In general, the most important element of software accessibility
to people with various disabilities is consistent keyboard
alternatives to mouse-oriented parts of the user interface.
Microsoft has released a keyboard guide to Windows 98 in
compressed, rich text format
(http://microsoft.com/enable/download/w98_kbd.exe). Below is a
plain text version.
----------
Microsoft Windows 98 Keyboard Guide
July 7,1998
This document presents keyboard shortcuts and navigation for
Microsoftþ Windowsþ 98. For general Windows concepts and
descriptions of the interface, consult Help or the documentation
supplied with your operating system. Developers also may find
useful information about keyboard shortcuts and navigation in The
Windows Interface Guidelines for Software Design by Microsoft
Press.
The conventions described in this document are supported by most
applications designed for Windows 98. However, conventions do
vary slightly between different applications and different
contexts. Many Microsoft products have specific shortcut keys to
make keyboard access convenient. Look for the phrases þkeyboard
shortcutsþ or þkeystroke shortcutsþ in the applicationþs Help
index. Also, while we recommend that applications generate a
warning sound when unsupported keystrokes are used, many do not.
Windows 98 provides Accessibility Options that can make typing
easier for people who have difficulty using the keyboard or
pressing more than one key at a time. For details, consult Help
or the document þCustomizing Windows 98 for People With
Disabilitiesþ available at http://www.microsoft.com/enable.
The Windows 98 Keyboard Guide covers these topics:
þShortcut keys throughout Windows
For the purposes of this document, þshortcut keysþ
are the key combinations provided in Windows 98 or the
application that perform specific actions, such as pressing
buttons, opening applications, choosing menu items, moving the
focus, etc. They can be referred to as þkeyboard shortcuts,þ
þhotkeys,þ þkeystroke shortcuts,þ þkey combinationsþ or just
þkeysþ in other documentation and Help.
þ Creating custom shortcut keys
þCustom shortcut keysþ are key combinations you
assign to shortcuts on your Windows taskbar and Start menu. They
are also referred to as þhot-keysþ in other documentation and
Help. Shortcuts themselves are files in the Desktop and Start
folders and their icons on the Desktop and taskbar. Custom
shortcut keys can be used to launch applications from anywhere
within Windows, without going through the taskbar or the Start
menu.
þ Keyboard navigation in the Active Desktop, Help,
and Internet Explorer
þKeyboard navigationþ is using keys instead of the
mouse to move from item to item on your screen, usually in an
order specified by Windows 98 or your application. Common keys
used in keyboard navigation are the arrow keys to move form one
icon to another, followed by enter to activate the icon, or tab
and shift+tab to move between controls. Using arrow keys, the
order of the selection should be obvious (itþs the direction of
the arrow), but using tab and shift+tab is less obvious.
Typically, tab moves through items in standard left-to-right,
top-to-down order, but there are exceptions.
1. Shortcut Keys
1.1 General Windows Keys
The following keys work throughout Microsoft Windows.
Keys: Action:f1 Displays Help information for the active object or the window as
a whole.Windows logo key or ctrl+esc Opens the Start menu located on the taskbar.ctrl+alt+delete In Microsoft Windows, opens the Close Program dialog box, which
contains a list box of applications to be closed and the command
buttons End Task, Shut Down, and Cancel.
In Microsoft Windows NT, opens the Windows NT Security dialog
box, with the following options: Lock Workstation, Logoff, Shut
Down, Change Password, Task Manager, and Cancel. If you are not
logged on, opens the logon dialog box.delete Deletes the selected item(s). If the items are files, moves them
to the Recycle Bin.shift+delete Delete the selected item(s). If the items are files, destroys
them immediately without moving them to the Recycle Bin.ctrl+n Opens the New dialog box. (You also can choose the New command
from the File menu.)ctrl+o Opens the Open dialog box. (You also can choose the Open command
from the File menu.)ctrl+p Opens the Print dialog box. (You also can choose the Print
command from the File menu.) ctrl+s Opens the Save dialog box. (You also can choose the Save command
from the File menu.)ctrl+x Cuts the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can choose
the Cut command from the Edit menu.)ctrl+insert or ctrl+c Copies the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can
choose the Copy command from the Edit menu.)shift+insert or
ctrl+v Pastes the copied items(s) from the Clipboard. (You also can
choose the Paste command from the Edit menu.)alt+backspace or
ctrl+z Undoes the last action. Note that not all actions, such as
shutting down, can be undone. (You also can choose the Undo
command from the Edit menu.)alt+shift+backspace Redoes the previously undone action. (You also can choose the
Redo command from the Edit menu.)Windows logo key+m Minimizes all open windows. The keyboard focus goes to the least
recently selected icon on the desktop. Add shift to expand
previously opened windows and return focus to the most recently
used application. Windows logo key+e Opens the Windows Explorer. (You also can choose the Windows
Explorer command from the Program item in the Start menu.)Windows
logo key+f Opens the Find All Files dialog box. (You also can choose the
Files Or Folders command from the Find item in the Start
menu.)Windows logo key+r Opens the Run dialog box. (You also can choose the Run command in
the Start menu.)Windows logo key+break Opens the System Properties dialog box. (You also can choose the
Systems item in Control Panel.)Windows logo key+ctrl+f Opens the Find Computer dialog box. (You also can choose the
Computer command from the Find item in the Start menu.)Windows
logo key+number Reserved for use by computer manufacturers.shift+f10 or
Application key
(also the right mouse click) Opens the shortcut menu for the active item. This can be selected
text, a toolbar button, a taskbar button, or other item. shift Press down and hold the shift key while you insert a CD-ROM to
bypass the AutoPlay feature. Hold down the shift key while
Microsoft Word is loading to suppress the AutoExec macro.
