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JAWS Lesson: Maximizing, Minimizing, and Restoring Windows

The power of Windows lies in the ability to have several programs and documents open at the same time. As a result, several windows of varying size may appear on your Desktop. You can use the Control menu to change the size of a window so that it appears as small as a button, as large as the Desktop, or any size in between. However, JAWS works best when the program and document windows are maximized. Therefore, you should always make sure the window in which you are working is maximized. Some windows do not automatically open to their fullest possible size.

Definitions -- Minimize, Maximize, and Restore:

Minimizing a window-

to reduce a document or program window to a button. When you minimize a document window, the button appears in the work area of the program window. The minimized program appears as a button on the Taskbar. When you minimize a program or document, it is still open; you have not exited the program or closed the document.

Maximizing a window-

to expand the window to its fullest possible size. A maximized document window fills the entire work area of the program window. Some maximized program windows cover the entire Desktop, with the exception of the Taskbar. Other program windows only partially cover the Desktop when they are maximized.

Restoring a window-

returns the window to its previous size after you have expanded it (maximized) or reduced it to a button (minimized).

In following exercises, you will minimize, maximize, and restore the Wordpad program window.

Exercise: Maximizing the Wordpad Program Window

Complete the following four steps to maximize the Wordpad program window:

1. Press and hold the ALT key while repeatedly pressing and releasing the Tab key until JAWS announces, "Document - Wordpad." Then, release the ALT key.
2. Press Insert-T to verify the Wordpad program window is the active window. JAWS announces, "Title Equals Document - Wordpad."
3. Press ALT-Spacebar to pull down the Program Control-menu. JAWS announces, "Menu Active Restore Grayed Unavailable."
4. Press X to select and execute the Maximize command. JAWS announces, "Leaving Menus Document - Wordpad Edit" indicating the Wordpad program window is maximized.

Exercise: Minimizing the Wordpad Program Window

Complete the following steps to minimize the Wordpad program window:

5. Press Insert-T to verify the Wordpad program window is the active window.
6. Press ALT-Spacebar to pull down the Program Control- menu. JAWS announces, "Menu Active Restore."
7. Press N to select and execute the Minimize command. JAWS announces, "Leaving Menus My Computer List View 3 ½ Floppy (A:)" indicating the Wordpad program has been reduced to a button on the Taskbar. The My Computer window is now the active window.

Exercise: Restoring the Wordpad Program Window

Complete the following steps to restore the Wordpad program window:

8. Press Insert-T to verify the My Computer window is the active window.
9. Press and hold down the ALT key while repeatedly pressing and releasing the Tab key until JAWS announces, "Untitled - Wordpad." Then, release the ALT key. JAWS announces, "Untitled - Wordpad Edit" when the window is restored.
   Note: If Wordpad is the only program running, Windows will restore the program as soon as you press ALT-Tab.
10. Press Insert-T to verify the Wordpad program window is the active window.
11. Verify the window is maximized by pressing ALT- Spacebar to pull down the Program Control-menu. Then, press X to select and execute the maximize command. JAWS announces, "Leaving Menus Untitled - Wordpad Edit" when the window is maximized.

Tip -- Minimizing All Windows: If you want to minimize all the windows you have open, you can use a quick keystroke to minimize all the windows at once. When all the windows are minimized, the focus will be on the Desktop. You may use the JAWS keystroke, Insert-F6 to minimize all windows. JAWS announces, "All Windows Minimized Desktop List View My Computer" indicating the focus is on the Desktop and the My Computer program icon is selected. If you have a Windows keyboard, you can press Windows-Logo-key-M to minimize all windows.

What You Learned:

1. You can use the pull down Program Control Menu (ALT-Spacebar) or Document Control Menu (ALT-Hyphen) to minimize, maximize, or restore a window.
2. You may use the Windows keystroke, Window-M; or the JAWS keystroke, Insert-F6 to minimize all windows.
3. You can restore a minimized program by pressing ALT-Tab to the program.

End of Lesson

by Sharon Nichols (nichols_s@tsbvi.edu) 

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