by Rob Tidrow
Windows 98 provides support to a wide range of pointing devices, including mouse devices, trackballs, joysticks, touch screens, touch pads, pen and tablet, and integrated keyboard devices (such as the TrackPoint "J" key). You can have multiple input devices running on the same computer, such as a mouse and touch pad. This enables you to switch from one input device to another without reconfiguring Windows or restarting your system.
When Windows installs, it looks for a pointing device and will attempt to set up yours. You can have the device set up on COM1 through COM4. Some of the manufacturers and models supporting "out of the box" include the following:
Other input devices are also supported by Windows, for some of which you need to provide drivers. Once you have your input device installed, you can set different properties for it. The most common input device is the mouse. The following sections show how to set mouse properties.
Your pointing device doesn't need to be a boring little arrow that moves around on-screen. You can decide what it looks like. If you're left-handed, you don't need to suffer in a right-handed world--you can reconfigure the buttons for the left hand. If you don't like to move your pointing device around a lot, or you think you're required to double-click too fast, you can adjust the sensitivity of the device. Also, manufacturers sometimes provide additional features specific to their device.
You use the Mouse Properties sheet to adjust your pointing device. You can access this sheet by selecting Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-clicking the Mouse icon. From this sheet, you can set buttons, pointer styles, mouse motions, and general properties, as described in the following sections.
Setting Buttons Properties The Buttons page is the default page displayed when you open the Mouse Properties dialog box (see Figure 28.1). You can specify the button configuration for a right- or left-handed user. You also can adjust how fast or slow you double-click the mouse button.
FIG. 28.1 In the Buttons page, you can set button configuration and adjust the double-click speed of your pointing device.
To set the pointing device as a left-handed device, click the Left-Handed button in the Button Configuration area. Conversely, to specify a right-handed device, click the Right-Handed button.
To adjust the double-click speed, follow these steps:
Modifying the Look of the Pointer The Windows pointer takes various shapes, such as when a program is busy working on something or your pointer is positioned over the edge of a window. Now, with Windows 98, you can choose your own pointers--even animated, color pointers. You can change your pointers individually or as a scheme (such as a set of 3D-styled pointers). To quickly change the set of pointers from the current scheme to another scheme, select the Pointers page in the Mouse Properties sheet. Open the Scheme drop-down list (see Figure 28.2) and pick a new scheme. If no schemes are listed, you haven't created any yet. You'll learn how to create a scheme in the following steps.
FIG. 28.2 Use the Scheme drop-down list on the Pointers page to change the pointers Windows displays.
You also can change a single pointer instead of all the pointers at the same time. To do this, follow these steps:
TIP: You can double-click the pointer for faster access to the Browse window.
FIG. 28.3 Select a new look for your pointer by selecting a pointer name in the Browse window.
CAUTION: Even though it's fun to use color-animated cursors in a pointer scheme, consider using those that have some relationship to the pointer's original appearance. For example, if you change all your pointers to a set of animals, you may have a hard time remembering which animal stands for which type of pointer.
TIP: If you want to reset all your pointers to their defaults, choose the Scheme drop-down list and set the scheme name to (None).
FIG. 28.4 Give your pointer scheme a name in the Save Scheme dialog box.
CAUTION: Windows does not warn you if you are about to save your new scheme with the same name as an existing scheme. You will replace the existing scheme if the new scheme has the same name.
CAUTION: If you've added or deleted schemes, choosing Cancel does not undo those actions. Adding or deleting a scheme is permanent.
Perhaps you notice that you're moving the pointer too much or too little compared to the actual pointer movement on-screen. If you use a portable computer, you may have difficulty following the pointer around on the small screen. In either case, you want to select the Motion page on the Mouse Properties sheet (see Figure 28.5).
FIG. 28.5 You change your pointer's movement in the Motion tab of the Mouse Properties dialog box.
To adjust the sensitivity of the pointing device, follow these steps:
TROUBLESHOOTING: My pointer seems to skip around the screen. What's wrong? Your computer is probably busy performing a task. If you share a folder on your hard drive, other users may be heavily reading and writing information in it. This can also happen when several programs are running at the same time and you have less than 16MB of RAM installed in the computer.
If you have trouble following the pointer on your portable computer screen, try turning on pointer trails, which help you locate your pointer onscreen. To turn on pointer trails and adjust their length, follow these steps:
TROUBLESHOOTING: My pointer moves in one direction but not another. Try cleaning your mouse ball, track ball, or any internal motion contacts (usually small plastic wheels). If you're using a mouse, clean the glide pads on the bottom (if you have them). If you use a mouse pad, be sure to clean it regularly to prevent a build-up of dirt. Be sure to follow the cleaning and care instructions provided by your manufacturer.
TROUBLESHOOTING: My pointer moves erratically. If shaking the cable makes the situation better or worse, verify that the connection to your computer is secure. Sometimes the connector has come loose from the port on your computer. If this solution doesn't work, inspect the cable for breaks or cuts. If your cable is broken or pierced, repair or replacement is necessary. If you see no visible breaks, a wire inside the cable may have broken. Breaks can be caused by severe twisting of the cable, placing a heavy object on the cable for long periods of time, or dropping a heavy object on it.
Another input device you rely on is the keyboard. Windows provides support for many types of keyboards. Most keyboards you purchase now are compatible with the PC/AT Enhanced Keyboard 101/102 key standard.
As Windows installs, it will detect the type of keyboard you have connected to your PC and install drivers for it. If Windows can determine the make and model of the keyboard, it may set up specific drivers for it based on the list of keyboard manufacturers and models Windows maintains. If Windows cannot determine your specific keyboard, it will set up the generic driver, Standard 101/102 or Microsoft Natural Keyboard. Although this driver should work fine with your keyboard, you may want to change it to one written specifically for your keyboard to activate any special features of the keyboard.