1.2 Selecting Items by Access Key or by Name
Most dialog box controls, menu titles, and menu items have
underlined access keys. You can press alt along with the access
key to activate the control or menu anywhere within the active
window. If an item doesnþt have an underlined character, its
access key is the first character in its name.
Access keys can sometimes be used without the alt key for
choosing controls or menu items. Use access keys without alt to
select items from an open menu. You can choose a dialog box
control by typing its access key alone, except when the focus is
on an edit box, a list box, or another control that expects typed
characters. Therefore, using the alt is a more reliable method.
Choosing controls in this way normally activates them, except
when more than one item has the same access key. In that case, it
will navigate to the next item assigned that key, but will not
activate it. You must then press enter to activate it.
Within a list box, list view, tree view, or on the desktop, you
can select an item by typing the first one or more characters in
its name. Pressing the same character again will select the next
item beginning with that character.
1.3 Desktop and Taskbar Navigation Keys
Depending on your setup, various items appear on your desktop
when you start Microsoft Windows. For example, the My Computer
icon provides access to a list of the drives and files on your
computer. You can use the arrow keys to move from one icon to
another, or you can select items by typing their names.
By default, the Start button and the taskbar are located at the
bottom of your screen when you start Windows and are always
visible when Windows is running. When you start a program or open
a window, a button representing that program or window is
displayed on the taskbar. When you close a window or quit a
program, its button disappears from the taskbar. Status indicator
icons, such as the time, are displayed at the rightmost end of
the taskbar.
Keys: Action:Windows logo key+m Minimizes all open windows. The keyboard focus goes to the most
recently selected icon on the desktop. Add shift to expand
previously opened windows and return focus to the most recently
used application. arrow key Selects the adjacent icon or taskbar button in the direction of
the arrow.Any printing character Selects the next icon with the specified name or initial
letter.Windows logo key or ctrl+esc Opens the Start menu from the taskbar. When you use ctrl+esc, you
can press esc again to place the keyboard focus on the Start
button. When you use the Windows logo key, pressing esc again
closes the Start menu.tab Moves between the last selected icon on the desktop, the Start
button on the taskbar, and the taskbar as a whole. There is no
visual indication of the focus on the taskbar, but you can use
the arrow keys to move between the taskbar buttons. You also can
use shift+f10 to bring up the shortcut menu for the
taskbar.Windows logo key+tab Cycles through the taskbar buttons.f2 Rename a selected item. A bold rectangle appears around the title
creating a text box. Type the new name and press enter. Press esc
to cancel. Some icons on the desktop cannot be renamed.f3 Opens the Find All Files dialog box. It is often easier to use the Windows Explorer to manipulate
objects that are on the desktop and in My Computer. The desktop
is treated as the highest level directory on your computer in
Windows Explorer, above the My Computer icon. Using the real
desktop can be inconvenient because you have to minimize all
other windows to be able to see it, but you can easily switch
between the desktop group displayed in Windows Explorer and any
other application windows with the following window manipulation
keys.
Similarly, you donþt have to use the taskbar except for the Start
menu, which you always can open by pressing ctrl+esc. The
following section describes keystrokes for switching between
windows that can be used in place of the taskbar buttons.
1.4 Window manipulation keys
Application windows contain running applications. At the top of
the window is a title bar with the name of the application and
the associated document. The title bar of the window you are
currently using is usually a different color than those of the
inactive windows. The applicationþs menu bar is located directly
below the title bar. Application windows can be positioned
anywhere within the desktop borders. Since the active window
always appears in the foreground it might overlap inactive
windows, partially or completely obscuring them.
Windows can be arranged on the desktop through the taskbar
shortcut menu. To reach this menu, use this sequence of keys:
ctrl+esc, esc, tab, shift+f10. The following options are on the
shortcut menu and may be reached using arrow keys or the
underlined keys: Cascade Windows, Tile Windows Horizontally, Tile
Windows Vertically, Minimize All Windows, Undo Minimize All, and
Properties.
To move a window, choose the Move command from the Program menu
on the left of the title bar (use alt+spacebar to open the
Program menu). Use arrow keys to move the window, followed by
enter to accept or esc to cancel. To resize a window, choose the
Size command from the Program menu, then use an arrow key to
choose which window border you want to move, then move it with
the appropriate arrow keys, and then press enter to accept or esc
to cancel
Keys: Action:alt+f4 Closes the active application window. (You also can choose the
Close command from the Program menu of the active
application.)alt+spacebar Opens the Program menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar of
the active window. The Program menu typically contains the
following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize and
Close.alt+tab Switches to the most recently used application window. To select
an application from a list, continue to hold alt down and press
tab more than once to move through the list. Add shift to reverse
direction through the list.alt+esc Switches keyboard focus to next application window, including
minimized windows on the taskbar. Press esc more than once to
switch through successive windows and add shift to reverse the
direction.alt+enter Switches an MS DOS-based application between full-screen and
windowed modes.print screen Copies an image of the screen to the Windows Clipboard.alt+print
screen Copies an image of the active window to the Windows Clipboard. Applications can have multiple document windows. Document windows
appear within application windows, and like application windows
may tile or overlap. Document windows have their own title bars
unless they are maximized. When maximized, they fill the
application workspace and share the application windowþs title
bar, and the document name is included with the name of the
application on a shared title bar. The document windowþs document
icon is added to the application menu bar on the far left. For
example, in Microsoft Word the title bar says þMicrosoft Word -
Name of Documentþ when the document window is maximized. Commands
that affect the application window affect the document window as
well.
