Starting and Using the Magnifier

The Magnifier accessory program that comes with Windows 98 can make the computer screen easier to read for people who have low vision, or for whenever magnifying screen elements would be helpful. The Magnifier works by displaying an enlarged section of your screen in a narrow window along the top of your screen. The Magnifier allows you to:

  • Magnify an area of the screen up to nine times the standard display size.
  • Follow the mouse cursor, the keyboard focus, the text editing focus, or any combination of these three.
  • Invert colors for contrast.
  • Toggle high contrast display for the entire screen.
  • Resize and relocate the display area.

When the Magnifier is on, the magnified area is merely a display and not itself an active area. The active focus for cursor, keyboard, and other input devices is always in the unmagnified area.

Note:  The Magnifier is not intended to be a replacement for full-featured magnifiers.

How to set Magnifier options

Note:  If Magnifier does not appear on the Programs menu or one of its submenus, you will need to install Accessibility Options. If you installed Windows 98 with a compact disc, you will be prompted to insert it in your computer.

StepMouse actionsKeyboard actions
1 On the Start menu:
  • Click Programs.
  • Point to Accessories.
  • Point to Accessibility.
  • Click Magnifier.

A narrow window showing a magnified portion of the screen will appear along the top of the screen.

 Display the Start menuby pressing CTRL+ESC.
  • Move to Programs by pressing UP ARROW.
  • Move to Accessories by pressing the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW keys. Press ENTER.
  • Move to Accessibility, then press ENTER.
  • Move to Magnifier, then press ENTER.

A narrow window showing a magnified portion of the screen will appear along the top of the screen.

2 In the Magnifier Setting dialog box:
  • Change the level of magnification you see by typing a number from 1 to 9 in the Magnification level box.

    •    OR:

  • Use the box's arrows to select the number you want.
 In the Magnifier Setting dialog box:
  • If the Magnification level box is not highlighted, press ALT+L.
  • Change the level of magnification you see by typing a number from 1 to 9 in the Magnification level box.
3 Select or clear the Options check boxes that best meet your needs. Select or clear the Options check boxes that best meet your needs by pressing ALT+ the underlined letter of those options:
  • Press M to Follow mouse cursor.
  • Press K to Follow keyboard focus.
  • Press T to Follow text editing.
  • Press I to Invert Colors.
  • Press C to Use High Contrast mode.
  • Press S to Start Minimized.
  • Press H to Show Magnifier.
4 When finished, click OK. When finished, press ENTER.

Exiting the Magnifier

Once the Magnifier is on, the Magnifier Settings button appears in the Windows taskbar. Exiting the Magnifier requires you to access that button, and select the Exit option.

StepMouse actionsKeyboard actions
1 Select the Magnifier Settings button on the Windows taskbar. Press ALT+F6 until the Magnifier Settings button is selected.
2 In the Magnifier Settings dialog box, click Exit. In the Magnifier Settings dialog box, press ALT+X.