Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) to type

There are several different kinds of keyboards for PCs. The most common type is a physical, external keyboard that plugs into your PC. But Windows has a built-in Ease of Access tool called the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) that can be used instead of a physical keyboard.

You don’t need a touchscreen to use the OSK. It displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys, so you can use your mouse or another pointing device to select keys, or use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Note: A PC with a touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. The touch keyboard will appear when you tap inside a text box when your PC is in tablet mode.

To open the On-Screen Keyboard

Go to Start , then select Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, and turn on the toggle under Use the On-Screen Keyboard. A keyboard that can be used to move around the screen and enter text will appear on the screen. The keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.

Note: To open the OSK from the sign-in screen, select the Ease of Access button in the lower-right corner of the sign-in screen, and then select On-Screen Keyboard.

To change how info is entered into the On-Screen Keyboard

With the OSK open, select the Options key, and choose the options you want:

Use click sound. Use this option if you want to hear a sound when you press a key.

Show keys to make it easier to move around the screen. Use this option if you want the keys to light up as you type.

Turn on numeric keypad. Use this option to expand the OSK to show a numeric keypad.

Click on keys. Use this mode if you prefer to click or tap the on-screen keys to enter text.

Hover over keys. Use this mode if you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key. The characters you point to are entered automatically when you point to them for a specified time.

Scan through keys. Use this mode if you want the OSK to continually scan the keyboard. Scan mode highlights areas where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut, using a switch input device, or using a device that simulates a mouse click.

Use Text Prediction. Use this option if you want the OSK to suggest words for you as you type so you don’t need to type each complete word.

Text Prediction is available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. If you want to use one of these languages and it isn’t installed, install the language files for that language.

If you’re using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize the OSK, you can restore it by pointing to it in the taskbar (for hovering mode) or by pressing the scan key (for scanning mode).

If you minimize the OSK and switch to tablet mode, use the Task view button to get back to the OSK.

There are a few different kinds of keyboards. The most common is a physical, external keyboard that you plug into your PC.

Windows also has the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK), an Ease of Access tool. Use the OSK instead of a physical keyboard to move around your PC and enter text. You don’t need a touchscreen to use the OSK. The OSK displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. Select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Note: A PC with a touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. When you’re using a Windows PC with a touchscreen, tap in a text field or other area where you can type and the touch keyboard appears. For more info about the touch keyboard, see How to use the touch keyboard.

To open the On-Screen Keyboard

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

Enter On-Screen Keyboard in the search box, and then tap or click On-Screen Keyboard.

A keyboard appears on the screen that can be used to move around your PC and enter text. The keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.

Note: To open the OSK from the sign-in screen, tap or click the Ease of Access button in the lower-left corner of the sign-in screen, and then tap or click On-Screen Keyboard.

To change how info is entered into the On-Screen Keyboard

With the OSK open, tap or click the OSK Options key, and then select the options you want:

Use click sound. Use this option if you want to hear a sound when you press a key.

Show keys to make it easier to move around the screen. Use this option if you want the keys to light up as you type.

Turn on numeric keypad. Use this option to expand the OSK to show a numeric keypad.

Click on keys. Use this mode if you prefer to click or tap the on-screen keys to enter text.

Hover over keys. Use this mode if you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key. The characters you point to are entered automatically when you point to them for a specified time.

Scan through keys. Use this mode if you want the OSK to continually scan the keyboard. Scan mode highlights areas where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut, using a switch input device, or using a device that simulates a mouse click.

Use Text Prediction. Use this option if you want the OSK to suggest words for you as you type so you don’t need to type each complete word.

Text Prediction is available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. If you want to use one of these languages and it isn’t installed, install the language files for that language.

If you’re using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize the OSK, you can restore it by pointing to it in the taskbar (for hovering mode) or by pressing the scan key (for scanning mode).

If you minimize the OSK and switch to the Start screen or a full-screen app, you won’t be able to get to the OSK. Open the OSK first, and then go to the Start screen or app.

Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data, you can use On-Screen Keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. You can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or you can use a single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Watch this video to learn how to type without using the keyboard (1:21)

To type without using the keyboard

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, and then, under To use the On-Screen Keyboard, select the mode you want:

In clicking mode, you click the on-screen keys to type text.

Hover over keys

In hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key for a predefined period of time, and the selected character is typed automatically.

Scan through keys

In scanning mode, On-Screen Keyboard continually scans the keyboard and highlights areas where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut, using a switch input device, or using a device that simulates a mouse click.

If you’re using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize On-Screen Keyboard, you can restore it by pointing to it in the taskbar (for hovering mode) or by pressing the scan key (for scanning mode).

If you’re using a mouse click to select a key in the Scan through keys mode, the mouse pointer must be located over On-Screen Keyboard.

The keyboard layout changes in On-Screen Keyboard depending on the language displayed in the active program.

You can have On-Screen Keyboard make an audible click when a key is pressed.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, select the Use click sound check box, and then click OK.

You can use a numeric key pad to enter numbers with On-Screen Keyboard.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, select the Turn on numeric key pad check box, and then click OK.

When text prediction is enabled, as you type, On-Screen Keyboard displays a list of words that you might be typing.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, select the Use Text Prediction check box, and then click OK.

If you don’t want to automatically add a space after you insert a word using text prediction, clear the Insert space after predicted words check box, and then click OK.

Text prediction is only available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. To enable text prediction in a specific language, you must first install additional language files for that language.

Text prediction isn’t included in Windows 7 Home Basic.

Windows 10: Enable/Disable On-Screen Keyboard

By Mitch Bartlett 28 Comments

How to enable or disable the On-Screen Keyboard in Microsoft Windows 10. Use the On-Screen keyboard to type without an actual keyboard.

