Adjust Character Repeat Rate

You can adjust both the repeat delay (amount of time that elapses before a character repeats when you hold down a key), and the repeat rate (the speed at which a character repeats when you hold down a key). Adjusting these settings can benefit people with mobility impairments. This procedure tells you how to set the character repeat rate through Keyboard Properties in Control Panel.

Mouse actions

Keyboard actions

On the Start menu:

Select Control Panel

Display the Start menu by pressing CTRL+ESC (or the Windows logo key ).

Select Control Panel by pressing C.

In Control Panel:

Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing).
If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View.
Select Keyboard.

In Control Panel:

Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing).
If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View by pressing TAB.
Press ENTER.
Move to Keyboard by pressing the arrow keys.
Press ENTER.

In the Keyboard Properties dialog box, on the Speed tab, under Character repeat:

Use the Repeat delay slider arrow to select a repeat delay value.
Use the Repeat rate slider arrow to select a repeat rate.
Select OK.

In the Keyboard Properties dialog box, on the Speed tab, under Character repeat:

Move to the Repeat delay slider arrow by pressing D.
Select the speed you want by moving the slider arrow with the RIGHT ARROW and LEFT ARROW keys.
Select the Repeat rate slider by pressing R.
Select the speed you want by moving the slider arrow with the RIGHT ARROW and LEFT ARROW keys.
Press ENTER.

To close Control Panel:

Select the Close button.

To close Control Panel:

Press ALT+F, C.

Control Panel: Keyboard: Speed tab: Character repeat: Repeat delay and Repeat rate