Keys: Action:ctrl+f4 Closes the active document window. ctrl+f6 Switches to next document window in the active application. Add
shift to switch to the previous document window.alt+hyphen Opens the Document menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar
of the active document window. The Document menu typically
contains the following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize,
Maximize and Close. For some applications, the application and document windows can
be divided into two or more separate viewing areas called panes.
This is useful when moving or copying information from one
document to another or from one part of a document to another.
Panes also are used when viewing both the body of the documents
and the footnotes or annotations.
To split a window into two panes, choose the Split command from
the Window menu. The split bar appears in the middle of the
window with the keyboard focus indicated by arrows. Move the
split bar to the desired location using the arrow keys, then
press enter to set the split bar in the desired location or ESC
to cancel. Once the panes are displayed, you can use f6 or tab to
move between them in a clockwise direction; add shift to reverse
direction.
1.5 Menu commands
Applications frequently include commands that are listed in
menus. Menus are represented by names on a menu bar at the top of
each application window. In Microsoft Windows, you select a menu,
and then choose a command from that menu. Choosing the command
initiates the action. An ellipsis (...) after the menu indicates
that a dialog box will appear after the command is chosen to ask
for information that the application needs to carry out the
command.
Keys: Action:Windows logo key or ctrl+esc Opens the Start menu on the taskbar.f10 or alt Activates the menu bar of the active window. The leftmost menu
name is selected. (In a maximized document window, the leftmost
menu has an icon instead of a name and there is no visual
indication that it is selected.) Press f10 or alt again to toggle
the focus back to where it was previously.left arrow or right
arrow Moves the focus between menus on the menu bar in the direction of
the arrow. If the original menu was open, the target menu is
opened as well, and the first item in it gets the focus.up arrow
or down arrow Opens the selected menu. down arrow selects the next command in
the list. up arrow selects the previous command in the list.enter Opens the selected menu when focus is on the menu title, but
activates a menu item when focus is on a menu item. If the
selected menu item is unavailable, enter closes the
menu.alt+spacebar Opens the Program menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar of
the active window. The Program menu typically contains the
following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize and
Close.alt+hyphen Opens the Document menu from the leftmost icon on the title bar
of the active document window. The Document menu typically
contains the following commands: Restore, Move, Size, Minimize,
Maximize and Close.esc Closes an open menu and moves the focus back to the parent menu
if there is one. Otherwise it returns the focus to the menu
title. If the focus was already on the menu title, focus moves
back to wherever it was before activating the menu bar.alt+Any
printing character Chooses the menu with the underlined character (access key) on
the main menu bar. Any printing character Chooses the command with the underlined character (access key) on
an open menu.shift+f10 or Application key
(also the right mouse click) Opens the shortcut menu for the active item. This can be selected
text, a toolbar button, a taskbar button, or other item.
1.6 Windows Explorer keys
The Windows Explorer displays the contents of a computer, drive
or directory. The Windows logo key+e opens the Windows Explorer
at any time, and it also can be started from Programs on the
Start menu. It normally has two panes: the left pane displays a
tree view of your folders and the right pane displays the
contents of one folder.
Windows Explorer also can display a single-pane, without the tree
view. In this case it normally hides the toolbar unless you
explicitly turn it on using the View menu. You can access the
same information using the My Computer icon from the desktop, and
in the standard Open and Save As dialog boxes.
The View menu offers a choice of icon displays:
þ Large Icons view displays the contents of a drive
or directory as large icons in horizontal rows.
þ Small Icons view displays the same information in
small icons in horizontal rows.
þ List menu item displays directories and files as
small icons in vertical columns.
þ Details view displays files as a single column of
icons with multiple columns of information about each file.
Files and folders can be moved or copied by using the Cut, Copy,
and Paste commands from the Edit menu or by using shortcut keys.
Moving a program icon does not change the performance of the
program. Deleting a program icon does not delete all the files
associated with the program, so you should install or delete
programs using the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel.
1.6.1View Control Keys
Keys: Action:Arrow keys Select the next item in the indicated direction. Add shift to
select or deselect additional items. Add ctrl to move to the item
without selecting it. In Details View there is only one column,
so right and left arrow scrolls the window a small amount to the
right or left. In List View the up and down arrow keys wrap
between columns.page up or page down Moves to the bottom or top item on the screen. Use a second time
to select the item one screen above or below. Add shift to select
additional items. Add ctrl to move to the item without selecting
it.home or end Selects the first or last item in the list. Add shift to select
or deselect additional items. Add ctrl to move to the item
without selecting it.Any printing character Selects the next icon with the specified name or initial letter.
space behaves this way when it is typed as part of a nameþsee
section 1.2, þSelecting Items by Access Key or by Nameþenter Opens the selected item. This may open a new window, depending on
the options you have selected. (You also can choose Open from the
File menu.)backspace Displays the contents of the parent directory. This may open a
new window, depending on the options you have selected.space When typed alone, selects the current item if it is not already
selected. Use after moving with the ctrl key to select separate
groups of items.ctrl+space Selects or deselects the current item. Use after moving with the
ctrl key to select separate groups of items.shift+space Extends the selection to the current item. If you have already
selected more than one item, it selects only the items from the
first item you selected to the current item.ctrl+z Undoes the last action. Some actions cannot be undone. (You also
can choose Undo from the Edit menu.)ctrl+x Cuts the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can choose
Cut from the Edit menu.)ctrl+c Copies the selected item(s) to the Clipboard. (You also can
choose Copy from the Edit menu.)ctrl+v Pastes the copied item(s) from the Clipboard. (You also can
choose Paste from the Edit menu.)ctrl+a Selects all the items in the current window. (You also can choose
Select All from the Edit menu.)ctrl+g Opens the Go To Folder dialog box. (You also can choose Go To
from the Tools menu).ctrl+f or f3 Opens the Find All Files dialog box. (You also can choose Find
from the Tools menu, then the Files Or Folders command).delete Deletes the selected item(s) to the Recycle Bin. (You also can
choose Delete from the File menu.)shift+delete Delete the selected item(s) immediately without moving the
item(s) to the Recycle Bin.alt+enter Displays the properties of the selected item. (You also can
choose Properties from the File menu.)f2 Renames a selected item. A bold rectangle appears around the
item. Type the new name and press enter. Press esc to cancel.
