This topic discusses settings changes we recommend you make when using JAWS in Windows XP Home or Professional. You must be logged in with administrative rights to make several of these changes. Many of these settings are changed within Control Panel. To open Control Panel, press the WINDOWS KEY to open the Start Menu, move to Control Panel, and press ENTER.

Depending on your system settings, Control Panel either opens in a separate window, or the Control Panel items open as a sub-menu. We recommend making changes in the following areas:

List of 5 items
Display Properties
Folder Options
Start Menu
Windows Explorer
System Performance
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Display Properties
List of 9 items
1. From the Control Panel, move to "Display" and press Enter.
2. From the themes combo box, select Windows XP.
3. In the List of backgrounds on the Desktop page, choose Bliss.
4. Set Position to "Stretch."
5. In the Screen Saver combo box on the Screen Saver page, press HOME to select none.
6. On the Appearance page, set Windows and Buttons to Windows classic style.
7. Set Color Scheme to Windows Standard.
8. Set Font to normal.
9. Close the dialog.
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Note: After making these changes, the Display page Themes combo box says "Modified Theme."

Folder Options

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1. From the Control Panel, press ALT+T to go to the Tools menu.
2. Press O for Folder Options.
3. From the Tasks radio button group, select Use Windows Classic folders.
4. (Optional):

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A. On the View page, move to the Advanced Settings tree view.
B. Clear the Hide Extensions For Known File Types check box.
C. If you also use screen magnification software, clear the Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items check box. Pop up descriptions often hide the menu item just below any given menu item, making it impossible to visually see the next item in the menu list.
D. Move to the Apply to All Folders button and press SPACEBAR.
E. Select Yes in the dialog that opens to acknowledge this change.
5. Move to the OK button in the Folder Options dialog box and press SPACEBAR to close this dialog box.

Start Menu

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1. From Control Panel, Move to Taskbar and Start menu and press ENTER.
2. From the Taskbar page, press ALT+G to move to and uncheck Group Similar Taskbar Buttons.
3. Press ALT+H to move to and uncheck the check box for Hide inactive icons.
4. Press CTRL+TAB to move to the Start Menu page.
5. Select Classic start menu.
6. Press ENTER to close this dialog box.
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Windows Explorer

List of 13 items
1. Press WINDOWS KEY+E to open Windows Explorer.
2. Press ALT+V to open the View menu.
3. Select "Arrange Icons by" and press ENTER to open the submenu.
4. Move to the menu item "Name" to arrange by Name, and Press ENTER to select this and close the menus.
5. To put items / folders into list view, press Alt + V again, arrow down to List, and Press ENTER to select this and close the menus.
6. Repeat steps 2 and 3, and move to the item "Show in Groups." If it is checked, press ENTER to uncheck it and close the menus.
7. Press ALT+T to open the Tools menu.
8. Press O to open the Folder Options Dialog.
9. Press CTRL+TAB to move to the View page.
10. Tab twice and arrow down until you land on Remember each folder's view settings-ON: If it is off hit the spacebar to turn it on.
11. Shift tab twice then press SPACEBAR to activate the "Apply to all folders" button, and press SPACEBAR on the YES button to acknowledge this change.
12. Tab to the apply button and press the SPACEBAR.
13. Tab to the OK button and hit enter to close out the dialog box.
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System Performance

List of 6 items
1. From the Control Panel, move to System and press ENTER to open the System Properties Dialog.
2. Press CTRL+TAB to move to the Advanced page.
3. Press ALT+S to activate the Performance Settings button. The Performance Options Dialog opens.
4. Clear the following check boxes:

Animate Windows when Minimizing and Maximizing.
Slide open Combo Boxes.
Smooth-scroll List Boxes.
Use Visual Styles on Windows and Buttons.
5. Press ENTER to close the Performance Options dialog and return to the System Properties dialog box.
6. Press ENTER to activate the OK button and close the System Properties dialog box.