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I just switched from Windows XP Pro SP3 (32bit) to Windows 7 Ultimate (32bit) on a new PC. Now, both the new onscreen keyboard and a utility for sending mouse clicks are being problematic.

The problem with 7's OSK is that some things I type only work intermittently or just dodgily. Like Alt+Tab with multiple Tabs, other Alt/Ctrl/Shift/Win key combinations, and the context menu key. Sometimes apps will not take focus for input at all. I use the OSK it in 'hover' mode, on 0,5 seconds.

The clicking tool is Point-N-Click, which sends clicks when I dwell anywhere for 1.25 seconds with the mouse pointer. http://www.polital.com/pnc/

The problem with it is that sometimes it fails to click. Most often this happens in some of the control panel sections, on the taskbar, and when UAC pops up. It seems to occur in conjunction with OSK usage a bit too, I think.

I'm using an Administrator account. DEP and UAC settings are default.

What can I do to fix or work around either of these problems? I'm disabled so this really is killing usability.

3 Answers 3

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For multiple tabs on any browser, you want to use Ctrl Tab, not Alt Tab.

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I'll have to say the point-n-click problem is a correctly-implemented security feature. The idea is that non-elevated programs should not be able to send mouse clicks to or control elevated programs in any way. You can run your point-n-click program as administrator (use the option in the program icon's context menu), so the program becomes elevated as well.

The UAC prompt problem is slightly more difficult. Microsoft designed it to run in a "secure desktop" which means only processes running as SYSTEM (a special user account) can access it. This effectively prevents malicious programs from spoofing/modifying the UAC prompt or even answering it for you; however, it also prevents your accessibility programs from helping you. If it's really difficult for you to make that mouse click, you can make the UAC prompt show up in normal desktop in group policy editor.

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  • The onscreen keyboard can interact with the UAC reasonably well. So, that's not a huge issue. Is it elevated to SYSTEM? It still won't Alt+Tab successively. Dec 25, 2011 at 18:29
  • Running Point-N-Click as admin the way you suggest seems to have changed nothing. Can it run as SYSTEM somehow? Dec 25, 2011 at 18:36
  • @AnonymousJones: You don't want to run it as System. Programs running as System may not respond to UI input.
    – surfasb
    Dec 26, 2011 at 9:09
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Okay, I got Alt+Tabbing through multiple windows with Onscreen Keyboard working by switching to an Aero theme. I had it on the Windows Classic theme before.

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