subject: Set-up Your Mouse And Keyboard Easily With These Simple Steps [print this page] If you have bought a computer for the first time or you need to familiarise yourself with how to set it up them follow these steps on setting up your keyboard and mouse.
The Mouse settings
Step 1
Ensure your mouse cable is properly connected to the computer. To begin customising the mouse settings click on the start icon at the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Select Control Panel, Hardware and Sound. You will see a list of peripherals to choose from. Select the mouse option.
Step 2
After clicking on the mouse link the dialog box will appear. Find the pointer options tab along the top of the dialog box and you can proceed with the following additional options:
You can then move the pointer speed arrow to change the speed of the cursor that moves along your screen.
Alternatively, you can click on the Automatically Move Pointer to the default button dialog box to immobilize the snap to option.
There is a Display Pointer Trails icon that you can click on. This is more cosmetic as this feature creates a shadow as the cursor moves across the screen.
To turn on this element you click the icon and move the slider to select the cursor trail style.
Step 3
Once you have done that click the OK button to apply the changes.
Keyboard Settings
You can adjust the settings of your keyboard to make typing much more convenient for you. Some of these option settings can be a great help to those people who have joint and dexterity limitations.
Step 1
Select Start, Control Panel, Hardware and Sound. When the Hardware and Sound Window appears select the keyboard option.
The Keyboard Properties dialog box will appear. Select the Speed tab at the top left corner. You will then see three sliding adjusters. The first two are the character repeat adjusters.
Adjusting these sliders will do the following:
Repeat delay: Controls the time it takes before a typed character is typed again when the key is held down.
Repeat Rate: This regulates the repetitiveness speed when a key is held down after the initial repeat character appears on the screen.
Step 2
The third slider controls the blink rate. This can have an effect on the insertion line. Again, move the arrow to select the blink rate.
Step 3
Finally select the OK button and apply the changes and close.
