanded; otherwise, go to the selection one level up.
CTRL + arrow key	Scroll without moving the selection.

Shortcuts in the Common Open and Save Dialog Boxes

Shortcut	Action
F4	Display the Save/LookIn list.
F5	Refresh the view.
BACKSPACE	Go to the folder one level up if the focus is on the View window.
shift+f10	When pressed while the focus in the file list area and no file is select, it presents a menu of options to change the display of file names. If a file is already selected, pressing ctrl+space will cancel the selection.

Using Shortcut Menus

Windows 95 enables you to perform many commands conveniently by using shortcut menus. Many objects have shortcut menus containing the most commonly used commands you can perform on those objects.

To access an object’s shortcut menu, click the object by using the right mouse button, or select the object by using the keyboard, and then press shift+f10.

Using the Start Menu and Taskbar

You can display the Start menu by pressing ctrl+esc.

When you open a program, document, or window, a button appears on the taskbar. You can use this button to quickly switch between the windows you have open, similar to pressing alt+tab or alt+esc.

To use the taskbar with the keyboard instead of a mouse:

1. Press ctrl+esc to display the Start menu, and then press esc.
2. Press tab to move the keyboard focus to the taskbar, then press the right or left arrow keys to select the appropriate button. Or press shift+f10 to open the taskbar’s context menu.
3. To switch to the selected program, press enter. Or display the program’s context menu by pressing shift+f10.
   Or, to perform other commands on the selected program, press shift+f10 to display a context menu.

You can modify the contents of the Start menu to present a simplified view or to provide more convenient access to frequently used commands.

To add menu items to the Start menu:

1. On the Start menu, select Settings.
2. Select Taskbar, and then select the Start Menu Programs tab.
3. Select Add, and then select Browse….
4. Locate the program you want to add, and then select it. Or type the program name in the Command Line box.
5. Choose Next, and then select the menu on which you want the program to appear. Or select the menu, and then choose Next.
6. Type the name that you want to see on the menu, and then choose Finish.
7. If Windows prompts you to choose an icon, choose one, and then choose Finish.

You can also add a program to the top of the Start menu by dragging the program's icon onto the Start button.

To remove menu items from the Start menu:

1. On the Start menu, select Settings.
2. Choose Taskbar, and then select the Start Menu Programs tab.
3. Choose Remove, and then locate the program you want to remove.
4. Select the program, and then choose Remove. Although this deletes the shortcut from the Start menu, the original program remains on your computer.

For more information on customizing the Start menu, see the section "Using Custom Configurations For Individuals" earlier in this document.

Using the Desktop

You can customize the desktop by adding shortcuts to your favorite programs, documents, and printers, and by changing its look to fit your mood and personality.

To adjust settings such as desktop color and background, use your right mouse button to click anywhere on the desktop, and then click Properties.

If you prefer using the keyboard instead of the mouse, the easiest way to work with the objects on the desktop is to use Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer allows you to browse the contents of the desktop as if it were just another folder .

Assigning Hot Keys for Programs

You can assign "hot keys" to frequently used programs, documents, or folders, and then use that hot key to open the object or make it the active window.

To assign a hot key:

1. Create a shortcut to the object on the desktop or on the Start menu, and then open the shortcut’s properties. (To learn how to do this, see Windows Help.)
2. For Windows-based programs, select the Shortcut tab, and then type the key combination that you want to assign to this object in the Shortcut Key box.
   For MS-DOS-based programs, select the Program tab, and then type the key combination in the Shortcut Key box.

When a program shortcut is placed on the desktop or on the Start menu, you can press its hot key at any time, and Windows 95 will open that program window; or, if it is not running, it will start the program for you.

Customizing Windows Help

You can change the size of information displayed in Windows Help to make it easier to read. You can also set the screen colors to match those you use for other screen elements in Windows 95.

To change the font size used in Help:

1. Open any Help topic.
2. On the toolbar, choose the Options button.
3. Select Fonts, and then select Small, Medium, or Large.
4. Close all Help windows, and then restart Help.

To change the colors in Help to those you use in Windows

1. Open any Help topic.
2. On the toolbar, choose the Options button, and then choose Use System Colors.
3. Close all Help windows, and then restart Help.

In Windows 95 Help, colored text identifies words that have pop-up definitions. Help files created for previous versions of Windows may also use colored text to identify jumps to other topics. If you have trouble differentiating these colors, you can adjust them by using a text editor such as Notepad to add entries for IFJumpColor, IFPopupColor, JumpColor, MacroColor, and PopupColor in the [Windows Help] section of the Win.ini file. The syntax for these entries is:

<entry>=red value green value blue value

where the value is a number from 000 to 999, with 999 being the highest intensity. You must include three digits for each value, and you must include each color value. You can experiment with this setting to create a color that works best for you. The following table lists some colors you can work with.

Setting	Resulting color
000 000 999	Blue
000 999 000	Green
999 000 000	Red
999 999 000	Yellow
999 000 999	Magenta

For information about making changes to Win.ini, see "Modifying Initialization Files" later in this document.

Building Custom Configurations

You can build custom configurations by creating folders with groups of shortcuts to frequently used documents or programs. This can be useful for presenting a simplified user interface or for reducing the amount of navigation required.