(You also can choose Rename from the File menu.)f4 Opens the drop-down list box on the toolbar. Pressing f4 again
moves the keyboard focus back to the previously used item.f5 Refreshes the current window. (You also can choose Refresh from
the View menu.)f6 or tab Switches between panes and the toolbar.
1.6.2Tree View Control Keys
Tree views display a set of objects as an indented outline based
on their hierarchical relationships. For example, the All Folders
pane in the Windows Explorer is a tree view. Files and folders
can be moved or copied in tree view by using the Cut, Copy, and
Paste commands. Tree view only supports single selection of
items.
Keys: Action:right arrow Opens a branch, or selects the first item in the branch.left
arrow Closes a branch, or selects the parent of the current
item.asterisk (on the numeric keypad) Expands everything under the current selection. minus sign (on
the numeric keypad) Closes everything under the current selection.plus sign (on the
numeric keypad) Expands everything under the current selection back to a
previously opened state, or opens only one level if it has not
previously been opened.up arrow or down arrow Selects the next visible object above or below.page up or page
down Moves to the top or bottom item on the screen. Use a second time
to move up or down one screen.home or end Selects the first or last item on the tree.Any printing character Selects the next icon with the specified name or initial letter.
Repeating the character selects successive items beginning with
the same character.backspace Chooses the parent directory
1.7 Dialog Boxes
A dialog box is a window that appears temporarily on top of your
application window to request information. Message boxes are
simple dialog boxes that appear to display additional
information, warnings, or to explain why a requested task could
not be accomplished. Dialog boxes often contain groups of
controls necessary to set options or settings for programs. A
typical dialog box might contain some text, a set of radio
buttons, and OK and Cancel buttons.
You can select or choose controls that have an access key in
their titles by typing alt+the underlined letter at any time when
the dialog box is active. tab moves the keyboard focus between
controls, but which controls are included in the focus sequence,
and the order of the sequence, may vary between applications. See
section 3, þKeyboard Navigationþ for a more detailed discussion
of using tab. Typically, items that cannot be changed are not
visited by the tab key. Arrow keys are used to move within a list
box, groups of option controls, or groups of page tabs. Arrow
keys can move the keyboard focus between other controls but this
behavior is not reliable. Options that are unavailable appear
dimmed and cannot be selected.
While the controls described here are typically found on dialog
boxes, they also can occur in other contexts.
Command buttons (also known as push buttons) initiate an
immediate action. One command button in each dialog box carries
out the command youþve chosen, using the information supplied in
the dialog box. This normally is labeled þOK.þ Other command
buttons let you cancel the command or choose from additional
options.
Command buttons marked with an ellipsis (...) open another dialog
box so you can provide more information or confirm an action.
Command buttons marked with a pair of greater-than symbols (>>)
expand the current dialog box to show more controls. Command
buttons marked with an arrow display a menu.
A dark border initially indicates the default button. Press enter
at any time to choose the button with a dark border. Use tab to
move the keyboard focus to the next control, and add shift to
reverse the direction. When you move the keyboard focus to a
command button it temporarily takes the dark border, but when the
keyboard focus is not on a command button the dark border returns
to the default button. Press spacebar to choose the command
button you selected with tab. Use esc to immediately choose the
Cancel button if there is one. Typing the access key for a
command button will immediately carry out the command.
Check boxes may be selected or cleared to turn an option on or
off. Check boxes may have two states (checked and unchecked) or
three states (checked, unchecked, and indeterminate). Check boxes
often are displayed in sets of related options; for example, in
setting Font Effects in Microsoft Word, the check boxes offer
Strikethrough, Superscript, Subscript, Hidden, Small caps, and
All caps.
Use tab to move between boxes and spaceto change the check box
to the next state. Typing the access key for a check box also
will move the focus to the box and change its state.
Option controls (also known as radio buttons) are used to select
only one option from a group of options. (Like check boxes,
option buttons may represent two or three states.) Use the arrow
keys to select the next or previous buttons within the group. In
some applications, you can add ctrl to move to the button without
selecting it, then use spacebar to choose the currently selected
option button. Typing the access key for an option control will
also move the focus to the control and select it.
Tabbed pages are used to fit many options into a single dialog
box. They appear visually similar to dividers from a notebook.
Each page contains separate groups of controls such as check
boxes or option controls. Use tab to move the focus to the tab
for the currently visible page. Typing the access key for a page
tab also will move the focus to the tab and display its page.
Keys: Action:ctrl+page down or ctrl+tab Switches to the next tab and displays the page.ctrl+page up or
ctrl+shift+tab Switches to the previous tab and displays the page.right arrow or
left arrow When the focus is on a tab selector, chooses the next or previous
tab in the current row and displays the page.down arrow or up
arrow Chooses the tab in the next or previous row and displays the
page. Sliders appear as an indicator on a vertical or horizontal gauge.
The slider both displays and sets a value from a continuous
range, such as speed, brightness, or volume. Use tab or the
appropriate access key to move the focus to the slider.
