What are Sticky Keys, Filter Keys, Toggle Keys – Uses


How many of you ever used the sticky keys, toggle keys and filter keys? Most of us may have come across these words but do you know what purpose do they serve? This post explains what are Sticky Keys, Filter Keys and Toggle Keys? How are they useful? 

Sticky Keys

This feature changes the way modifier keys work. Normally, keys like [Shift] and [Ctrl] are only ‘active’ while they’re held down. When you release them the system forgets they were ever pressed. This causes problems for some users who can’t, for example, hold down three keys at once to enter certain combinations like [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Tab].

When enabled, this function causes modifier keys to ‘stick’ until they are either manually released, or until a keystroke combination is complete. In other words, it makes modifier keys behave more like locking ones. There are a number of settings to allow options like confirmation sounds, to automatically turn it off when no longer needed, and so on.

Filter Keys

This feature can be considered the opposite of the typematic feature; it causes Windows to suppress or ignore bursts of keystrokes that are sent too quickly – either fast streams of the same key or clumps of different keys sent all at once.

Such bursts might, for example, be made by someone who does not have perfect control of his or her fingers due to a tremor. A number of settings let you control how long a key must be held down for it to register, set audible confirmations and other options.

Toggle Keys

This feature causes Windows to provide an audible indication when any of the permanent (locking) modifier keys is pressed. In essence, this is like an audible version of the indicator LEDs on the keyboard.

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