Knowing how to enable the on-screen keyboard, you can solve problems with connected devices that may, for example, stop working as a result of reinstalling the system.

Most often, this is not difficult to do, since the corresponding utility is built into Windows. But even if you can’t launch it, there are alternative options.

You may need to enable the on-screen keyboard on your laptop or PC in the following situations:

• When the system does not recognize the device driver, but the mouse or display sensor works (some models of modern laptops have it);
• If necessary, increase the confidentiality of information. It is believed that screen input is more protected from spyware than standard input.

Keyboard in Windows 7

For the seventh generation of the Microsoft operating system, the most familiar and easiest way to open a utility that allows you to enter characters using a mouse or touch screen is to enter through the “Accessibility” item (found in standard Start menu programs).

The second option is to search through the corresponding field.

If you cannot find the on-screen keyboard using any of the above methods, going to the “Control Panel” and the Programs and Features menu may be suitable.

On the left is an item that opens a list of installed Windows 7 items.

Here the item for Tablet PC components is noted.

After selecting this option, a manual will appear on the screen. If it is not provided at all, most likely you will have to update the system.

Advice! For the virtual keyboard to automatically appear when you log into Windows 7, you must follow all the same steps as for other versions of Microsoft's OS.

Windows 8 was immediately designed with touchscreens in mind. For this reason, virtual is present in it by default.

The only exception may be the simplified Home version.

You can run it like this:

1. Open the “All applications” item of the system;
2. Find the “Special Features” section;
3. Enable the virtual on-screen keyboard in the application list.

The second method is to type using the on-screen keyboard. A search results window should appear with the desired item.

Although this option is only possible during normal operation of a regular keyboard and is only useful for increasing the secrecy of data entry.

The third option is to enable the manual through the system Control Panel. It will take about the same amount of time as the first one.

But sometimes you can quickly access the system control panel directly from the desktop - to do this, you just need to configure the settings of its icons.

In cases where the on-screen keyboard needs to be used frequently, it can be displayed automatically.

To do this, you need to open the system’s special features in the same way and find the item “Use a computer without a mouse or keyboard.”

If you select the use item, it will be available when the user password entry window opens.

Enabling on Windows 10

There are no special differences in launching the virtual keyboard for Windows 10. However, the way you enter the accessibility menu and its appearance are different.

The on-screen keyboard must not only be selected, but turned on by moving the corresponding slider.

Downloading the on-screen keyboard

Sometimes the functionality of a standard virtual keyboard is not enough for the user. Or such a utility is not provided in the system.

In this case, you need to download an alternative option from the Internet.

Free Virtual Keyboard

And Windows 10 even has a special emoji keyboard for making it easier to enter emoticons.

On-screen keyboard in Windows 8

When problems arise with a regular keyboard, the on-screen keyboard in Windows 8 comes to the rescue of users. And even more than that: in certain cases, it can be more convenient than a regular one.

If you know how to activate the on-screen keyboard, you can solve popular problems with connecting devices, which sometimes may not work for various reasons, for example, after rearranging the OS.

Most often this keyboard is built into Windows itself, but even if it is not possible to launch it, there are other options.

1. Windows 7 on-screen keyboard

The seventh OS included simply an additional utility that will make it possible to enter characters using a mouse or sensor - you can enter through the “Special Features” item, this item is located in the “Start” menu.

Another option is to search through Start for the query “On-screen keyboard”.

If the keyboard is still not found, try going to Control Panel and going to Programs and Features. Next, go to the item highlighted in the picture:

After completing this step, a special manual will appear. If this does not happen, then the problem is with the system and it will need to be updated.

2. Windows 8 on-screen keyboard

Windows 8 was originally designed specifically for touch displays. That is why this keyboard is definitely in the system. With the exception of the "home" or "lite" version of Windows.

Launching the on-screen keyboard on Windows 8:
1. “All applications” item;
2. Next “Special Features”;
3. Launch the “On-Screen Keyboard” and use it.

The second method is to search for the keyboard using the query “On-screen keyboard”, as in the previous paragraph.
The third way is to turn on the manual itself through the control panel, as in the previous paragraph.

If you need to use the on-screen keyboard regularly, its output is configured and made automatic. To do this, in the “Special Features” item, you need to select “Use a PC without a mouse and keyboard.”

3. Windows 10 on-screen keyboard

The differences between running on Windows 10 are minor. But outwardly, everything is done differently. Having selected the “keyboard” item, you will need to switch the special slider to “On.”

4.Download the on-screen keyboard

It is possible when the default keyboard is missing something. Or this utility simply does not exist.

Alternative on-screen keyboard options.

Free Virtual Keyboard
A free add-on that is easy to launch and weighs less than 1 MB. The program's capabilities are wider than those of the default keyboard.

Touch It Virtual Keyboard
Not a free product, but very functional. It has a lot of settings, as well as a very user-friendly interface. Using the utility, you can create additional virtual keyboards, but the application is paid.

Click-N-Type
It is quite functional and also customizable for the user. Appearance 3 out of 5. But for users who care about features rather than appearance, this is the best option for a free on-screen keyboard.

5. How to use the on-screen keyboard

Using this keyboard is quite simple. To do this, you can use a mouse or sensor. You can enter text in any text editor, website, etc.

This keyboard is always on top of all windows and programs for greater convenience. It is best to install it below the text so that it does not interfere.

Many keyboards have additional features, including a numeric keypad. Windows 10 has a special section with emoji emoticons.