Keys: Action:right arrow or down arrow Selects the next higher setting.left arrow or up arrow Selects the next lower setting.home or end Selects the lowest or highest setting.page down Selects a somewhat lower or higher setting depending on the
application. (This is the equivalent of pressing an arrow key
many times.)page up Moves in the reverse of the page down. Spin boxes appear as a text box with up and down arrows used to
select from a list of fixed values. Use tab to move the keyboard
focus to the text box, then enter a valid value in the box or use
the up arrow or down arrow keys to select the next higher or
lower values.
List boxes display a column of available choices. If there are
more choices than can fit in the open list box, moving the
selection through the list will scroll more choices into view.
Use tab or type the appropriate access key to move the focus to
the list box.
Single selection list boxes allow only one item to be selected
from the list at a time. Items are selected when navigating to
them, and moving to a second item will automatically deselect all
other items.
Drop-down list boxes by default show only the selected item.
There is a small button to the right of the control that shows a
downward-pointing arrow. You can click the arrow to display more
items from the list. You also can show or hide the list using
alt+down arrow, alt+up arrow, or f4. In all other respects it
behaves like a normal single-selection list box.
Extended selection list boxes support selecting single items,
blocks of items, or combinations of the two. After selecting an
item as in a single-selection list box, hold down
shift+Navigation keys to select or deselect more items.
Multiple selection list boxes typically have comparatively long
lists and more of these items are expected to be chosen
individually (not in blocks). Navigating to items does not
automatically select them nor does selecting an item change the
status of other selections. Press spacebar to select or deselect
an item.
Combo-boxes and drop-down combo boxes are list boxes with
attached edit boxes. You can make your selection by either typing
in the edit box or using the standard commands to select from the
list.
Keys: Action:up arrow or down arrow Selects the previous or next item. In an extended selection list
box, add shift to select additional items and add ctrl to move to
an item without selecting it. In a multiple selection list box,
moves without changing the selection.page up or page down Selects the item up or down one screen. In an extended selection
list box, add shift to select additional items and add ctrl to
move to an item without selecting it. In a multiple selection
list box, moves without changing the selection.home or end Selects the first or last item in the list box. In an extended
selection list box, add shift to select additional items and add
ctrl to move to an item without selecting it. In a multiple
selection list box, moves without changing the selection.Any
printing character Moves to the next item matching the characters being typed. Use
backspace to change. In a multiple selection list box, moves to
an item without selecting it. spacebar or ctrl+space Selects or deselects the current item in an extended-selection
list box.shift+space Extends the selection from the last selected item to the current
item in an extended selection list-box.shift+f8 In extended selection list boxes, pressing shift+f8 allows you to
move without changing the selection. You can then press
ctrl+spacebar or shift+spacebar to select additional items. The
list box returns to normal operation when you press shift+f8 a
second time or switch to another window or control. Edit controls are rectangular boxes used for displaying or
editing text. See the following section for more information. Use
tab or the appropriate access key to move the focus to the edit
control and select the text.
1.8 Text Navigation and Editing Keys
When you open a document window in a word processing (or similar)
program, a pointer appears in the upper-left corner of the
window. The text you enter will appear at the pointer. In
insertion mode, the new text is inserted into the existing
textþthe existing text is automatically pushed back to follow the
new text. In overwrite mode, the new text overwrites the existing
text. The following keys automatically scroll the window to keep
the pointer in view when it is necessary. These keys also work in
the text boxes of dialog boxes and list boxes.
Keys: Action:insert Toggles between overtype and insertion modes. (Text boxes support
only insert mode.)arrow key Moves the pointer one character in the direction of the arrow
key. If text is selected, moves the pointer to the end of the
selection and deselects the text.home or end Moves the pointer to the beginning or end of the current line.
page up and page down Moves the pointer up or down one screen or to the first or last
line.ctrl+right or ctrl+left Moves the pointer to the beginning of the next or previous
word.ctrl+up or ctrl+down Moves the pointer to the beginning of the preceding or next
paragraph. (Not supported in text boxes.)ctrl+home or ctrl+end Moves the pointer to the beginning or the end of the document.
(Not supported in text boxes.) Press shift with the text navigation keys listed above to select
blocks of text for editing. For example, press shift+end to
select text from the pointer to the end of the line. shift
togglesþyou can use shift plus the above navigation keys to both
select and deselect text.
Keys: Action:delete Deletes the next character or the selected text.backspace Deletes the previous character or the selected text.
alt+backspace or ctrl+z Undoes the last action.ctrl+insert or ctrl+c Copies the selected text to the Clipboard.shift+delete or ctrl+x Cuts the selected text to the Clipboard.shift+insert or ctrl+v Pastes copied text from the Clipboard.
1.9 Internet Explorer and Help Keys
Windows 98 includes a new Help facility, called HTML Help.
Because Help is now displayed as Web pages, you can use many of
the same keyboard shortcuts to display both Help topics and pages
in Internet Explorer.
When a Web page or Help topic is displayed, tab and shift+tab
move through the links. The page scrolls automatically to keep
the links in view.
Keys: Action:tab Moves to next control, link, or page. Add shift to reverse.f6 Moves between panes in Help.alt+right arrow Displays the next page (the Forward button).alt+left arrow Displays the previous page (the Back button).Shift+f10 Displays a shortcut menu for a link.ctrl+tab Moves forward between frames.Shift+ctrl+tab Moves back between frames.up arrow Scrolls toward the beginning of a document.down arrow Scrolls toward the end of a document.page up Scrolls toward the beginning of a document in single screen
increments.page down Scrolls toward the end of a document in single screen
increments.home Moves to the beginning of a document.end Moves to the end of a document.F5 Refreshes the current page.esc Stops downloading a page or stops animation.ctrl+o Displays the Open dialog box, which you can use to go to a new
location on the Internet.ctrl+n Opens a new window.ctrl+s Saves the current page.ctrl+p Prints the current page or active frame.enter Activates a selected link.
