Is it possible to control the cursor from the keyboard? How to "survive" in Windows without a mouse or keyboard. Controlling the cursor from the keyboard without a mouse
It often happens that the mouse and touchpad do not work. This problem occurs both due to a physical breakdown of the input device itself, and after updating the operating system, drivers, the system being infected with viruses, or after the introduction of third-party programs that have access to mouse control. To solve the problem with the mouse not working, it is worth carrying out a series of diagnostic steps, during which you will still need to use the cursor. You can control this cursor using the keyboard. However, initially you need to enable this option in the system settings. Contents:
How to control the cursor using the keyboard on Windows 7?
If your touchpad and mouse are not working and you need to quickly solve some immediate problem, then you should activate the option to use the numeric keypad to control the Windows cursor.
Since the mechanisms for activating the functions of pointer control using the keyboard differ in different versions of Windows, we suggest considering the instructions for activating them for each version of the OS separately. Let's start with Windows 7.
Press the "Win" key to display the "Start" menu. Next, use the up keys to select “Control Panel”.
Using the same arrows on the keyboard, select the “Special Features” section.
Select "Enable keyboard pointer control." Scroll down and click “Apply”.
Now, to move the cursor, you can select keys from the Numpad block, which are marked on most keyboards with navigation arrows.
- Up – number 8,
- Down – number 2,
- To the left - number 4,
- To the right - number 6.
Each number indicates the direction of movement of the pointer, namely:
To move diagonally on the desktop, you can use the keys located in the corners of the Numpad block:
Up and left – number 7,
- Up and to the right - number 9,
- Down and left – number 1,
- Down and to the right - number 3.
The cursor, which is controlled using the number pad, will move very slowly. However, if you hold down the Ctrl key, the pointer will move a little faster. These same keys will work in Windows 8/8.1 and 10.
Controlling the mouse cursor with the keyboard on Windows 8?
In Windows 8.1, you need to get to the Control Panel. Here, either use the “Win + X” keys to call up the menu in the lower left corner of the desktop or use the up or down arrows to move to the “Control Panel” item. Use the “Enter” key to confirm your choice.
In the Control Panel window, select Accessibility.
Just like in Windows 7, you need to select the “Make the keyboard easier to use” option, and then check the “Enable pointer control from the keyboard” checkbox. 
After this option is enabled, the mouse pointer can be controlled using the numeric keypad.
How to control the cursor on Windows 10 via the keyboard?
In Windows 10, enabling keyboard functionality is found in Settings, Accessibility. 
In the menu on the left, select “Mice” and change the position of the slider in the item “Use the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer” to “Enabled”. 
You can now use the number pad to control the pointer.
Naturally, controlling the pointer using the keyboard is inconvenient. However, in critical situations, you can solve priority problems in this way, and then start repairing your mouse or PC.
If suddenly the mouse fails while working on the computer or you have one device for two PCs at once, you will have to work without a wired or radio-controlled assistant. In this case, use convenient keyboard shortcuts.
Working with a computer without a mouse
If your mouse breaks down, you can enable pointer control from the keyboard. It can be enabled either with or without a functioning mouse. Hereinafter we are talking about Windows 7/8/10 and the latest versions of MacOS.
On Windows
Open the Accessibility section in Control Panel
Click on the “Change mouse settings” button
Check the box next to "Enable keyboard pointer control" and click "Apply"If you need to control the pointer from the keyboard, and the mouse is not nearby, press the key combination Alt (left) + Shift (left) + Num Lock.
Without activating this mode, the user can use the following system key combinations:
Using the system keys on the keyboard you can control the mouseVideo: how to control the cursor without a mouse
On Macintosh
Keyboard cursor control is activated through the Mouse Keys menu of the Universal Access panel. The control functions are taken over by the digital horizontal of the keyboard:
On a Macintosh keyboard, control functions are taken over by the number keysVideo: Using Hot Keys on Mac OS
Managing computer power without a mouse
Shutting down or restarting your computer or laptop can restore the functionality of the mouse. Key combinations will help you perform these actions.
