Magnifier enlarges different parts of the screen. This is especially useful for viewing objects that are difficult to see and for seeing the whole screen more easily.
To open Magnifier:
- Click on the Start button, then All Programs, then Accessories, then Ease of Access, then click on Magnifier.
There are three modes:
- Full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, your entire screen is magnified. You can then have Magnifier follow the mouse pointer.
- Lens mode. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that's magnified moves along with it.
- Docked mode. In docked mode, only a portion of the screen is magnified, leaving the rest of your desktop in a normal state. You can then control which area of the screen is magnified.
Note:
- Full-screen mode and lens mode are only available as part of the Aero experience. If your computer doesn't support Aero, or if you're using a theme other than an Aero theme, Magnifier will only work in docked mode.
- On the Views menu, click the mode that you want to use.
- Move the pointer to the part of the screen that you want to magnify.
Note:
To exit Magnifier, press the Windows logo key 
+ Esc.
When you're using full-screen mode, you can quickly preview your entire desktop by clicking the Views menu and then clicking Preview full screen.
For a list of keyboard shortcuts that you can use with Magnifier, see the following links:
General keyboard shortcuts
Natural keyboard shortcuts
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
Accessibility keyboard shortcuts
File Explorer keyboard shortcuts
To choose where Magnifier focuses
Click the Options button, and then select the option that you want:
| Option |
Description |
Follow the mouse pointer |
Displays the area around the mouse pointer in the Magnifier window. When you select this option, you can choose to have the Magnifier window move when the mouse pointer approaches or when the mouse pointer hits the edge of the Magnifier window. |
Follow the keyboard focus |
Displays the area around the pointer when you press the Tab or arrow keys. |
Have Magnifier follow the text insertion point |
Displays the area around the text that you're typing. |
To change the zoom level
Do one of the following:
| To |
Do this |
Zoom in |
Press the Windows logo key + Plus sign |
Zoom out |
Press the Windows logo key + Minus sign |
To set the zoom increment
The zoom increment determines how quickly Magnifier zooms in and out.
Click the Options button, and then move the slider to adjust the zoom increment. Moving the slider to the left causes Magnifier to zoom slower, with smaller changes between zoom levels. Moving the slider to the right causes Magnifier to zoom faster, with larger changes between zoom levels.
To set the lens size
When you're using lens mode, you can adjust the size of the Magnifier lens.
Click the Options button, and then, under Magnifier Lens Size, move the sliders to adjust the size of the Magnifier lens. The lens size changes right away. Adjust the level until it's right for you.
Note:
- You must be using lens mode for the lens size options to appear.
- You can quickly change the lens size by pressing Ctrl+Alt+R, and then moving the pointer up and down to change the height, and left and right to change the width.
To turn on color inversion
Turning on color inversion increases the contrast between items on your screen, which can help make your screen easier to see.
Click the Options button, and then select the Turn on color inversion checkbox.
To display the Magnifier toolbar
Click the magnifying glass icon or click Magnifier on the taskbar.