Make your computer easier to see in Windows Vista and Windows 7 (optimize visual display)

If you sometimes have trouble seeing items on your screen, you can adjust the settings to make text and images on the screen appear larger, improve the contrast between items on the screen, and hear on-screen text read aloud.

You can adjust these settings on the Make the computer easier to see page in the Ease of Access Center.

Open Ease of Access Center:

• by pressing the Windows logo key + U.

or

• Click on the Start button, then All Programs, then Accessories, then Ease of Access, then click on Ease of Access Center.

Click on Use the computer without a display.

Select the options that you want to use:

• Choose a High Contrast color scheme. This option allows you to set a high-contrast color scheme that heightens the color contrast of some text and images on your computer screen, making those items more distinct and easier to identify.
• Turn on Narrator.
  This option sets Narrator to run when you log on to your computer. Narrator reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as error messages appearing) that happen while you're using the computer.
• Turn on Audio Description.
  This option sets Audio Descriptions to run when you log on to your computer. Audio Descriptions describe what's happening in videos.
• Turn on Magnifier.
  This option sets Magnifier to run when you log on to your computer. Magnifier enlarges the screen's part where the mouse is pointing and can be especially useful for viewing complex objects.
• Adjust the color and transparency of the window borders.
  This option allows you to change the appearance of window borders to make them easier to see.
• Make the focus rectangle thicker.
  This option makes the rectangle around the currently selected item in dialog boxes thicker, which makes it easier to see.
• Set the thickness of the blinking cursor.
  This option allows you to make the blinking cursor in dialog boxes and programs thicker and easier to see.
• Turn off all unnecessary animations.
  This option turns off animation effects, such as fading effects, when windows and other elements are closed.
• Remove background images.
  This option turns off all unimportant, overlapped content, and background images to help make the screen easier to see.