1.10 Accessibility Keys
Use the Control Panel or the Accessibility Wizard to turn on
these keys in Microsoft Windows 98. Under Windows 95 and NT 4.0,
these settings are changed only in Control Panel. Under Windows
NT 3.5 and earlier versions of Windows and MS-DOS, the
Accessibility features are not available until the Access Pack
has been installed. Once Access Pack is installed, the hot keys
are on by default. These features are not available in Windows NT
3.1.
Keys: Action:Five taps on shift Toggles the StickyKeys feature on and off. Use StickyKeys if you
want to use the shift, control, or alt keys one key at a time in
combination with other keys.left alt+left shift+num lock Toggles the MouseKeys feature on and off. Use MouseKeys if you
want to control the mouse pointer with the numeric keypad.Hold
num lock for 5 seconds Toggles the ToggleKeys feature on and off. Use ToggleKeys if you
want to hear tones when pressing caps lock, num lock and scroll
lock.Hold right shift for 8 seconds Three beeps followed by a sliding beep signals eight seconds.
Toggles the FilterKeys features (SlowKeys, BounceKeys and
RepeatKeys) on and off. Use FilterKeys if you want Windows to
ignore brief or repeated keystrokes or to slow the repeat rate.
SlowKeys ignores keys that are pressed accidentally or for a
short time. BounceKeys ignores keys that are pressed more than
once too quickly. RepeatKeys adjusts or disables the keyboard
repeat rate.Hold right shift for 12 seconds Three beeps followed by a sliding beep followed by a double beep
signals twelve seconds. Turns on the BounceKeys feature with the
most conservative settings. Hold right shift for 16 seconds Three beeps followed by a sliding beep followed by a double beep
followed by a triple beep signals sixteen seconds. Turns the
SlowKeys feature on with the most conservative settings.left
alt+left shift+print screen In Microsoft Windows 95, toggles the High Contrast Mode feature
on and off. Use this option if you want Windows to display colors
and fonts designed for easy reading.
In Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, use Control Panel to select from
several High Contrast schemes in the Appearance page under the
Display option.
2. Creating Custom Shortcut Keys for Applications or Documents
Custom shortcut keys provide easy access to the documents and
programs you use most often. You can create shortcut items on
your desktop or on your Start menu and then assign them custom
shortcut keys. Typing a shortcut key at any time will switch to
the application or document, or start it if it is not already
running.
Both the icons on the desktop and the menu items on the Start
menu are represented in Windows Explorer as the Desktop and Start
Menu folders in the Windows directory.
To create a shortcut and place it in the Start menu:
1. Press ctrl+esc.
Windows displays the Start menu.
2. Use arrow keys and enter to choose Programs from the
Start menu.
Windows displays the Programs menu.
3. Use arrow keys and enter to choose Windows Explorer
from the Programs menu.
The Windows Explorer opens with the contents of þStart Menuþ in
the Contents pane on the right.
þ If it doesnþt open with the contents of the
Start Menu, navigate to the Start Menu file in your Windows
directory, select it and press enter to display the contents in
the right pane.
1. Press f6 and arrow keys.
Use f6 to switch panes and the arrow keys to navigate to the
program or document to which you are assigning a shortcut.
2. Press ctrl+c.
The selected item is copied to the Clipboard.
3. Press ctrl+esc.
Windows displays the Start menu again.
4. Press esc.
The keyboard focus moves to the Start button on the taskbar.
5. Press shift+f10.
Windows displays the shortcut menu for the Start button.
6. Press e.
Chooses the Explore command. A second copy of Windows Explorer
opens with the contents of þStart Menuþ in the Contents pane on
the right. Use tab to move the keyboard focus to the first item
in the pane.
7. Press alt+e.
Windows displays the Edit menu.
8. Press s.
Chooses the Paste Shortcut command.
The new shortcut icon appears at the end of the list of icons in
the Contents of the þStart Menuþ pane.
9. Press alt+f and then c.
Chooses Close from the File menu to close the second copy of the
Windows Explorer. Repeat to close the first copy.
You also can place shortcuts on the desktop through the Windows
Explorer by copying items to the Desktop group instead of the
Start Menu file.
To assign a shortcut key to a shortcut:
1 Select the shortcut on the desktop or in the Windows
Explorer.
You can assign shortcut keys only to shortcuts on the Desktop or
in the Start menu.
þ To assign shortcut keys to shortcuts on the
Start menu you must go through Explorer.
2 Press alt+enter.
Displays the Properties sheet with the focus on the Shortcut Key
edit box.
3 Press any key combination.
þ Enter your shortcut and it will appear in the
edit box. ctrl+alt will automatically be added to your key
combination, for example, if you enter the letter þnþ the
shortcut key combination crtl+alt+n will be entered in the edit
box. If you enter a key combination that contains ctrl or alt
(for example, ctrl+shift+e) you will see ctrl+alt briefly
displayed and then your selection displayed. This is to ensure
that shortcut keys include ctrl or alt.
þ Shortcut keys must include ctrl or alt, or
both, and one other key. For example, ctrl+shift+y.
þ You cannot use esc, enter, tab, spacebar,
print screen, or backspace. Be careful, because no other program
will be able to use this key combination while it is defined as a
shortcut key.