The best way to create a custom configuration is to follow the steps provided in Help. In the Help Index, look for the "customizing" topics. If you are familiar with earlier versions of Windows, see the topic, "New Ways to Customize Windows."

For other ways of simplifying Windows, see the section, "Using Custom Configurations For Individuals" earlier in this document.

Modifying Initialization Files

You can adjust the appearance and behavior of Windows to suit varying eyesight and motor skills by changing settings in your Win.ini and System.ini files. The following sections describe how to modify the Win.ini, System.ini, and other Windows initialization files.

Windows initialization (.ini) files contain additional information about your system environment. For example, the Win.ini file contains settings for the Windows environment, and the System.ini file contains settings that tell Windows about your system's hardware needs. You can modify the information in these files to change some configuration settings for Windows and Windows-based programs to meet your needs and preferences.

Important: Errors made when editing initialization files can lead to undesirable results when you run Windows. Before changing any entry, make a backup copy of your original file. Also, some text editors can damage characters that have ANSI values greater than 127. To avoid these problems, we recommend that you use Control Panel or Setup whenever possible to make changes. If you must edit an .ini file, use a text editor such as Notepad, System Configuration Editor (Sysedit.exe), or MS-DOS Editor.

To change .ini file entries with a text editor:

1. Create a backup copy of the .ini file you want to edit. For example, in Windows Explorer, copy the file Win.ini to the file Win.bak.
2. Open the .ini file with a text editor, such as Notepad.
3. Edit the specific entries, and then save the file in text-only format.
4. Shut down and then restart the computer so that the changes take effect.

Using The Microsoft Network for Information Access

The Microsoft Network (MSN) is Microsoft’s new online information service. MSN is designed specifically to work with Windows 95, and is optimized for high-speed modems. Information for people with disabilities is available in several areas. You can also use MSN to exchange information with other people and get additional information about Windows 95 and other Microsoft products.

Access to The Microsoft Network is an optional component included with Windows 95. If it is not installed on your computer, you can install it.

To install The Microsoft Network:

1. On the Start menu, select Settings, and then choose Control Panel.
2. Choose the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. On the Windows Setup tab, select the check box for the Microsoft Network.
4. Choose OK, and then follow the instructions on your screen.
5. When installation is complete, you will be prompted to shut down the computer and restart Windows 95. Note that after installation you will have an icon for the Microsoft Network on your desktop and under the Programs item in your Start menu.

Third-Party Utilities to Enhance Accessibility

Many hardware and software products from other vendors are available to make personal computers easier to use for people with disabilities. Among the different types of products available for the MS-DOS®, Windows, and Windows NT® operating systems are the following:

	Programs that enlarge or alter the color of information on the screen for people with visual impairments
	Programs that describe information on the screen in Braille or synthesized speech for people who are blind or have difficulty reading
	Hardware and software utilities that modify the behavior of the mouse and keyboard
	Programs that enable you to "type" using a mouse or your voice
	Word or phrase prediction software that allows you to type more quickly and with fewer keystrokes
	Alternate input devices, such as head-pointers, single switch, and puff-and-sip devices for people who cannot use a mouse or a keyboard

Getting More Information for People with Disabilities

Information from Microsoft

For more information on Microsoft products and services for people with disabilities, contact:

Microsoft Sales Information Center One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6393

Voice telephone: Text telephone: Fax:

(800) 426-9400 (800) 892-5234 (206) 635-6100

Information is also available online at the following sources:

	The Microsoft Network (MSN)
	CompuServe®
	GEnie™
	Microsoft Download Service (MSDL), which you can reach by calling (206) 936-6735 any time except between 1:00 A.M. and 2:30 A.M. Pacific time. Use the following communications settings:

For this setting	Specify
Baud rate	1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400
Parity	None
Data bits	8
Stop bits	1

	Various user-group bulletin boards (such as the bulletin-board services on the Association of PC User Groups network)
	On the World-Wide Web at http:\\www.microsoft.com

Third-Party Product Information

Microsoft distributes a catalog of third-party accessibility aids designed to work with the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. To obtain this catalog, contact the Microsoft Sales Information Center at the address listed earlier in this section.

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison produces a book and a CD-ROM that describe products that help people with disabilities use computers. The book, titled Trace ResourceBook, provides descriptions and photographs of about 2000 products. The CD-ROM, titled CO-NET CD, provides a database of more than 18,000 products and other information for people with disabilities. It is issued twice a year. To obtain these directories, contact:

Trace R&D Center S-151 Waisman Center 1500 Highland Avenue Madison, WI 53705-2280

Voice telephone: Text telephone: Fax:

(608) 263-2309 (608) 263-5408 (608) 262-8848

Assistive Technology Programs

For general information and recommendations on how computers can help specific people, you should consult a trained evaluator who can best match your needs with the available solutions. An assistive technology program in your area will provide referrals to programs and services that are available to you. To locate the assistive technology program nearest you, you can contact:

National Information System Center for Developmental Disabilities Benson Building University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208

Voice/text Telephone: Fax:

(803) 777-4435 (803) 777-6058 (803) 777-6058