Windows
Unlike older operating systems, pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete in Windows 7 will bring up a window asking you to: launch Task Manager, restart, go to sleep mode, or turn off the computer.
To turn off the computer, just click the “Exit” button
It is also possible to block the PC. Having selected the required action using the arrows, press Enter and wait for the process to complete.
Pressing the Alt + F4 combination will also turn off the computer. First, all active applications will close one by one, and then the operating system itself will shut down.
Video: How to turn off your computer using the keyboard
Macintosh
To shut down your computer as safely as possible, you can use the keyboard shortcut Control + Command + Option + Power or Eject for devices with an optical drive.
To shut down your computer safely, you can use the combination Control + Command + Option + Power
Shutdown confirmation is not required - the shell will do everything itself.
If you need to put MacOS into sleep mode, use the combination Control + Shift + Power. After waking up, in some cases the system will require you to enter a password.
Working with text without a mouse
If the user does not like to be distracted by the mouse while working with text, then using hotkeys will come in handy. The table below contains basic combinations when working with text information. The combinations used in the Microsoft Office 2013 office suite, where the standard formulas have been changed, are listed separately.
The combinations are relevant for most standard applications. Third party developers may use their own solutions. It would be a good idea to study the reference.
Table: key combinations when working with texts
Working with programs and files without a mouse
The hotkey policy when working with the software is thought out taking into account the ease of memorization and speed of activation of the functionality. It’s not for nothing that popular functions are called by simultaneously pressing the Ctrl button in Windows and the Command button in Mac with a letter.
If you don’t like to be distracted by the mouse when working with documents, then keyboard shortcuts with Ctrl will come to the rescue Traditionally, a specific operation is called by the first letter of its English name. For example, the copy function is activated by calling Ctrl + C (from the English word Copy). Using a similar principle, these combinations (we will omit the Ctrl/Command in front):
Some function names contain previously unused letters or those that resemble tools for performing a given operation, for example:
Alt key
Windows users may have noticed that some letters in the application menu are underlined. If you press Alt and then the underlined letter, you may be prompted to select an option.
You can change the language in some programs using the combination Alt + Shift Let's look at the example of “Explorer” for files and folders:
Also, in most programs, changing the language is done using the Alt + Shift combination. Depending on the choice of the left or right key, the direction Russian-English or English-Russian is adjusted.
Controlling the browser with the keyboard
Basic browser control options in Windows:
There may be differences in some browsers. Check your browser's help system to familiarize yourself with the keyboard shortcuts (called F1).
Video: how to open the browser without a mouse
Special abilities
The right mouse button can be replaced by the F10 key on a Windows keyboard. When you activate the Shift + F10 combination, you will gain access to the context menu. Pressing F10 will re-open the first item in this list. In some programs, the action shows letters for convenient transition between function panels in Alt mode.
If the mouse works, but the wheel does not scroll, the Page Up and Page Down keys will help ensure movement, which move the cursor up or down, respectively.
How to play without a mouse
Most games support the ability to play without using the mouse. A wide variety of games involves the use of various combinations of the Ctrl (Command), Alt (Option), side keyboard and utility F-line. The movement arrows are responsible for movement, and game combinations of actions depend on the genre. You can find them out in the tooltips at the first stage of the game or in the help system.
The article discusses the main points that happen to every owner of a PC or MacBook. The topic of controlling a computer without a mouse is relevant and deserves a separate encyclopedia, so you will have to return to it more than once.
If you find yourself in a situation where the mouse does not work or is simply not there, you can even control the cursor from the keyboard. To do this, the system provides a number of accessibility settings. It is called Making your mouse easier to use and allows you to move the cursor using the number pad, double-click and even drag-and-drop.
Note Note: For the keyboard cursor control feature to work, you will need a keyboard with a separate numeric keypad. It is not necessary to disconnect the mouse to test this function.
