An on-screen keyboard is analogous to a physical keypad and allows you to manipulate it with the mouse pointer. Very often, ordinary users do not know how to enable this option and where to find it. Fortunately, the virtual device for entering information is a basic option of the Windows operating system, therefore it is available on absolutely all devices running this OS. In this article, we will look at how to bring the on-screen keyboard to the desktop, configure all the parameters and make it start automatically when the device is turned on.

Why do you need an on-screen keyboard when you have a regular one?

Many people do not understand the functional purpose of the on-screen keyboard and find it very inconvenient to use. But this software development has its own functional purpose. It is actively used in such cases:

• people with impaired mobility of fingers or in the complete absence of several fingers are helped by the presence of an on-screen keyboard;
• justified in case of freezing of buttons on a regular keypad, when they stop functioning at the most inopportune time, and it is imperative to complete an important document;
• in the absence of a physical input device;
• if you have a tablet device, you can only type on the on-screen keyboard;
• the presence of an on-screen keyboard helps to protect against a keylogger and hacker attacks, which is able to read the entered password from an ordinary keypad.

Important! A keylogger is a specially developed program or hardware device that is capable of recording every touch of a key on the keyboard of a personal computer.

How do I turn on the keyboard on my computer screen?

To display the virtual information input device, no additional software download or updates are required. The on-screen keyboard is an integral part of the standard set of Windows programs of any modification.

Important! The Windows 8 operating system also includes the ability to display a touch keyboard on the computer screen that supports mouse control.

How do I install the onscreen keyboard on my computer? The file that launches the virtual device to enter information is located in the System32 folder of the Windows directory called osk.exe. Thus, you can enable a window with softkeys, but few people use such actions.

There are many ways that help to call the virtual device for entering information on Windows 7, 8. We will consider each of the methods in more detail and in detail.

Windows XP

When you turn on the on-screen keyboard window on a computer with the Windows XP operating system, do the following:

1. Press the "Start" button.
2. Open the "All Programs" menu.
3. Go to the "Standard" catalog.
4. We select the application "On-screen keyboard" in the folder "Accessibility".

Important! If you need to frequently access the program, it is recommended to pin the shortcut of this application on the desktop.

Windows 7

There are several ways to enable the virtual device for entering information in the Windows 7 operating system. Let's consider them in more detail.

Method number 1 - Start menu

How to install the on-screen keyboard in Windows 7 through the main Start menu:

1. Press the "Start" button.
2. Next, select “All Programs”.
3. After that, go to the "Standard" section and open the "Accessibility" subsection.
4. We select the device "On-screen keyboard".

Method number 2 - control panel

You can also activate the virtual device to enter the required information using the control panel. To do this, you need to perform the following actions:

• We launch the control panel.

Important! This item can be found in the main Start menu. The control panel is in the right-hand list of all programs and functions.

• Install the element "Small icons".
• Find the "Ease of Access Center" object, launch it.
• We perform the last action - this is click on the "Enable on-screen keyboard" object.

Method number 3 - search in the Start menu

The Windows 7 operating system provides a search bar that allows you to quickly find the location of the desired object. In order to activate a virtual device for maintaining the necessary information, you need to perform the following actions:

1. Open the start menu.
2. In the search box, type “on-screen keyboard” (without using quotes).
3. Press the Enter key.
4. After these actions, the operating system will display all found results that contain the search phrase.
5. Click on “On-Screen Keyboard” to launch this software product.

Method number 4 - command line

The command line can also help activate the virtual device to enter the necessary information. How to bring the on-screen keyboard to the desktop using the command line:

1. We activate the command window.
2. In the command window, click on "Run".
3. Enter the file name osk.exe.
4. Click on the OK button.

Method number 5 - a window for entering a password

If you have a login password, you can activate the on-screen keypad through the password entry window. In this case, you need to perform the following actions:

1. In the window for entering the password, click the “Accessibility” icon attached to the left side of the lower corner.
2. Check the box for an input element without a keyboard.
3. Click “OK”.

After this procedure, the virtual device is opened to enter information Windows 7.

Important! In the upper left corner, you can change the input language.

Windows 8

Due to the change in the interface in the Windows 8 operating system, the methods for enabling the on-screen keypad are slightly different from those discussed earlier. Let's take a look at the step-by-step steps required to enable virtual input device in Windows 8.

