Magnifier enlarges different parts of the screen and is part of the Ease of Access Center. To open it quickly, click Start, and then type Magnifier.
You can also change the screen resolution, which adjusts the clarity, size, and amount of things that fit on your computer monitor. To learn more about adjusting the screen resolution, see Getting the best display on your monitor.
If you want to have Magnifier at your fingertips, you can pin it to the taskbar. To learn more about pinning, see Pin a program to the taskbar.
There are three Magnifier modes:
Full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, your entire screen is magnified. Depending on the size of your screen and the zoom level you choose, you might not be able to see all of the screen at the same time.
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 unchanged. You can then control which area of the screen is magnified.
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 not using an Aero theme, Magnifier will only work in docked mode.
Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking Magnifier.
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.
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 Keyboard shortcuts.
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.
Do one of the following:
Zoom in
Zoom out
The zoom increment determines how quickly Magnifier zooms in and out.
When you're using lens mode, you can adjust the size of the Magnifier lens.
You need to use 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.
Turning on color inversion increases the contrast between items on your screen, which can help make your screen easier to see.
When you start using Magnifier, the Magnifier toolbar disappears to get out of your way, but you can display it again.
Magnifier enlarges part of the screen. This is especially useful for viewing objects that are difficult to see. It's also helpful for people who generally have difficulty seeing the screen.
See all support pages for personalization & ease of access.
Ask a question in the community forums.