Note: The On-Screen Keyboard and the Touch Keyboard are considered two different keyboards.

Launching On-Screen Keyboard (OSK)

• Select the “Start” button, type “osk“, then press “Enter“.

Touch Keyboard

• Right-click the taskbar, then select or deselect “Show touch keyboard button“. Select the keyboard near the time whenever you wish to use the touch keyboard.

Enable or Disable OSK Via Setting

1. Select “Start” > “Settings“.
2. Choose “Ease of Access“.
3. Select “Keyboard“.
4. Set “On-Screen Keyboard” to “On” or “Off” as desired.

Enable or Disable OSK Via Registry

1. Hold down the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the “Run” dialog.
2. Type “regedit“, then press “Enter“.
3. Navigate to the following location:
   • HKLM
   • SOFTWARE
   • Microsoft
   • Windows
   • CurrentVersion
   • Authentication
   • LogonUI
4. Open “ShowTabletKeyboard” and set it to “1” to enable it. Set it to “0” to disable it. If this key doesn’t exist, you can create it.

Now the On-Screen Keyboard should be enabled or disabled as desired.

This setting is not selected, but a keyboard still appears when I start Windows. Why is this happening?

Try these steps:

1. Right click the window start button at the bottom left of your screen to bring up a menu.
2. Click “Run” and type in “osk.exe” press “Enter” key.
3. Previously I had closed out the On-screen Keyboard so when I pressed the “Enter” key and the OSK will pop up.
4. At the bottom of the keyboard to your right you will see a key “Options”, click that key.
5. You will get a popup “Options” box and at the bottom you will see a blue link “Control whether the On-Screen Keyboard starts when I sign in” PRESS THAT LINK and another box will popup.
6. If “Use On-Screen Keyboard” is checked…. Uncheck it!
7. Select “Apply” then “OK” (this will close out the box).
8. Select “OK” on the “Options” box to close it out. “Ease of Access Center” box may be visible, no problem, just close it out.
9. Close out the Keyboard allowing you to FINALLY get rid of that aggravating OSK!

Thanks to James Davis for the above solution.

If the above steps do you work for you, you may also have a third-party keyboard installed or one that was installed by the manufacturer of your device. Windows Vista & 7 users can go to Start, run “msconfig“, then check under the “Startup” tab to disable (uncheck) any keyboard software that might be running. Windows 10 & 8 users can right-click a blank area of the taskbar, select “Task Manager“, then select the “Startup” tab to disable keyboard software.

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Filed Under: Windows Tagged With: Windows 10

How to take and annotate screenshots on Windows 10

Sometimes the easiest way to make a copy of something is to take a snapshot of your screen. While you can already capture your screen using your keyboard’s PrtScn button, you can now press Windows logo key + Shift + S to open the new modern snipping experience (also called the snipping bar), then drag the cursor over the area you want to capture.

Here are some common ways to take and annotate screenshots in Snip & Sketch on Windows 10.

Take a screenshot

Option 1: Using the Snip & Sketch app

Press the Start button and enter Snip & Sketch in the search field.

Press the New button to start snipping with the snipping bar.

The snipping bar allows you to capture the following types of snips:

Rectangular snip. Drag the cursor around an object to form a rectangle.

Free-form snip. Draw a free-form shape around an object.

Full-screen snip. Capture the entire screen.

Once you snip an area of your screen — the snipped image is added to your clipboard and you can paste it immediately in another app. A screen prompt will also allow you to annotate, save or share it using the Snip & Sketch app.

Option 2: With the Print Screen key

While the PrtScn key already captures your full screen and sends it to your clipboard, opening the snipping bar provides you with more snipping tools you can use for precise snipping. For better control of your screen capturing options, you can opt to have your PrtScn key open the new snipping bar instead of having to type Windows logo key + Shift + S.

To turn on the new snipping feature keyboard shortcut Select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard

Option 3: With the Window logo key + Shift + S shortcut

Pressing the S key + Windows logo + Shift keys down initiates the snipping bar at any time.

Annotate snips with Snip & Sketch

Opening images for editing with Snip & Sketch

To open an image from Snip & Sketch, select Open File or drag and drop an image from apps like File Explorer or Photos in the Snip & Sketch window.

Annotating images with Snip & Sketch

Snip & Sketch provides a few tools for annotating images, namely pen, pencil and highlighter. Once you click a tool to select it, you can click it again to change its color or thickness.

The tools work better with a pen device, but they can also be used with mouse or touch if you select the Touch Writing button icon.

Use the Eraser tool to remove specific strokes or click it twice to get the option to erase all ink.

Use the ruler or protractor tools and draw straight lines or arches.

Press the ruler/protractor button again to hide the ruler/protractor

Reside or rotate the ruler/protractor by using two finger touch gestures (if the Touch Writing button is selected) or with the mouse wheel.

Use the crop tool to crop the annotated image.

To undo cropping, select the crop tool again and press Cancel to restore the image to its full original area.

Panning the view

Some of the images you annotate might be larger than the size of the Snip & Sketch window. You can use the scroll bars to pan the view, but you can also pan the view with touch input (if the Touch Writing button is not selected) or by dragging with your mouse button while holding the Ctrl key down.

Zoom in and out of screenshots to make them easier to mark up using the magnifying glass icon. You can also zoom in and out of screenshots by pressing the Ctrl key down and tapping the + or — buttons.

Sharing and saving snips

Snip & Sketch copies the annotated snip to your clipboard when you open it and every time you make edits. Snip & Sketch allows you to save the annotated image to a file, share it or open with another app, or print it on paper or to a pdf file.

Using keyboard in Snip & Sketch

While annotating is best done using a pen or mouse — Snip & Sketch provides a lot of keyboard shortcuts you can use. Access keys are activated if you press and hold the Alt key.