Use Keyboard as Mouse in Windows Mouse Keys Setup Guide
Your mouse has stopped working and the pointer will not move. Windows already has the rescue built in. Mouse Keys lets the numeric keypad move the pointer, click, right click and drag - no download, no third party tool, nothing to install.
Mouse Keys is part of Windows Accessibility, called Ease of Access in Windows 10. It was designed first as an accessibility lifeline for people who cannot use a physical mouse comfortably, and it doubles as the best dead mouse rescue you already own. Be honest about what it is. It is precise and dependable for clicking buttons, saving work, opening settings and finishing a task. It is not a gaming replacement and it will never feel as fast as a real mouse for drawing or fast work. The video shows the same route used here - search, open Accessibility mouse settings, and turn on Mouse Keys using only the keyboard. You need a numeric keypad for the full feature. Full size keyboards have one on the right. Many laptops do not, and that case has its own honest guide linked from the laptop page in this set. First, set it up properly once, while a working mouse or touchpad is still available if you can. A setting switched on calmly today is far easier than one hunted for during a failure.
Accessibility mouse settings in Windows 11 - Mouse Keys sits on this page, with its speed options below it
The numpad layout - directions follow the position of each key
Turn Mouse Keys On Without a Mouse
If the mouse already failed, you can still reach the setting with the keyboard alone, exactly as shown in the video.
- Press Windows to open Start and type
mouse - Use Tab and the arrow keys to move through the results to Accessibility mouse settings, then press Enter
- Tab down to Mouse Keys and press Space to switch it on
- Check that Num Lock matches the option below it - if Mouse Keys is set to work only when Num Lock is on, turn Num Lock on now
On Windows 10 the same page lives under Settings, Ease of Access, Mouse. On Windows 11 it is Settings, Accessibility, Mouse. Keep pressing Tab patiently - focus moves one control at a time, and the highlighted outline tells you where you are.
Move the Pointer and Click Once
Start with the four moves you will use constantly.
- Hold 8 to move up, 2 down, 4 left and 6 right
- Use the corner keys 7, 9, 1 and 3 for diagonals
- Press 5 in the centre to click with the currently selected button
- Press + on the numpad to double click
Hold a direction key down for long moves and tap it for small ones. Short taps near the target are the whole skill - overshooting and coming back is normal for the first few minutes and then it settles.
Choose Which Button Key 5 Presses
Key 5 does not always mean left click. Three keys choose which mouse button is active.
- Press / on the numpad to select the left button
- Press - to select the right button, then 5 for a right click
- Press * to select both buttons at once, rarely needed outside old software
- After a right click, press / again so the next 5 is a normal left click
Forgetting to switch back after a right click is the most common beginner confusion. If menus keep opening when you press 5, the right button is still selected - press slash and try again.
Set a Speed You Can Actually Control
The default speed is cautious, which feels painfully slow on a large screen. Fix it on the same settings page.
- Open Settings, Accessibility, Mouse and find the Mouse Keys speed options
- Raise Mouse Keys speed a little at a time and test a full screen crossing after each change
- Raise Mouse Keys acceleration so a held key builds speed on long moves but a tap stays precise
- Turn on the options to hold Ctrl to speed up and Shift to slow down, if your version shows them
The right setting is the fastest one where you can still stop on a small button first try. The dedicated speed page in this set goes deeper if the pointer still crawls or overshoots.
Drag, Then Turn It Off Cleanly
Dragging is the last basic skill, and knowing the exit matters just as much.
- Move onto the item, press 0 on the numpad to pick it up
- Move to the destination with the direction keys
- Press . - the numpad decimal key - to drop it
- To turn Mouse Keys off, return to Settings, Accessibility, Mouse and switch Mouse Keys off, or use the shortcut in the next step if you enabled it
Many PCs can toggle Mouse Keys with Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock when that shortcut is allowed in settings. Test it once so you know whether yours responds, instead of discovering it during a stuck drag.
Complete Video Guide
See Mouse Keys switched on and used live in the full video - the fastest way to learn the key positions by watching them pressed in order.
Watch Full VideoDo I need to install anything to use my keyboard as a mouse
No. Mouse Keys is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11. There is no download and no third party software. Turn it on in Settings under Accessibility, or Ease of Access on Windows 10, and the numeric keypad starts moving the pointer straight away.
Can I use Mouse Keys for gaming or fast design work
Honestly, no - not well. Mouse Keys moves at a steady keyboard pace with acceleration, which is fine for buttons, menus and precise small moves. Fast aiming, freehand drawing and rapid dragging feel slow and tiring. It is an accessibility feature and an emergency rescue, and it is excellent at both.
Mouse Keys is on but the pointer does not move. What is wrong
Check Num Lock first. If the setting says Mouse Keys works only when Num Lock is on, the pad types numbers instead of moving until you press Num Lock. Also confirm you are using the numeric keypad keys, not the number row above the letters - the number row never moves the pointer.