Sometimes you need to disable the virtual keyboard on your Windows 8 tablet. Let's say you open OneNote and want to start drawing, and the keyboard creeps up and takes up half the screen. Or you open a Word document to read, and at this time the unnecessary keyboard pops up again. Or you use the tablet primarily for drawing, then again you don’t need a keyboard. You have to constantly press the “Hide” button, which is very tedious. You can simply turn off the keyboard.

Instructions for disabling the virtual keyboard on a Windows 8 tablet

1 Disabling a service touch keyboard

Go to the computer control panel.

In the “Administration” section we launch Services.

In the list of operating system services that opens, look for Touch keyboard and handwriting panel service. Double-click the left mouse button on the service name.

In the properties window that opens, stop the service (button Stop) and set the startup type - Disabled. Now the virtual keyboard will not bother you.

2 Screen keyboard accessibility center

The downside of disabling the service is that the touch keyboard is completely disabled and cannot be called up even under duress. But there is still a backup option. Windows 8 (and other versions of Windows too) has an on-screen keyboard in the Accessibility section. Its executable file is located at C:\Windows\System32\osk.exe Run it through Explorer or from the Control Panel: Control Panel Accessibility Enable on-screen keyboard. This keyboard is called only when you call it yourself, but with it you will not be left without the ability to enter text.

Place the virtual keyboard shortcut from the Ease of Access Center on the Windows desktop or taskbar so you can quickly bring up the keyboard when needed.

If you need to re-enable the standard virtual keyboard on a Windows 8 tablet, then in the service properties window, simply start the service (the “Run” button) and set the startup type to “Automatic” or “Manual”.

The Windows 8 on-screen keyboard allows you to perform any actions on your computer using the mouse. It will be useful in a situation where the physical keyboard does not work for some reason, or its use is not possible. This function belongs to the category "Special abilities".

Enabling the feature

Three ways to enable the function:

Note: You can set the keyboard to turn on automatically when the system boots. To do this, open "Control Panel", find there "Special abilities". Now click on "Using a computer without...". All that remains is to open the menu "Change sign-in options". And there, set the function to turn on the virtual keyboard when you start the PC.

Activating the function before logging in

A broken keyboard may make it impossible to log in if your account has a password. What to do in a situation where you urgently need access to computer files? Again, you can get out of the situation using the Windows 8 on-screen keyboard.

On the profile login screen, click on the icon "Special abilities". From the context menu, activate the desired function.
The keyboard panel will appear. Now place the cursor in the text field, and then enter the secret combination with the mouse and confirm the entry.

The on-screen keyboard is a program that allows you to emulate physical device. In simple terms, when you turn on the virtual keyboard starts a program that displays buttons on the screen, by clicking on which the user performs certain actions (typing text, entering passwords, etc.). But what is this for?

Advantages There are many keyboard virtualizations, let’s look at a few of them:

• the ability to avoid interception of entered data;
• no need to have a real keyboard;
• operability even in conflict situations when it is not possible to recognize the device driver;

Enable on-screen keyboard on Windows XP, 7

Click on the menu Start, select the submenu “ All programs - Standard", find the folder inside " Special abilities", inside which we find the shortcut " Screen keyboard“, click and launch the program.

The initialization process will begin, followed by startup. In Windows XP OS it looks like this (see screenshot).

Sequence of actions on Windows seventh similar.

There is another way to open the keyboard through Control Panel:

click on the menu “ Start", click on Control panels, then go to the section Accessibility.

On the left side of the control panel there should be an option " see also", click there, we see the appearance of a shortcut for quick launch " Magnifier" And " On-screen keyboard". Click on the inscription we need.

If there is no keyboard in Windows 7

If in Win 7 in the subfolder " Special abilities"The required item does not exist, then open Control Panel, select the section “ Programs and components", left mouse button on " List of installed components", select (check the box) " Tablet PC Components". After this, the on-screen keyboard will appear in the system; to launch it, repeat the first step.

Virtual keyboard in Windows 8

IN search engine in the Win 8 line, enter the text “ Screen keyboard" and the system will offer suitable options.

On the start screen, open " All programs", click on the shortcut Accessibility and launch the required shortcut.

There is an option to launch the on-screen keyboard at the entrance user in Windows by clicking on the corresponding shortcut at the bottom of the welcome screen.

Opening the keyboard on Windows 10

We go to the same menu Start, open " Options“, inside the Windows 10 settings window we find the section special features, click on it with the mouse. In the page that opens, move the enable slider to the “ On.»

As in the eighth version of Windows, in the tenth you can open the virtual keyboard at the entrance in the system welcome window, to do this you need to click on the accessibility icon.

There are even more easy way, to do this, right-click on the taskbar, then check the box ( turn on) « Show touch keyboard button» in the context menu.

A virtual keyboard icon should appear on the right side of the screen, clicking on which will launch the program.

How to use the virtual keyboard

The on-screen keyboard performs all the functions that are available to basic physical devices, including shift, ctrl, enter, alt, calling the OS context menu or enabling caps lock mode when entering texts...

Let's look at how this works. We launch the keyboard using one of the stated methods, click on the button, for example, “ shift"and we can print in capitals letters. At the same time, we notice that the number buttons have changed to input buttons special characters. Depending on the selected layout, different specials will be shown. symbols.

Accordingly for change language It is quite enough to press ctrl+shift or alt+shift in turn, that is, the key combination for changing the language.