Scorpio,
By using your suggestions, I have determined that the right two keys are
alt and control because one goes into the Ribbons and the other stops
speech. So, I will find the applications key with sighted help and the
insert key too. Your tip about changing the function keys in Setup is
very much appreciated! I have hated this computer since day 1 because I
thought I was stuck with that among a few other things. But, if I keep
tweaking it, I may come to be friends with it yet. I have to find a
sighted person tomorrow whose not afraid of computers!
Greg
-----Original Message-----
From: Scorpio Forever
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2012 9:18 PM
To: blind-computing@jaws-users.com
Subject: Re: [Blind-Computing] Opening Attachments in Windows Mail
Hi Greg,
Those two keys may very well be a second alt key, with the applications
key
to the right of it, or it could very well be a control key.
As others have said, if you press insert+1 on the number row, this will
turn
on keyboard help, and you'll be able to press those keys to hear what
jaws
calls them. If they are in fact an alt and applications key, Jaws will
report them as such.
On the other hand, if they are an alt and control key, Jaws may not
report
the control key, so a trick to get Jaws to report what that key is is to
press it in conjunction with another key or two, for example, press down
that key in addition to the insert and one of the letter keys, and Jaws
will
report the three keys you've just pressed.
Once you're done, you can, as others have said, press insert+1 on the
number
row to turn off the keyboard help.
I should warn you of a couple of things, keeping in mind that this is
only a
warning, and not actual facts for your particular model laptop.
On some laptops, just as one some desktop keyboards, there is no
applications key, and so a person is forced to use the key combination of
shift+F10, or the applications key may be placed somewhere else on the
keyboard. The same goes for the second alt key, which may be replaced
with
the second insert key, or, as in my case, the only insert key.
Just to give you some idea of what I am talking about, on the left side
of
the my spacebar, I have the traditional three keys of control, FN and alt
keys, but instead of having the Windows key, I have a grav/tilde key to
the
right of the left alt key, so, I am constantly pressing that key when I
should be pressing the key directly to the left of it when I want the alt
key to activate a menu or some other function that involves the alt key.
On the right side of my spacebar, I have a totally different
configuration
than I've ever seen before.
The key directly to the right of my spacebar is the insert key, followed
by
the delete key, directly after that one, and the alt key directly after
that
one.
Now, where, on most laptops, the insert key and delete keys would be
located
at the top right-hand corner of the laptop keyboard, I have my
Windows/Start
Menu key and my applications key. Oh and just because you asked, a
sighted
person would see an icon of a vertical rectangle with lines crossing the
rectangle horizontally to indicate a menu on the applications key, just
in
case you will be getting sighted assistance. Another configuration I've
seen is the use of the arrow keys as the delete and applications key
using
the FN key to activate them, as is the case with Netbooks with the really
compact keyboards. In essence, there are different configurations of
keyboards out there, so don't be surprised if your keyboard isn't what
others are saying it is.
And while we're on the topic of sighted assistance, if you would like to
turn off that pesky feature of having to press the FN key every time you
wish to activate a normal function command from 1 through 12, have your
sighted friend observe the screen as your laptop is re-booting, or read
the
manual that accompanied your laptop to find out which key you have to
press
to go into the laptop set-up screen. In most cases, this sort of message
will appear in print right before the Windows logo screen pops up, and
right
after the Ram check is done. You'll see a statement to the effect of
press
this key to enter setup mode. On most laptops, it's the delete key, but
I
have seen the left control key a couple of function keys and one time,
the
backspace key used, but, as I said, in most cases, it will be the delete
key
to enter set-up.
Once in the set-up screen, or BIOS, as it's traditionally called, you'll
find the second where you can switch how the function keys operate. For
some strange reason, laptop manufacturers have opted to go with the
higher
functions on the traditional F1 through F12 keys as those typically
control
screen functions, making them brighter, switching to an external monitor
or
projector and so on, but they forget that us blind folks need those
functions keys in order to use our computer effectively.
I mean, imagine having to press four keys at once just to accomplish a
task?
LOL.
Anyway, suffice it to say, once he's done changing the function key
scheme,
make sure to click or highlight the exit and save changes option before
you
close the screen out, or the settings will not stick.
In any case, hope I've given you something to think about and help you.
Scorpio
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