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What's New in JAWS 9

The latest product improvements in both JAWS and MAGic incorporate more JAWS screen reading functionality into the MAGic screen magnification software. These enhancements also improve how JAWS reads when MAGic is running at the same time.

The following list highlights new functionality available when running the two programs together:

• The MAGic highlighting option is in sync as JAWS reads Web pages. By providing this visual cue, you always know where you are on the computer screen as JAWS is reading.
• The addition of Navigation Quick Keys is another improvement. When running the two programs simultaneously, you can use these keystrokes so that MAGic highlights each item you jump to as you read by heading, list item, paragraph, and so on.
• When viewing a Web page with either or both programs running, you can use Windows keyboard commands to select text and items. As you do this, MAGic, JAWS, or the combination of MAGic and JAWS, visually show you the items that are selected. The text that is copied can be pasted into an HTML e-mail or any rich text word processor and maintains the links and original formatting.

To take advantage of these enhancements, be sure to download the latest JAWS 9 release and MAGic 11 build.

JAWS 9 Features

This page describes the new features and improvements available in JAWS version 9. Go to Enhancements in JAWS for a list of all improvements made in JAWS 9 releases.

Web Page Reading Control

The Document Automatically Reads option is new. When it is turned on, JAWS performs a Say All and automatically begins reading the Web page open in your browser as usual. This mode is convenient when surfing the Web with Windows Internet Explorer® or Mozilla Firefox®; however, there are many times when you may prefer that JAWS just load the page and report the number of links and headings without starting a Say All. Turning off this option can be useful if you are working on Web pages with forms or using JAWS in conjunction with MAGic. The default setting for this option is on.

To toggle this option on or off, first press INSERT+V and then D until you navigate to Document Automatically Reads. Next, press SPACEBAR to change the option setting.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 Support

JAWS 9 supports Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 release.

Unicode Braille Tables Update

The Unicode braille tables in JAWS (JBT files) support multi-cell braille characters. A multi-cell character is a braille character that requires more than one braille cell on your braille display. This feature may be of interest to individuals who use math, science, and language symbols.

Braille Study Mode

Braille Study Mode is a training tool for teaching and learning braille. It works exclusively with Freedom Scientific PAC Mate 20- and 40-cell braille displays and FOCUS 40- and 80-cell braille displays. When enabled, JAWS will announce the braille character in a display cell when you press the Cursor Routing button immediately above that cell. When you press the Navrow button (located behind the Cursor Routing button), JAWS will announce and spell the braille word.

Braille Study Mode is off by default. To start it, do the following:

1. Make sure that a PAC Mate Portable Braille Display, FOCUS 40, or FOCUS 80 braille display is attached to your computer.
2. Do one of the following:

• Press CTRL+INSERT+B to open the Adjust Braille Options dialog box, or
• Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

3. Press S until Study Mode appears, and then press SPACEBAR to toggle Study Mode on. Braille Study Mode remains on until toggled off or until JAWS is restarted.

Braille Study Mode: On-the-Fly Access using WHIZWHEELS

When Braille Study Mode is off, you can always press the braille display's left or right WHIZWHEEL together with either a Cursor Routing or Navrow button to briefly use Braille Study Mode functionality. This clever operation gives you the same braille information without having to turn on Braille Study Mode. To use Braille Study Mode on the fly, do one of the following:

• Press WHIZWHEEL+CURSOR ROUTING to make JAWS announce the braille character in the display cell, or
• Press WHIZWHEEL+NAVROW to make JAWS announce and spell the braille word.

Citrix Program Neighborhood

JAWS 9 supports Citrix Program Neighborhood® 10.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007

JAWS 9 supports the creation and presentation of PowerPoint 2007 slide shows.

USB Thumb Drive Update

The updated USB thumb drive versions of JAWS 9 and MAGic 11 are now available. You can now use both products together or individually on the same thumb drive. In addition, the video intercept tool has been consolidated to work with both screen reader and screen magnification applications.

Talking Mouse Support

The MAGic Mouse Echo feature is now available when running MAGic 11 and JAWS 9 together. This means that JAWS reads text that you point to with the mouse. To customize this feature, open the MAGic Speech menu and choose Mouse Echo.

DAISY Book Addition

A new DAISY book is available. It describes how to create accessible forms in Microsoft Excel by using input messages and hyperlinks to provide useful feedback to JAWS and MAGic users.

FSDN Update

The Freedom Scientific Developer Network (FSDN) has been updated and reorganized for increased ease of use. The FSDN provides a general reference for all scripts, user-defined functions, and built-in functions found in JAWS. Go to the Freedom Scientific Developer Network Web page to download the latest FSDN reference guide.

JAWS Startup Wizard Update

The JAWS Startup Wizard is a helpful tool that contains a series of dialog boxes. It lets you quickly configure some of the more commonly used JAWS parameters. This can save time since you do not have to search multiple menus and managers to customize your copy of JAWS.

