TOTW: play a warning sound when you hit Caps Lock

TOTW: play a warning sound when you hit Caps Lock

It's really irritating when you hit Caps Lock by mistake. Suddenly IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING and although there are ways to change how text is capitalised, it's nicer to avoid the problem in the first place.

There is an easy way to banish this annoyance, so for this Tip of the Week we explain how to make Windows play a sound whenever you hit Caps Lock.

1. Make sure your speakers are on

To get started, make sure your computer's speakers are turned on and turned up.

Click the speaker icon at the bottom right of your screen and check the volume there is turned up too:

2. Open your Control Panel

To find the setting you need, go to your Windows Control Panel:

• In Windows Vista or 7, click the Start button, then click Control Panel.
• In Windows 8, reveal the sidebar by moving your mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen. Then click Settings followed by Control Panel. 

3. Change the Ease of Access settings

In the Control Panel, click Ease of Access Center:

At this point your computer may start reading the items on screen. To switch this option off, untick the Always read this section aloud option:

Next, click Make the keyboard easier to use:

The setting to play a sound when you hit Caps Lock is called Toggle Keys. To switch it on, click the checkbox beside the Turn on Toggle Keys option:

Click OK, and then tap your Caps Lock key to make sure the new setting works. You should hear a high note when you turn Caps Lock on, and a lower tone when you turn it off again.

• How to edit a PDF file
• Reduce the length of email replies
• Use Google for sums, currency conversions and more