Windows 98 supports a wide variety of keyboards, including the Microsoft Natural keyboard, Universal Serial Bus keyboards, and a number of keyboards that come as standard devices with news PCs. Unless your PC's keyboard is damaged, you probably won't have any problem getting it to work properly with Windows 98. Some of the manufacturers and models supported by Windows 98 are included in the following:
NOTE: Most hardware manufacturers have designed keyboards that enable users to customize key settings or have pre-built customized keys that perform specific Windows actions. A Packard Bell keyboard, for instance, includes two Windows keys that, when pressed, display the Start menu and its options. A third Windows key displays the context menu of the selected object when pressed. Read the documentation that comes with your keyboard to determine if your keyboard has special features.
If you need to upgrade or purchase a new keyboard, if it is defective (keys have been lost or you've spilled liquids on it), look for one that has a nice feel to it. Many users have opted for ergonomically designed keyboards to decrease the stress placed on their hands and wrists. The Microsoft Natural Keyboard, for instance, includes a specially designed case to let your wrists rest on the keyboard, as well as let your hands remain in comfortable and less stressful position during keystroking. The Microsoft Natural Keyboard also includes special keyboard shortcuts that perform specific tasks in Windows, including the following:
NOTE: You can learn more about the Microsoft Natural Keyboard at http://www.microsoft.com/products/prodref/310_ov.htm.
Another type of keyboard available is compliant with the USB I/F Human Interface Devices (HID) Firmware specification. Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a technology created cooperatively between Compaq, Digital Equipment Corp (DEC), IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, and Norhern Telecom that describes devices that use a universal driver for multiple devices, such as modems, keyboards, and mouse devices. With Windows 98, you can, for instance, have two USB-compliant keyboards set up on the same PC and used at the same time. The input from each of these keyboards is merged and used in the active application. You can learn more about USB by visiting their Web site at http://www.usb.com.
Your keyboard has a variety of properties that dictate how it enables you to interact with the computer. In many cases, they are configurable according to your individual preferences. These include the language used by the keyboard, its layout, and the speed at which keys repeat when pressed. Keyboard resource settings can also be viewed and changed, such as I/O and interrupt request settings (IRQs).
You can change the properties associated with a keyboard using the Keyboard icon from the Control Panel. To display the Keyboard property sheet, use these steps:
FIG. 28.6 The Keyboard Properties sheet.
Changing How Keys Repeat One keyboard property you can change is the way keys are repeated when you press and hold down a key. Depending on your typing style, you may want to speed up or slow down the repeat rate. You can change the way your keyboard keys repeat by using the Speed page, as shown in the following:
Changing Your Cursor Blink Rate You can also change the speed at which your cursor blinks. After accessing the Keyboard Properties control panel, do the following:
Changing a Keyboard Layout When you press a character on the keyboard, Windows has to know which character you want displayed. For users in the United States, the standard keyboard is the QWERTY 101-key keyboard. This means the top row of letters on the keyboard are QWERTYUIOP. If you use a different keyboard, or want to change the layout of your keyboard (such as to the Dvorak layout), you do so from the Language page of the Keyboard Properties sheet.
FIG. 28.7 The Language page in Keyboard Properties is where you can change your keyboard layout.
FIG. 28.8 The Language Properties dialog box enables you to change the layout of your keyboard.
Adding Another Language or Layout If the keyboard layout or language you want to select does not appear in the Language list on the Language page, just add it. From the Language page, do the following:
Your new language is now defined as the default language.
TIP: At the bottom of the Language page on the Keyboard Properties sheet is an option box called Enable Indicator on Taskbar. If this is checked, an indicator, called En, appears on the Windows 98 taskbar. To quickly change between languages, click this indicator and a list of available languages appears. You can instantly switch between available languages by clicking the language you want from that En list.
Deleting a Language or Layout You can also delete a language or layout from the Keyboard Properties control panel. Having opened the Language page, do the following:
The Windows 95 Keyboard Remap utility available with the Microsoft KernelToys enables you to change the placement of your keyboard keys. For example, to change the placement of the Caps Lock, Ctrl, and Alt keys to suit your needs and user habits, do the following:
FIG. 28.9 The Keyboard Remap utility enables you to quickly remap different key settings.
TIP: You can remove Keyboard Remap by opening the Add/Remove Programs Properties sheet and selecting Key Remap from the list of applications to remove. Click Add/Remove to uninstall the utility.
You can change resource settings for your keyboard via the Device Manager accessed through the System Properties sheet.
You might need to change the settings if another component you're adding needs to use those same resources, or if you are adding another similar device, such as another keyboard, that wants the same settings.
To make changes to the keyboard resource settings, do the following:
FIG. 28.10 You can identify the specific resources using the Resources page.
CAUTION: For a component to work properly, it must have the correct resource settings assigned to it. Do not change resource settings unless you know exactly what you are changing. A new component might need certain resources assigned to it, in which case either the product will specify them or Windows 98 will tell you what to use when you run the Add New Hardware Wizard.
TIP: If the Use Automatic Settings option in the Resources page is checked, you will not be able to change the resource settings, and the Change Setting button will be grayed out.
TROUBLESHOOTING: I have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, but it does not work with my IBM PS/2 computer. What can I do to make it work? You need to make sure the DASDDRVR.SYS device driver for your IBM computer loads before the Natural Keyboard driver loads. You can set this setting in CONFIG.SYS. Make sure the DASDDRVR.SYS driver, which is an IBM ROM BIOS patch driver, is written for your specific computer. This driver is usually found on the SETUP disk that came with your PC. You cannot use a DASDDRVR.SYS driver that is created for another PS/2 model.
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