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Secretly tucked away in the innards of the Windows operating system is a handy utility. It’s called onscreen keyboard. You access it by clicking the Start button and then clicking Run.

The Run function is used by technical folks to execute diagnostic commands based on old, pre-Windows DOS code. Though ancient, these commands often yield helpful information.

When the Run window opens, type the letters “osk” (without the quotes) and press Enter. A replica of a keyboard will appear onscreen.

You can type as you normally would by clicking on each key. To get capital letters, click on the shift key, and the keyboard will display all capital letters and other shift-related characters: Shift 4 yields a dollar sign, Shift-/ (forward slash) yields a question mark, etc.

This virtual keyboard is handy not only for when your regular keyboard malfunctions, but also when you need an extra layer of security to enter passwords and other sensitive information.

If you use a shared or a public computer, for instance, you never know if a tech-savvy creep will uncover data you entered. Data can be surreptitiously monitored by several means, including the use of key-logging software that records every letter you type.

But you can avoid detection by using a virtual keyboard, since it leaves no tracks; key-logging software does not record mouse-click content. Furthermore, you can add an extra layer of security by moving the virtual keyboard around the screen periodically. In the highly unlikely, but theoretically possible instance that someone can track the location of your cursor and attempt to deduce which letters you are clicking on, shifting the position of the keyboard will make detection of what you type just about impossible.

Using a mouse on a virtual keyboard won’t allow you to set any speed-typing records, but when you’re in a pinch with a flagging keyboard or require an extra degree of security, it’s a perfect alternative.