Download Latest Version

Here you can download the latest version of Skeleton Key. This version is "beta," meaning that it is still being developed. I strongly encourage you to use the latest version, but please read this whole page first. (If you change your mind, just install one of the previous versions.)

Latest Version!
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the latest version.
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New Features

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The new features are detailed here, and only here. They are not explained in Skeleton Key Help. If you have any questions, please use the Forum.

Speaker Window: It is much bigger, has a nicer font, and has options to set the font size (big "A" and little "A" buttons). (Added in 1.8.0.)
Word Prediction and Expansion: If no Save Words options are selected on the Words tab of the Profile Editor, word completion and prediction will behave normally, but no new words will be added to the word list, by request. Also, when a word is being expanded by Auto Expansion, the words in the substitution text will not change the word completion or prediction values. (Added in 1.8.0.)
Hibernate and Suspend: New shutdown options, added to the list in Action mode on the Key Settings dialog, let you exit Windows by Hibernate or Suspend, if your settings permit. These options are also subject to the exit confirmation, explained below. (Added in 1.8.0, by request.)
Register and Flush: Two new actions are added to the list in Action mode on the Key Settings dialog. "Register" opens the registration dialog, so you can enter a registration key, even while scanning, by request. "Flush" empties the text buffer used by word prediction, so that the words displayed are the same as when Skeleton Key starts, by request. (Added in 1.8.0.)
Move/Size Skeleton Key: New functions let you move and size Skeleton Key's window while scanning. The functions work exactly like moving and sizing other windows, and they are accessed from the same place: the Window Move/Size mode on the Key Settings dialog of Skeleton Key Editor. (Added in 1.7.3, by request.)
Speak Words: A new option lets you speak each word after a word key is selected. It is an option on the Words tab of the Profile Editor. (Added in 1.7.2, by request.)
Exit Hotkey: You can exit Skeleton Key when scanning is active by typing a new hotkey, Ctrl-Alt-F6. This will assist caregivers and others to easily regain control of the mouse, if necessary, when scanning is used. (Added in 1.7.2, by request.)
Exit Confirmation: A new option, available when scanning is used, offers you 10 seconds to cancel an exit command. It is an option on the Advanced tab of the Profile Editor. It applies to the following actions: Exit, LogOff, LogOffF, Restart, RestartF, Shutdown, and ShutdownF. When active, a message with instructions and a countdown will pop up. (Added in 1.7.2, by request.)
About Action: A new action, added to the list in Action mode, opens the key logo screen. It is named About. (Added in 1.7.2.)
Step Scanning: The old Scan control method is now called "Auto scan," and there is a new control method: "Step scan." Step scanning is very similar to automatic scanning, except that you control the scan. Instead of Skeleton Key automatically highlighting keys, you do. A right mouse click moves the highlight forward, and a left click selects the currently highlighted key or keys. (Added in 1.7.1, by request.)
Additional Scan Delay: A new option for Auto scan is labelled "Add: X % for first item." This option makes Skeleton Key delay longer for the first item when scanning and typing in Repeat mode. The longer delay is a percentage of the normal scan Delay that is added to it. For example, if Delay is 80, and Add is 50%, the longer delay will be 120 [80 + (50% of 80)]. It will be used for the first row on a page, the first key in a row, the first item of a menu, etc. The longer delay gives you more time to make selections in sequence. (Added in 1.7.1.)
Right Button: A new option for the right mouse button lets it mimic the left button, whatever you select the left button to do. The right button option is not available when step scanning is used, because both the left and right buttons control the scan. (Added in 1.7.1.)

Bug Fixes and Changes

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These are minor changes, some of which fix bugs.

Update Auto Expansion: The Update button on the Auto Expansion tab of Skeleton Key Words failed to enable when it should in certain circumstances. This is now fixed. (Added in 1.8.0, by request.)
Remove Duplicate Words: It is possible, though unlikely, for the word list to acquire duplicate words. Now, when a words file is loaded in either Skeleton Key or Skeleton Key Words, duplicates are removed. (Added in 1.8.0.)
Wivik 2.5: Changed the "Wivik" tab on the Import Words dialog of Skeleton Key Words to "Wivik 2.5." (Added in 1.8.0, by request.)
Off-screen Position: Skeleton Key now ensures that its window position is not off of the screen so you don't "lose" the window. (Added in 1.7.3, by request.)
Mouse/Window Speed: I changed the default mouse/window speed settings to those I use. They are: slow (1, 100), normal (10, 100), and fast (10, 25). (Added in 1.7.3.)
Scan Order Changes: You now need to confirm changes to a keyboard's scan order made via the Set Scan Order dialog of Skeleton Key Editor. (Added in 1.7.2, by request.)
Tablet PC: Previous versions of Skeleton Key used a software protection system that made the program incompatible with Windows XP Tablet PC. The protection system has been fixed, so this is no longer a problem. (Added in 1.7.2, by request.)
Secure Save: When Skeleton Key saved words, it was vulnerable to a sudden computer shutdown, which would sometimes lead to a corrupt words file. This is now fixed. (Added in 1.7.1, by request.)
Radar Mouse: If the mouse cursor was at the top of the screen, and you used the radar mouse movement, and you stopped the radar line at the top of the screen, it would cause a "divide by zero" error. This is now fixed. (Added in 1.7.1.)
Tab Order: The buttons on the Copy/Swap Key Settings dialog of Skeleton Key Editor were in the wrong tab order. This is the order in which you access the buttons by typing Tab. This is now fixed. (Added in 1.7.1.)
Scan+ and Scan-: These two actions (of the Action mode) adjust the scan Delay higher and lower. The amount of the adjustment was 25/100 seconds. It is now 10/100 seconds. (Added in 1.7.1.)

Requirements

Features | Fixes | Archive | Top

You need to have the full software package version of Skeleton Key installed on your computer before you can install the beta version. The system requirements for both versions are the same.

The beta is labelled with a "b" next to the version number in the lower right corner of the key of the logo screens. The current beta is version 1.8.0b.