Method number 1 - Start menu

How to install the on-screen keyboard on a computer in the Windows 8 operating system through the main "Start" menu:

1. Press the "Start" button to enter the start screen.
2. In the lower corner of the left side, click on the arrow that looks down.
3. In the application menu, move to the right side, until it stops.
4. We find and open the item "On-screen keyboard".

Method number 2 - control panel

To find the required function through the control panel, you must perform the following steps:

1. Click on the "Start" button.
2. Click on the arrow and move to the applications menu.
3. In the list of all installed programs and applications, find the item "Control Panel" and activate it.
4. On the control panel, in the "View" item, select "Large icons".
5. Next, you need to find the "Accessibility" element and click on it.
6. After that, select the "Enable on-screen keyboard" item.

Method number 3 - search

You can use search to activate the virtual input device. To do this, you must perform the following actions:

1. We call the search using the keyboard shortcut Win + W.
2. We select the search area “everywhere”.
3. In the search bar, type “on-screen keyboard” (without quotes).
4. In the list that appears below, select the desired element.

Method number 4 - password entry window

How to bring the on-screen keyboard to the desktop in Windows 8 through the password window:

1. In the window for entering the correct password at the entrance to the system, you need to click the special icon located in the corner on the left side.
2. After that, a menu appears, in which you need to click "On-screen keyboard".

How to start, remove the automatic loading of the electronic keyboard when entering the OS?

If you have to use the virtual keypad on an ongoing basis, then the use of autoloading windows with electronic keys for entering information is justified. The autoload situation will also be relevant if the account password is entered for the first time.

Consider the options for autoloading an electronic input device when entering the operating system:

1. Using one of the methods described above, we launch the electronic keypad on the computer screen. At the bottom we press the "parameters" key. We follow the link to control the launch of the virtual keypad when entering the operating system.
2. Applying method 2 above for Windows 7, 8, go to “Accessibility” in Control Panel.
3. In the control panel window that opens, mark the checkbox “use electronic keyboard”.
4. Press the Enter key.

Important! After performing this procedure, the computer's virtual keypad will automatically appear on the display screen every time the operating system boots. When carrying out the reverse actions, at any time, you can turn off the window with soft keys for entering information from the Windows startup system.

How to use and customize the virtual keyboard?

We have already figured out the question of how to install the on-screen keyboard on a computer. Now you need to understand how to use this device. The virtual keypad is controlled with the mouse. The input text must be replaced with a blinking mouse cursor. After that, press the corresponding keys with the left mouse button. Using keyboard shortcuts, you can, for example, change the input language on the virtual keypad.

Important! If there are input problems, then you need to read the materials and find the answer to the question: why did the Windows language bar disappear or why the input language does not change.

To configure the input format and other parameters, you need to click the button on the "parameters". In this section, it is possible to replace the following settings:

• Sound confirmation - every time the virtual key is pressed, a sound signal will be emitted.
• Enabling the numeric keypad - the buttons on the right are additionally enabled. This option helps to create untitled folders.
• Keystroke - when the left mouse button is pressed, input occurs.
• Possibility to hover the pointer over the keys - the character is entered when the mouse hovers over the keys, in addition, there is a choice of the possible hover duration.
• Scanning buttons - selection of a range of keys in one line across the entire width, after that, when the selected keys are pressed, the procedure for scanning along the selected line with a smaller range is performed before pressing the corresponding key. The scanning speed is adjustable.
• Text prediction - with the help of these options, it is possible, after typing the first letters, to use the suggested word variants with printed spaces after them.

After changing the parameters, press Enter for them to take effect.

Important! Please note that after pressing Fn, instead of numbers, the F1-F12 keys appear. In order to turn on the numeric keypad and be able to use numbers, you need to press Num Lock.

In the Windows 7, 8 operating system, there are practically no differences in the virtual keypad. An exception in Windows 8 is a number of additional keys for improved control. These are the buttons Nav - go, Mv Up - up, Mv Dn - down, Dock - dock, Fade - disappear.

How do I remove the onscreen keyboard?

How to remove the electronic keyboard from the computer or laptop screen? To minimize or close this option, there are special buttons that are located in the upper right corner of the active window. To do this, you need to do any of the following:

• Click on the minimize button, which is indicated by a straight line. After that, the window with the softkeys is minimized to enter information into the "Taskbar", from where, if necessary, it can be easily called up again.
• Click on the close button, which is indicated by a cross. As a result, the program of the virtual input device stops functioning and will be closed.