How to enable keyboard cursor control in Windows 10
Like a large number of other options, this option is activated both from the Settings application and from the classic Control Panel. The first option is simpler, but in the second case you will have access to more settings, which will allow you to customize this process to your own preferences.
The fastest way is a keyboard shortcut Left Alt+ Left Shift+NumLock. This is an emergency combination that will save you the trouble of trying to open Settings or Control Panel without a mouse. The system will warn you about activating keyboard cursor control and you only need to press Enter to confirm your choice. After this, you can use the number pad to move the cursor.
You can activate this function in another way:
You can now use buttons 2, 4, 6 and 8 to move the cursor down, left, right and up, and 1, 7, 9 and 3 to move the cursor diagonally. Please note that by default the system will only enable cursor control when Num Lock is enabled. This means that in other applications you will not be able to enter numbers from the number pad (in Word or in a browser, for example), since now these buttons will not be responsible for entering characters, but for controlling the cursor. Also, the cursor will not move if Num Lock is disabled.
The system works extremely simply: the longer you press the button, the faster the cursor moves. To increase its speed, enable the setting Use Ctrlfor acceleration and Shiftto slow down. This will help you move the cursor around the screen faster, but will require you to hold Ctrl to speed up or Shift to slow down.
How to set up keyboard cursor control in Windows
Windows Settings is extremely sparse for configuring this function, so we recommend looking at the Control Panel to see additional options.
Here you can activate cursor control using the keyboard. To do this, check the box next to Enable mouse pointer control from keyboard. After this, you can use the keyboard block to move the cursor.
In addition, from here you can disable keyboard pointer control using the keyboard shortcut Alt + Shift + Num Lock. But you shouldn't disable this option, since it is used to enable cursor control from the keyboard when a mouse is not connected. Alternatively, you can disable the mode warning and sound signal.
Another important parameter is the speed of pointer movement. Nobody wants to hold a button down for half an hour to drag the cursor from one end to the other. Therefore, it makes sense to increase the speed using two sliders. One determines the maximum speed, the other determines the acceleration rate. The longer you hold the move button, the faster the cursor will move, and the higher the Acceleration parameter, the faster/slower the cursor will move while holding down the Ctrl/Shift buttons. To enable the acceleration or deceleration function, you need to check the box next to Ctrl - acceleration, Shift - slowdown.
Chapter Other options allows you to configure the mode depending on the state of the Num Lock key, and also enable or disable the display of an additional icon in the system tray that indicates the state of the keyboard cursor control mode.
How to control the mouse pointer from the keyboard
When you have found how to enable cursor control from the keyboard, you need to figure out which keys are responsible for which actions.
- 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 – move the pointer down, left, right or up.
- 1 / 7 / 9 / 3 – left and down, left and up, right and up, right and down.
Key 5 is responsible for clicking the mouse. It can be right, left or both at the same time. First you need to turn on the button you want, and then use 5 to “press”. To change this parameter, use the following buttons (without square brackets):
- [/] - enable the left mouse button.
- [*] - enable both buttons
- [-] - enable the right mouse button.
- [+] - double click on an object.
Drag and drop elements:
- – drag an element. You need to hover over the object with the cursor, press 0 and drag it to the desired location.
- [.] – release the element. When the object is in the place you want, click. to let him go.
Of course, you can’t play CS: Go like that, but in case of a rainy day, this mode will help you work with your computer even without a mouse.
We invite our readers to undergo instructions on how to survive in extreme Windows conditions without a mouse or, worse, a keyboard.
Perhaps today’s topic will seem completely unnecessary to our readers now. However, what we will tell you about will someday allow you to calmly survive an unexpected breakdown of your mouse or keyboard and complete some important work in a timely manner.
So, in Microsoft operating systems there is a mode for disabled people, where the mouse is completely controlled by the keyboard, or the keyboard is completely controlled by the mouse. Let us remind you that in Windows XP these functions are always installed initially. But in Windows 2000, only keyboard mouse control is available, but mouse control from the keyboard must be installed.