þ Press backspace to delete an existing
shortcut key or to change your entry in the text box.
4 Press enter.
Chooses the OK button. Press esc to cancel.
3. Keyboard Navigation
On both the Active Desktop and in Internet Explorer, you can use
tab to move the focus between controls such as icons, buttons,
list boxes, toolbars, panes, and links, generally in
left-to-right and top-to-bottom order. Use shift+tab to move in
reverse order. You can use enter to choose icons, choose
commands, choose buttons, and activate links.
3.1 Overview of Active Desktop
New features added to the Windows 98 Active Desktop include:
þThe Start menu, and menus displayed by Windows
Explorer, are now custom scrolling menus. This allows you to have
more menu commands than fit on the screen at one time, which is
helpful for people who enlarge the menu fonts or customize their
menu to have many commands.
þ There are several new desktop toolbars, including:
þ The Address bar, which functions like
the Run command on the Start menu.
þ The Links bar, which shows Web sites of
general interest.
þ The Desktop bar, which shows the objects
on your desktop.
þ The Quick Launch bar, which shows links
to commonly used commands.
þ You can create your own desktop toolbars with
commands you use frequently. See the following procedures.
þ The Channel bar is now displayed on your desktop.
You can remove it or add other desktop objects using the Display
options in Control Panel.
þ You can now view any folder as a Web page: open
the folder and choose As Web Page from the View menu. If you do
not like this view, you can switch back to any of the views
provided by Windows, including Large Icons, Small Icons, and List
views.
For more information on Active Desktop, see Help in Windows 98.
3.2 Using Keyboard Navigation in Active Desktop
Press tab and shift+tab to move forward and backward between the
Start button, desktop icons, the QuickLaunch bar, the Taskbar,
and the Channel bar. A one-pixel-wide border appears around items
to indicate what is selected.
The selection moves forward through the Active Desktop items in
this order:
1. The Start button on the Taskbar.
2. The Quick Launch toolbar.
One of the Quick Launch icons appears selected.
þ You can use the arrow keys to move between
the program icons. Once the focus is on an icon, you can press
ENTER to launch the application, or SHIFT+F10 to display the
shortcut menu for the toolbar. (All the toolbars on the desktop
share the same shortcut menu.)
þ The arrow keys wrap, i.e., continuing to use
the right arrow on the rightmost icon moves to the leftmost
(first) icon.
3. The Taskbar.
A selection does not appear on the Taskbar, but the focus is
in fact there.
þ Press shift+f10 to display the shortcut menu
for the toolbar. (All the toolbars on the desktop share the same
shortcut menu.)
þ Press the right arrow key to select an
application. You can press enter to display the selected
application, or press shift+f10 to display the shortcut menu for
that application.
þ Arrow keys move between the application
buttons.
þ The arrow keys wrap, i.e., continuing to use
the right arrow on the rightmost icon moves to the leftmost
(first) icon.
4. The Desktop icons.
An icon on the desktop appears selected.
þ Use arrow keys to move between the icons on
the desktop. You can press enter to open the application or
document, or press shift+f10 to display the shortcut menu for
that icon.
þ Press ctrl+spacebar to select or deselect the
current icon; when no icon is selected, you can press shift+f10
to display the shortcut menu for the entire desktop.
þ The arrow keys do not wrap, i.e., continuing
to use the left arrow on the leftmost selection does not move the
focus and Windows does not play an error sound.
5. The Channel bar.
The topmost button on the Channel bar is selected.
þ Use arrow keys to move between the icons on
the channel bar. Press enter to display a channel using Windows
98.
þ The arrow keys do wrap, i.e., continuing to
use the down arrow on the last selection moves to the top button.
þ Note that you can reach the Channel bar only
by pressing tab. The Channel bar is skipped when you navigate in
reverse order using shift+tab.
6. The selection box returns to the Start button
If you add other bars, such as the Address bar, QuickLinks bar,
Desktop bar, or a new toolbar, you also can use tab and shift+tab
to navigate to these bars.
3.3 Overview of Windows 98 Help and Internet Explorer
Windows 98 includes a new Help facility, called HTML Help.
Because Help is now displayed as Web pages, most of the
accessibility features in Internet Explorer are now also
available when viewing Help topics. You can override formatting
options in Help, display text instead of images, disable
animation, and even apply your own style sheet in order to have
greater control over how Help is presented. When you adjust these
and similar options in Internet Explorer and then restart Help,
your settings will automatically apply to all help topics you
view. For more information on how to customize the display of Web
pages and Help through Internet Explorer, see the Internet
Explorer Help. Detailed information also is available online at
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/.
3.4Using Keyboard Navigation in Windows 98 Help
þAs in previous versions of Help, you can use tab to
navigate between text boxes, buttons, and panes of Help and
between links within a displayed Help topic.
þ Sometimes the focus seems to disappear completely
when using keystrokes to navigate Help controls. Often the
þinvisible focusþ is on a window or pane as a whole. and this can
be tested by pressing ctrl+f10 to display the shortcut menu for
the window.
þ Some links or controls also may register as an
þinvisible focus.þ Pressing enter will activate them.
þ When you display a topic in the right pane, it
continues to be displayed until replaced with another selection.
This can make navigation confusing, because the topic name
currently selected in the left pane may not match the topic shown
on the right.
þ The Hide button on the Help toolbar can hide the
leftmost pane used for Content, Index, and Search. To restore
the tabs, press alt+o and then t to open the Options menu and
choose the Show Tabs command.
þ To display the topics in the Contents tab:
1. Press alt+c to move the focus to the Contents tab.
2. The highlight indicates the topic in the list with the
focus.
3. Use the up arrow and down arrow keys to move the
selection in the Contents tab.