Where to download the on-screen keyboard for Windows computer?

In addition to the standard option of the Windows operating system, there are also alternative options for virtual devices for entering the necessary information. Today, a huge number of software products are presented on the Internet that have the functionality of a window with soft keys for entering information. Let's consider the most optimal options.

Free Virtual Keyboard

One of the unique options is the Free Virtual Keyboard version. It has the following characteristics:

• there is a Russian-language version of the electronic keypad;
• there is no need to install this version on a computer, and the file size is less than 300 Kb;
• the installation file does not contain unnecessary and unwanted software products;
• free.

Important! This software development perfectly copes with all the tasks. Although, in order to enable the Free Virtual Keyboard by default, instead of the classic one, you need to carefully research the Windows operating system. It is possible to download the Free Virtual Keyboard software product from its official website.

Touch It Virtual Keyboard

Also a very good option is the software development Touch It Virtual Keyboard.

Important! But, she has one significant drawback - this is that this program must be purchased for money. Also, the Russian language is not provided in Touch It Virtual Keyboard by default, so you have to download a special dictionary, and it is also paid.

Despite all the listed disadvantages, this electronic keypad has wide functionality:

• allows you to create your own versions of virtual keypads;
• allows the integration of the created products into the operating system.

Video

Now you know everything about using the virtual keyboard, and we hope you have learned how to use all its capabilities in order to appreciate the benefits of the program.

The virtual (on-screen) keyboard is analogous to the physical keyboard, which is controlled by the mouse pointer. This article will show you how to enable the on-screen keyboard on Windows 7, 8, as well as how to configure, use and launch it, disable it at boot time.

A keyboard on the computer screen is needed in such cases:

1. there is no physical input device.
2. the input device is malfunctioning or the keys do not function on it.
3. Health problems holding back from normal input

How to turn on the keyboard on the computer screen

The file for launching the virtual input device is located in the System32 folder of the Windows directory and is called osk.exe, from here you can call the virtual keyboard, but very few people will use such actions. There are enough ways to enable the onscreen keyboard on Windows 7, 8. Let's take a closer look at each one.

Enabling Virtual Input Device in Windows 7:

2. Start the control panel, set the "small icons" view. Find the "Accessibility Center" object, launch it. The last action that needs to be done is to click the "Enable On-Screen Keyboard" object.

3. In the search for Start, type "on-screen keyboard" (without quotes), then press Enter.

4. In the Run command window, type osk.exe. Click OK.

5. If you have a password to enter the system, then click the accessibility icon, which is attached to the lower left corner. Check the box for input without keyboard, click OK. This will open the Windows 7 on-screen keyboard. In the upper left corner you can change the input language.

Enabling virtual input device in Windows 8 is different due to the changed interface, but point 4 above can be used here. Use one of the methods below:

1. Click Start to exit to the start screen. At the bottom left, click the down arrow. In the application menu, move all the way to the right. Find and open On-Screen Keyboard.

2. In Control Panel, in the "View" area, select "Large Icons". Next, find the "accessibility" item, click it. Next, click "enable on-screen keyboard".

3. Call the search with the Win + W keyboard shortcut, select the search location "everywhere". Enter in the search string "on-screen keyboard" (no quotation marks). We are waiting, then in the list below we select the desired object.

4. To use the electronic keyboard to enter your password when logging in, click the icon shown in the screenshot located in the lower left corner. In the menu that appears, click on the "on-screen keyboard".

In most cases, they resort to a virtual input device when it is not possible to use a physical input device. To enable the Windows 7 on-screen keyboard with the mouse, use recommendations 1, 2, 5 for the seven, 1, 2, 4 for the eight. The above describes all possible ways to bring up the keyboard on the screen.

How to start, remove the automatic loading of an electronic input device when entering the OS

Now let's look at how to enable or disable the Windows 7 on-screen keyboard when the OS boots. Autoloading the virtual keyboard is especially relevant if you use it on an ongoing basis, or are faced with the situation of entering your account password for the first time in this way. Use one of the options below.

1. Bring the keyboard to the computer screen using one of the methods described above. At the bottom, click the "options" button. Click the link to control the launch of the on-screen keyboard at login.

