How in the Tech

Move Your Mouse Cursor Sans Mouse

By Adam Myers ⋅ December 15, 2008 ⋅ Tags: Customization

Did you know you can control your mouse cursor in Windows without ever touching your mouse? Surprisingly to me, it is possible and the functionality is even built into Windows. The utility is titled MouseKeys and is part of Microsoft’s accessibility features. If you had a disability or anything that makes controlling a mouse difficult, MouseKeys provides the ability to remap your numeric keypad and simulate mouse clicks or cursor movements by keying the appropriate key. Think of it like a touchpad on a laptop computer.

I have a Windows Media Center PC connected to my HDTV and while most everything can be controlled from the  bundled remote control, there are times that a keyboard is necessary. For this, I use a wireless keyboard but it lacks a built in trackball so I’m basically without a mouse. With MouseKeys however it affords me the ability to do a few quick tasks that might otherwise require connecting a mouse to the system.

1. From your Start Menu launch Control Panel.
2. In Vista, MouseKeys is located under the Ease of Use icon. I’ve become in the habit of using the search box though as I have a hard time remembering exactly where each option is buried. Just type in Mousekeys in the search box off the Control Panel.



3. Select Move the pointer with the keypad using Mouse Keys
4. Check Turn on Mouse Keys.

   

5. By default, I find the cursor speed rather slow so I recommend adjusting the speed under the Set up Mouse Keys.

Lastly, here are what each of the keys map to when MouseKeys is enabled.