To do this, insert the Windows distribution into the CD-ROM and use the Win, Tab, Space and cursor buttons to go to the Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Add and Remove Windows Components -> Accessories and Utilities -> Composition -> Accessibility Wizard." Windows ME also does not have any of these features installed, and they must be installed by going to “Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Install Windows -> Accessibility”.
Let's start with the mouse. Of course, without a mouse, you can use the Tab key to switch between buttons and press them with the spacebar. But this is not always possible, especially on modern websites.
To activate mouse control from the keyboard, you can simultaneously press "LeftShift + LeftAlt + NumLock".
If nothing happens, you can enable this function through the control panel. In the "Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Accessibility" menu, on the "Mouse" tab, check the "Control the pointer from the keyboard" checkbox.
You can get there without a mouse using the Tab key, switching window elements and pressing the desired ones with the spacebar.
By clicking the "Settings" button, you can increase the speed of mouse cursor movement and also enable the display of a status icon in the system tray.
This keyboard mouse is controlled from the numeric keypad (Numpad). The numbers 8, 2, 4, 6 move the mouse up, down, left, right, respectively.
To click with the mouse, you first need to select which button will be pressed: "/" - use the left button for clicks, "-" - use the right button, "*" - use both buttons. Please note that these keys do not press anything on the mouse! In the system panel, the tooltip icon that appears shows which mouse button is selected to be pressed. Then the “5” key on the numeric keypad is used to press (it simulates pressing the selected mouse button).
If you need to press and hold the mouse button (for example, to drag a file), then instead of "5" use "0". "0" - fixes the selected mouse button. And to release a fixed button, use the "." key.
We figured out the mouse. Now let's find out what to do if the keyboard doesn't work. Go to the menu "Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Accessibility -> On-screen keyboard."
With the on-screen keyboard, you can press different keys with your mouse. Register buttons (Alt, Ctrl, Shift, Win) are fixed, do not forget to press them again to release them. As for the rest, everything here works simply and clearly. However, if Windows asks you to enter a password when you turn it on, you still need a real keyboard to enter it, because you won’t be able to launch the on-screen keyboard until you log into Windows. However, if local security is not important to you, you can remove the password request in advance. Read how to do this in Windows XP.
Or when working with graphic editors, when precision with cursor control is needed.
Windows 7 allows you to control your computer without a mouse.
How to control a computer with a keyboard?
Press the key combinations in sequence:
left Alt+ left Shift + NumLock
Let me explain a little.
First press the key Alt located on the left side of the keyboard, then, holding it down, press the left one next to it Shift, then, while holding down these two buttons, press NumLock.
Important Note:
You need to press the left ones Alt And Shift. This will not work with the right.
As a result, you should see a window like this:
where we click Yes and the mouse pointer control mode using the keyboard will be activated.
By the way, pay attention to the link in this window above, Go to Ease of Access Center to disable the keyboard shortcut, you can ignore it, but if you still click, a settings window will appear in which you can increase/decrease the speed of cursor movement and other parameters:
If this mode is running, the corresponding icon in the form of a mouse will be shown in the tray:
To exit this mode, you need to press the same key combination again as described above to enter.
Keys to control the mouse cursor using the keyboard.
To control the cursor, use the number pad on the keyboard.
Pressing NumLock turns it on/off in this mode
Cursor control buttons:
1-9 (except 0 and 5) - are responsible for moving the cursor. Accordingly, pressing 4 or 5 will move the cursor left or right. Pressing 9 will move it diagonally to the right and up. And so on.
5 - emits a LMB press (Left Mouse Button).
Double click button 5.
/ - switch to LMB mode.
Switch to RMB mode (Right Mouse Button).
* - switch to LMB and RMB mode simultaneously (to be honest, I didn’t quite understand its need).
0 - hold down the mouse button.
Releases holding the mouse.
The current state of the button is always displayed in the tray, on the same icon. Try clicking different mode transitions and see how the icon changes.
That's all, now you can control the computer mouse cursor using the keyboard.