Submitted by Wilfried Boutillier, Seattle, Washington

An on–screen keyboard is built into Windows XP. It can be useful if you have mobility impairments, if you are using a tablet PC, or if your keyboard goes down. To access the keyboard, go to Start, then click Run, and type osk. Now the keyboard opens on your computer screen, featuring three typing modes you can use to type data:

• Clicking mode, you click the on–screen keys
• Scanning mode, you press a hot key or use a switch–input device to type highlighted characters
• Hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key, which is then typed

To make a shortcut icon on your desktop to the on–screen keyboard:

1. Right–click the desktop.
2. Point to New, and then click Shortcut.
3. Type osk, click Next.
4. Type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.

That's it! When you need it, the shortcut to the on–screen keyboard utility is right on your desktop.