Move cursor to check boxes using keyboard instead of mouse

[catalogue]

Is there a way to move the focus to check boxes on websites and in programs without using the mouse?

Let's say you're in the options menu of a program like Firefox or MS Office, and there are options with boxes you can check or uncheck. I want to be able to navigate to the boxes using the keyboard instead of the mouse.

What I find is, you usually can move the focus to the item description (i.e. highlight the text) using Tab, but that only gets to the item description, not the check box. Which is odd, because why would anyone ever need to highlight the text in a program's menus?

Once in a while it does work - you can tab to the check box and check/uncheck using something like shift-click. But I can't remember where that works. Maybe MS Office but I don't have it on this computer.

I am on a laptop, where it would save a lot of moving the mouse around. It might not be much of a time-saver on a desktop.

 

[maxie]

How does Turn on Mouse Keys work have never tested it ? ...

 

[catalogue]

MouseKeys turns the number keys into navigation keys, which doesn't help me. Turning MouseKeys on and off would be more hassle than not using it.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Spacebar

Try pressing the Spacebar once you have tabbed to the Checkbox.

That should toggle the "Tick" in the Checkbox (it does on my PC).

It doesn't work with the Radio Button options though (I'm not sure what key toggles those)

 

[catalogue]

Try pressing the Spacebar once you have tabbed to the Checkbox.

Yes that's it - thanks.

I thought it was something really basic but couldn't remember. I kept trying things like ctrl-tab and alt-space but not just plain space. Duh

 

[Berton]

I don't move the mouse pointer but press the Tab key to change focus from one box or button to another then press Enter to emulate clicking the mouse.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I don't move the mouse pointer but press the Tab key to change focus from one box or button to another then press Enter to emulate clicking the mouse.

If the window has a default button set (e.g. "Cancel") pressing Enter will activate that, instead of changing the Checkbox setting (on my PC at least).