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Q247054: How to Change the Blinking Rate of the Insertion Point

Article: Q247054
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:95,98,98 Second Edition
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbui win95 win98 win98se kbEnableSight
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
- Microsoft Windows 98 
- Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to change the insertion point blinking rate.

NOTE: Configuring the insertion point blinking rate may be helpful to people with
seizure disorders.

MORE INFORMATION
================

You can change the insertion point using the Keyboard tool in Control Panel or
using Registry Editor.

Keyboard Tool
-------------

To change the insertion point blinking rate, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click
  Keyboard.

2. Move the "Cursor blink rate" slider where you want it.

NOTE: When you move the slider to the notch closest to Slow, the insertion point
blinks 1.2 times per second. When you move the slider to the notch closest to
Fast, the insertion point blinks 5 times per second. Each notch changes the the
blinking rate by 100 milliseconds. Each time you move the slider, the blinking
insertion point left of the slider immediately represents the blinking rate
change. 3. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Registry Editor
---------------

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
You can make more detailed incremental changes using Registry Editor. In Registry
Editor, change the value data for the CursorBlinkRate value in the following
registry key:

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

NOTE: If the CursorBlinkRate value does not exist, add a new String Value.
After you edit the CursorBlinkRate value in the Registry, you need to restart
your computer.

If you lower the value data number (the default is 500) for the CursorBlinkRate
value, the insertion point blinks faster. If you use a larger number for the
value data, the insertion point blinks slower.

For example, the value data 1000 causes the insertion point to blink
approximately one time per second. Likewise, if you use the value data 2000, the
insertion point blinks approximately one time every two seconds. If you do not
want the insertion point to blink, use the value data -1.

NOTE: People who experience seizures in response to flashing lights or patterns
may have problems with the blink rate of the insertion point if it is set at a
frequency above 3 to 5 times per second.

Additional query words: text epilepsy cursor

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Keywords          : kbenv kbui win95 win98 win98se kbEnableSight 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbWin98search kbWin98SEsearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin98 kbWin98SE
Version           : WINDOWS:95,98,98 Second Edition
Issue type        : kbhowto

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