Virtual keyboard on Windows desktop

You can call up a virtual keyboard on your Windows desktop with a few key strokes.

A man uses a desktop computer

You can call up a virtual keyboard on your Windows desktop with a few key strokes. (AAP)

It's a little-known secret, but it's possible to call up a virtual, mouse-controlled keyboard on your Windows desktop.

The function is a boon for those only capable of limited motion.

It also adds a bit of extra security if you're using a public computer or a machine you don't fully trust. There's always the possibility on a strange computer that someone has either accidentally or intentionally added a keystroke reader virus, which reads every button tapped and can thus pick up passwords.

The virtual keyboard is easy to add and gets around the dangers of these key loggers. Open it by holding down the Windows key and pressing R. Then type osk.exe in the Windows Command space that appears.

There's usually also a way to bring up the keyboard from the Start menu by going to All Programs, followed by Accessories, then Accessibility, followed by On-Screen Keyboard.


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Virtual keyboard on Windows desktop | SBS News