2. Get to accessibility in the control panel using method 2 described above for Windows 7, 8. Select the option marked in the screenshot.

In the opened control panel item, mark the checkbox "use on-screen keyboard". Click OK. After that, the computer keyboard on the monitor screen will automatically appear every time the OS boots. After completing the reverse steps, you can remove the on-screen keyboard from Windows startup at any time.

How to use and customize the virtual keyboard

The on-screen keyboard is controlled by the mouse. You need to place the blinking mouse cursor instead of entering text. Then, with the left button, press the desired keys, key combinations, for example, to change the language on the on-screen keyboard.

Note: if you have problems with the input, check out the materials: why the input language does not change, the Windows language bar is gone.

To configure the input format and other parameters, click the "parameters" button. Here you can change the following settings:

1. Sound Confirmation - Each press of the virtual keys will beep.
2. Enable numeric keypad - enables additional buttons on the right. It was used to create an untitled folder in the last article.
3. Keystroke - sets input by clicking the left mouse button.
4. Hovering the pointer over the keys - the character is entered when the mouse cursor is hovering over it, with the ability to select the hover duration.
5. Key scanning - selection of a range of buttons in one line across the entire width, then after pressing the selection keys, scanning occurs along the selected line in a smaller range until the required button is pressed. You can set the scanning speed.
6. Text prediction - the options allow you to suggest word suggestions and put a space after them when typing the first letters.

After changing the parameters, do not forget to click OK.

I would also like to note that when you press Fn for the place of numbers, the F1-F12 buttons appear. With the numeric keypad enabled, press Num Lock to access the numbers.

In Windows 7, 8, there are practically no differences in the on-screen keyboard, except that the figure eight has a number of additional buttons for improved control. These are the buttons Nav (go), Mv Up (up), Mv Dn (down), Dock (dock), Fade (disappear).

So we looked at all the ways how to enable the on-screen keyboard on Windows 7, 8, as well as the startup process, disabling its startup. The virtual input device completely imitates the actions of the buttons on a conventional keyboard with the ability to customize it to fit your needs.

The onscreen keyboard in Windows is a useful alternative to its physical counterpart. It can be downloaded and installed from third-party sites, or you can use the utility built into the OS. The last option is more logical and recommended. If there is no virtual keyboard in our system (for various reasons), we will give examples of free and simple programs that perform the same functions.

How to display the keyboard on the screen in Windows 8

Since this version of the operating system was supposed to interact with touch screens, its virtual keyboard is built into the software package by default and is optimized accordingly. To enable it:

• Open “All Applications” (from the initial screen, click on the round pointer at the bottom and on the left side).
• Go to the "Accessibility" section.
• We select from the list “On-screen keyboard”.
• For a quick search, simply type the On-Screen Keyboard portion of the phrase from the home screen.
• In the search results, click on the desired item (suitable for those who have a regular keyboard).
• Another working alternative: go to the “Control Panel” and already here select “Accessibility”, in them - “Enable on-screen keyboard”.

The user has the ability to automatically display the virtual keyboard on the screen after each reboot (also when entering the login / password for the account). To do this, go to "Control Panel" -> "Accessibility", then select "Using a computer without a mouse or keyboard." Here we click on the line “Use the on-screen keyboard”, confirm the action with the “Ok” button. In the menu on the left we move to the option “Change login parameters” and note that we want to use the virtual keyboard when entering the OS.

How to display the keyboard on the screen in Windows 10

In the Top Ten, using the onscreen keyboard is even easier. To display it on the screen, right-click on an empty space on the taskbar, select “Show touch keyboard button” from the context menu. A corresponding icon will appear in the tray, clicking on which will open or close the desired utility. If the first method doesn't work, do the following:

• open "Start" -> "Options" (or press Win + I);
• choose "Special Features";
• go to the "Keyboard" section and activate "Turn on the on-screen keyboard";
• it is no less convenient to use the osk command entered in the “Run” field (Win + R);
• or launch the "Ease of Access Center" with the Win + U combination for quick access to the inclusion point.

If the onscreen keyboard won't turn on

Depending on the installed assembly, the virtual keyboard may not be present in its usual place. For Windows 7:

• go to "Control Panel" -> "Programs and Features";
• on the left, select “List of installed Windows components”;
• open "Enable or disable components";
• leave the checkbox in the box next to the “Tablet PC components” line;
• after this step, the keyboard will be enabled using the methods described in the article.

