Windows keyboarding tip: use sticky keys

For those of you with carpal tunnel syndrome or if your fingers, hands or wrists tire after a day's work on the keyboard: use sticky keys. Sticky keys can be found by selecting START --> CONTROL PANEL --> ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS. The default tab "Keyboard" has the option to turn them on or off.

Get to know the options before you give up on them. With sticky keys, if you tap the SHIFT, CONTROL or ALT keys once, that key will stay depressed, without keeping pressure on that key, for the next key stroke you apply. In effect, you do not have to keep the SHIFT, CONTROL or ALT key depressed to do any of the following examples:

• print a capital letter using SHIFT-[abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz];
• move to the start or end of a document using CONTROL-[Home|Down];
• access a menu item in windows using ALT-[fevath];
• cut and paste using CONTROL-x and CONTROL-v (respectively); and
• switch between running programs using ALT-TAB.

It takes a bit of practice to get started, but once you do, it will relieve a lot of stress on the muscles you use for keyboarding throughout the day.

No. I do not know how to do this in MacOS. If someone does, please reply.

Comments

[Sean Doherty]

Since no one offered, I fired up my White "Ice" iBook (MacOS 10.3.9) that I once rescued from someone's trash. After upgrading the software, adding a new disk, and fortifying the RAM, it works fine.

Anyway, to turn on sticky keys in MacOS, access the Finder, select the Applications folder and choose System Preferences. There, click the icon for Universal Access and bring the Keyboard tab into view: turn on sticky keys or select the option to turn sticky keys on after pressing the shift key five times.

[Charles]

Is there really carpal tunnel or is your back just out of place, putting pressure on the nerves to your hands?

That was my problem, DON'T laugh at the cure ... I'm 72 and developed arthritis in my back...no more carpal tunnel.

A test...does your hands go numb at night when in bed...if so, it's your back.

[Sean Doherty]

It's really carpal tunnel. And I would not laugh at anyone with arthritis in their back. I wish you as well as you can be with that condition.