Q&A for How to Use a Computer Keyboard

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Can I use my keyboard to move the cursor if my mouse breaks?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Tab, Alt+Tab, and Shift+Tab are going to be your friends here. Use Alt+Tab to select your screen. Then, press the Tab button to go inside of the window and you'll see a little ghost box traveling around the screen. When you find what you want to select. press Space or Enter to launch that option. That's about the best that you're going to do. You can't get the cursor itself to move without a mouse or keypad.

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Question

How do I use symbols?

Community Answer

Hold down the shift key and then select on the symbol you require. Symbols vary depending on the keyboard.

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Question

How do I type the small horizontal line at the bottom of the words?

Community Answer

If you mean underline, press [Ctrl] + [U]. On any word processor, it should underline the text.

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Question

Using Windows 10, how do I send e-mail using keyboard keys?

Community Answer

Press Windows Key + R then type "Outlook.exe" (or the name of your email client). Press Enter.

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Question

How do I use an exclamation mark?

Community Answer

To type an exclamation mark, you have to hold down the "shift" key and press the number "1" on the top row of numbers on your keyboard.

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Question

How do I put an icon on top of a letter?

Community Answer

You need to learn the hexidecimal values for each individual special character because those icons are attached to the letters and aren't added in after. By holding the 'alt' key and pressing a series of numbers on the numpad of your keyboard, you can produce special characters. (You can look online for a list of codes for corresponding characters.)

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Question

How can I type the @ symbol on a Lenovo laptop?

Community Answer

It's like any other laptop, just press [Shift] + [2].

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Question

How do I display the keyboard on the screen?

Community Answer

If you mean the onscreen keyboard, do the following: > Click window key(logo) on your keyboard > Click Control Panel > All Control Panel > Items > Ease of Access Center > Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard > Check/tick the use on screen keyboard.

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Question

How do I stop all of my letters from being large?

Bustertiko

Community Answer

Make sure you aren't holding shift or have the caps lock key on. If you aren't doing that, then the letters should be lowercase.

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Question

How do I take a picture with my keyboard?

Community Answer

You can't take a picture with the keyboard unless you mean a screenshot, in which case it would depend on what type of computer you're using.

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How do I take a screenshot with my keyboard?

Community Answer

This depends on the computer or keyboard you are using. For Macs it is, "Command, shift, 3." You can search the internet to find the commands for other computers/keyboards.

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Question

Can I press play on a keyboard if my onscreen play won't work?

Bustertiko

Community Answer

Yes. The play key on the keyboard serves almost the same purpose as the onscreen play button.

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Question

How can I learn to use a computer quickly?

Community Answer

There is not a way to learn to use a computer "quickly." The best way is to take your time and follow the steps in this article.

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Question

When writing a sentence, how do I shift down to the next line?

Pingu

Top Answerer

Press the Enter key. It is to the right of the letters and punctuation signs. Sometimes, its shape is different from the other keys—it is both in the center and the upper letter row, and it is not rectangular. However, this doesn't apply to all devices, especially laptop keyboards, which tend to make the enter key the same shape as a normal key. Look for the labeling of the key: the Enter key usually has a down-right arrow (⏎ or ↵), the word "Enter", or both.

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Question

What are the F keys for on a computer keyboard?

Community Answer

The F keys (F1, F2... F12) are the function keys. They do various functions depending on the type of computer (desktop, laptop, Mac, etc.). You can search online to see what the function keys do based on what you need. Laptops normally come with symbols on them that show the type of function other than the actual key (for instance, on my laptop, F6 also serves as the "mute" button).

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Question

How do I switch from the number to the symbol?

Community Answer

Pressing shift on a number will give you the symbol on that key. For example, 1 also has the exclamation mark.

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