To enable the on-screen keyboard on the login screen, simply click on the Accessibility button.

In Windows 7, the utility is called by analogy with the method described for Windows 8. Among alternative programs for PCs, you should pay attention to the Free Virtual Keyboard or Touch It Virtual Keyboard.

We will not go into details of why yours stopped working and why you needed a virtual / on-screen keyboard. I already know this, everyone eats and drinks in front of the computer, and the rest of the psychopaths beat her). If your keyboard is out of order, it's okay and you can temporarily replace it. Let's see how to do this.

How to enable virtual keyboard

You know, when I needed it myself, I found it right away, but then looked for the sake of interest what the answers are on the net before writing this post. I was surprised by the answers on YouTube and on other sites ... Tin, the authors write how to call the keyboard with hot keys ... But if I'm looking for how to find it, then my keyboard does not work, and I cannot press these keys).

Below I wrote how to enable the virtual keyboard with the mouse only:

WindowsXP - 7: Open the Start menu, then All Programs, then Accessories, Accessibility and select On-Screen Keyboard.

Windows 8- Open Control Panel, then "Accessibility" After "Enable On-Screen Keyboard"

Windows 10- In the notification panel, click on the keyboard icon and select "Show touchpad button". Or Control Panel, Accessibility, Keyboard, turn on the Enable On-Screen Keyboard lever.

Linux - Unfortunately, this is not provided and must be installed. Everything would be fine, but for installation you need to write to the command line. Therefore, I recommend moving on to the next point.

MacOS- "Programs", "System settings", "Language and text", "Input sources", check the box next to "Keyboard and symbols" and next to the languages ​​you need. Now, to open it, click on the flag (at the top, where the language is changed) and click "Show panel".

On-screen keyboard online

If, for some reason, the standard program did not suit you, you can use it online. Quite a convenient solution, but the standard one is better.

I used a keyboard from Yandex, and it's pretty comfortable. To open it, go to the result "" and at the bottom click "Keyboard".

It is more convenient because the input field is higher and you can enter a rather large text, which you cannot do in Yandex, but in any case, this is a temporary perversion and no one will write large texts in this way.

Download virtual keyboard

I know that there are individuals who do not like simple solutions to the problem and like to complicate their life, so I want to recommend the Hot Virtual Keyboard software.

Unlike all previous options, this program allows you to change the design, make flexible settings, and much more interesting, but in my opinion superfluous.

If you know how to activate the on-screen keyboard, then 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 you can't launch it, there are other options.

1. Windows 7 on-screen keyboard

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

Another option is to search through the launch at the request "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 item, a special manual will appear. If this did not happen, then the matter is in the system, and it will need to be updated.

2. Windows 8 on-screen keyboard

Windows 8 was originally designed specifically for touchscreen displays. That is why this keyboard is definitely in the system. Except for "home" or "lightweight" version of Windows.

Launching the onscreen keyboard on Windows 8:
1. Item "All applications";
2. Further, "Special features";
3. Launch the "On-Screen Keyboard", use it.

The second way is to search for a keyboard by the query "On-Screen Keyboard", as in the previous paragraph.
The third way is to turn on the manual itself through the PU, as in the last paragraph.

If the on-screen keyboard needs to be used regularly, its withdrawal is configured and made automatically. To do this, in the "Accessibility" item, you need to select "Using a PC without a mouse and keyboard".

3. Windows 10 on-screen keyboard

The differences in launching for 10 Windows are insignificant. But outwardly, everything is done differently. By selecting the "keyboard" item, you will need to switch the special slider to "On."

4.Download on-screen keyboard

You can when the default keyboard is missing something. Or this utility simply does not exist.

Alternative on-screen keyboard option.

Free Virtual Keyboard
Free add-on that is easy to start and weighs less than 1 mb. The program's capabilities are wider than 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 functional enough and also customizable. Appearance 3 out of 5. But for users who value features, not appearance, this is the best option for a free on-screen keyboard.

5. How to use the onscreen keyboard

Using such a keyboard is fairly straightforward. To do this, you can use the mouse or the sensor. You can enter text in any text editor, website, and so on.

Such a keyboard is constantly on top of all windows and programs for greater convenience. It is best to set it below the text so that it does not get in the way.

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