þ Pressing enter opens and closes topics
indicated by book icons.
4. When you have made your selection of an available topic
(indicated by a page icon), press enter to display the
information in the right pane.
þ Your topic is displayed in the pane on the
right.
þ The keyboard focus remains on the selected
item in the left pane.
þ The string you searched for is highlighted
wherever it appears in the topic.
5. Press f6 or tab to move the focus to the right pane.
þ The topic you had selected in the left pane
is dimmed to indicate the lack of focus.
þ The focus is on the entire right pane, though
there is no visual indication of this.
þ Press home or end to scroll the screen to the
beginning or end of the topic.
þ Use ctrl+f10 to display the shortcut menu for
the topic. The shortcut menu provides the following options for
the displayed topic: Back, Forward, Select All, View Source,
Print, Refresh, Properties. Some options may be dimmed if
unavailable.
6. If there are links in the topic, press tab to move from
link to link.
þ Tab selects links in left-right, top-down
order.
þ Use shift+tab to reverse.
þ Use enter to activate links.
7. To return to the Contents tab, press alt+c.
8. Press alt+f4 to quit Help.
To display a topic using the Index tab
1. Press alt+N to display the Index tab.
þ The Index tab consists of a text field where
you can enter a term, and a list box showing all available index
entries.
þ The keyboard focus is in the text box. The
first time you use this page, the text box is empty.
þ Use the arrow keys to scroll up and down the
list of all topics. The selected topics appear in the text box as
you scroll.
þ Type the topic in the text box. The display
scrolls to display matching topics as you type.
2. Press enter or alt+d to display the selected topic.
þ Your topic is displayed in the pane on the
right, and the keyboard focus moves to the Help topic. The string
you searched for is highlighted wherever it appears in the topic.
þ If there is more than one topic under your
selection, the Topics Found window appears. The focus is on the
first topic in the list box. Use arrow keys to move the selection
to your topic, and press enter or alt+d to display the topic in
the right pane. tab toggles between the Display and Cancel
buttons.
þ Use the arrow keys to scroll the screen up
and down or left and right.
þ Press home or end to scroll the screen to the
beginning or end of the topic.
þ Use ctrl+f10 to display the shortcut menu for
the topic.
þ Use alt+N to choose other topics, or alt+f4
to close Help.
To search for a topic by keyword in Windows 98 Help
1. Press alt+s.
þ The Search tab comes to the foreground
and the highlight indicates that the keyboard focus is in the
keyword text box.
2. Enter the keyword you want.
3. Press tab and l, enter, or alt+l.
þ A list of topics pertaining to your
keyword appears in the Topic list box.
4. Press alt+p and then the down arrow key or tab to move
the keyboard focus to the first item in the Topic list box.
þ The keyboard focus does not move to the
list box immediately after pressing alt+T; it appears after using
the down arrow key.
þ The keyboard focus does appear
immediately in the list box after using tab.
þ Use the up arrow and down arrow keys to
select a topic.
5. Press enter or alt+d to display the selected topic.
þ Your topic is displayed in the pane on
the right, and the keyboard focus moves to the Help topic. The
string you searched for is highlighted wherever it appears in the
topic.
þ Use the arrow keys to scroll the screen
up and down or left and right.
þ Press home or end to scroll the screen
to the beginning or end of the topic.
þ Use ctrl+f10 to display the shortcut
menu for the topic.
þ Use alt+p to return to the Topic list box to
choose another topic, or alt+k to begin another search.
6. Use alt+f4 to quit Help.
3.5 Using Keyboard Navigation in Internet Explorer
You can use tab and shift+tab to navigate between the menu bar,
toolbars, pages, and links in Internet Explorer. Use enter to
activate links.
The selection moves forward through the Internet Explorer items
in this order:
1. The current address (URL) in the Address bar
þ If the Address bar is not displayed, it
will still get the focus, but there will be no visual indication
of that.
þ To display the Address bar, choose
Toolbars from the View menu, then choose Address bar.
2. The Links bar
þ If the Links bar is not displayed, it
will still get the focus, but there will be no visual indication
of that. The Links bar is not displayed by default.
þ To display the Links bar, choose
Toolbars from the View menu, then choose Links.
3. The Explorer bar (your choice of Search, Favorites,
History, or Channel bars)
þ If an Explorer bar is open, an entry is
highlighted on the bar.
þ To display an Explorer bar, choose
Explorer Bar from the View menu, then select one of the bar
choices.
4. Hyperlinks on the page, moving left to right then down
þ As each link is highlighted, its URL is
displayed in the message bar.
þ Press enter to activate the links.
þ Press shift+f10 to open a shortcut menu
for the links.
5. The Address bar
þ Note that Web-page designers may specify
a different order for their links than the standard left-to-right
and top-to-bottom order.
You can use shift+tab to move between the same areas, but in
reverse order. However, the focus stops on the page as a whole
before reaching the links on the page.
When using shift+tab, the focus moves in the following
order:
1. The current address (URL) on the Address bar
2. The page as a whole
3. Links on the page in right-to-left and then upward
order
4. The Explorer bar
5. The Links bar
6. The Address bar
þ You can quickly skip to the next
displayed page by pressing ctrl+tab (the Forward button) or go
back to the previous page by pressing ctrl+shift+tab (the Back
button)
By Maryanne K. Snyder, Gregory C. Lowney and Jeff Witt. Last
modified July 30, 1998.
Copyright þ 1996þ1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and MS-DOS are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
The information contained in this document represents the current
view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the
date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing
market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a
commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot
guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the
date of publication.
This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES
NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT.
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End of Document
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