The Startup Wizard automatically runs the first time you install a new version of JAWS. However, you can always access it by selecting the Help menu in the JAWS application window. The primary JAWS functions are organized into the following groups in the wizard:

• Training settings
• Speech settings
• Run JAWS settings
• Keyboard settings
• Verbosity settings
• Braille settings

HTML Formatting Retained when Selecting, Copying, and Pasting

JAWS 9 will now properly copy the contents of a Web page to the virtual buffer, and retain all the HTML formatting and markup when pasting the information into an HTML formatted e-mail or Word document. This break through in screen reading means that you can now copy and paste content and retain its formatting, colors, and active hyperlinks, while discarding any of the other JAWS messages, such as the number of items in a list, and so on. What you paste is essentially the same rendering that a sighted user would see. Plus, you have the added advantage of being able to use JAWS HTML commands to read and navigate the Web content when pasted into an e-mail message.

In addition, JAWS still provides a way to select copy and paste in the traditional manner of stripping out the formatting if you choose. You will find this option to toggle in the new Adjust JAWS Option dialog box (INSERT+V). You may also wish to take advantage of the personalize settings option (INSERT+SHIFT+V) feature in JAWS to set up certain behavior for specific Web sites while leaving the default set with the new solution that includes all the formatting.

HTML Composition Support

JAWS 9 introduces new support for editing in HTML composition environments. This new support provides 100 percent accuracy when reading text; the ability to use sound schemes to differentiate font, attribute, and color; the ability to automatically switch languages when the language of the text is correctly marked up; and the ability to hear information when the text is marked up as a heading, link, list, table, and so on. For example, when composing a new HTML message in Outlook Express or Outlook 2003, you can now select text and format it as a heading (level 1 through 6), and JAWS will announce that this text is a heading when reading back the composed message. When using online editors, such as the sample at http://www.rnib.org.uk/edtest/editor.htm, if you go into Forms mode in the editable area, you can now use the ARROW keys to enter the table and use table navigation keystrokes to navigate the table and hear row or column changes and row or column headings. (Note that you will have to press the RIGHT ARROW once and then the DOWN ARROW to navigate past the link in this editor.) You can also hear where headings are and the text which belongs to a bulleted or auto numbered list.

State of NUM LOCK Key when JAWS Starts

JAWS uses the numeric keypad to perform numerous speech functions such as Say All (INSERT+DOWN ARROW), Say Word (INSERT+NUM PAD 5), Say Line (INSERT+UP ARROW), and so on. The NUM LOCK key is turned off by default so that you can easily use these functions. However, you may have a job that requires extensive use of the numeric keypad, in which case, you must always turn on the NUM LOCK key after JAWS starts.

Starting with JAWS 9 you can control the initial state of the NUM LOCK key when JAWS starts. This is only available in the Default.jcf file.

There are two ways to configure the state of the NUM LOCK key. First, you can set it using the Startup Wizard (ALT+H, Z from the JAWS application window). Second, you can change it at any time using the Configuration Manager as described in the following steps.

1. From the JAWS application window, press ALT+U to open the Utilities menu.
2. Press C to open the Configuration Manager.
3. Press ALT+S to open the Set Options menu, and press K to open the Keyboard Options dialog box.
4. Press M to jump directly to the Initial State of NUM LOCK Key option.
5. Use the ARROW Keys to select one of the following numeric keypad options:

• Turn off at startup: When chosen, the NUM LOCK key is off when JAWS starts. (default)
• Turn on at startup: The NUM LOCK key is on when JAWS starts.
• Do not modify: JAWS uses the current NUM LOCK key setting.

Performing an Action Stated in a Balloon ToolTip

A system tray balloon ToolTip is a way for applications to inform you that an event has occurred or an action is required. Often these ToolTips state that you need to “click here” to perform a certain task, such as downloading updates for Windows. With JAWS 9, when such a message appears, you can now press the JAWS left mouse button (NUM PAD SLASH) to immediately act on the message before the ToolTip closes.

In JAWS 8.0 and earlier, to select a balloon ToolTip, you had to enable the JAWS cursor and navigate to the ToolTip. Often the message would close before you could find it. As you can see, it is much more efficient to use the JAWS left mouse button.

Newly Designed Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box

The Adjust JAWS Verbosity list has been updated with the newly designed Adjust JAWS Options tree view (INSERT+V). Instead of showing items in a list format, the reorganized dialog box uses a logical tree view format. This grouping is sure to help new and experienced JAWS users understand the relationship between various JAWS settings. At a minimum, the tree view consists of the following expandable groups that are common to all applications: General Options, Reading Options, Say All Options, Editing Options, and Braille Options. Note that the Synthesizer command, which temporarily turns speech on or off, also resides at the main group level.

Items that are specific to an application appear in their own group at the top of the tree view. For example, if you press INSERT+V while in Internet Explorer, the Internet Explorer Options group appears above the other groups.

The tree view is expanded by default when you open it to allow for first letter navigation, thus continuing the ease of use found in the original Verbosity list design. If you would rather have it collapsed, press TAB to navigate to the Expand Tree View on Open check box and uncheck it. You may also navigate through the tree view using the RIGHT ARROW and LEFT ARROW keys to expand and collapse groups. Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to move up and down in the tree.

JAWS 9 also now includes built-in help messages for each item found in the tree view. As you navigate items in the list, simply press TAB to move to the Read-Only edit window at any time for a help description of the current item.

For other examples of the new format, press SHIFT+INSERT+V to open Personalized Settings for a Web page. This allows you to quickly access settings that control how JAWS behaves on a specific Web page. Press CTRL+INSERT+B, which allows you to open and quickly adjust braille options, to see another case of the tree view format.

Third Party Script Developers

In JAWS 9 or later, the INSERT+V command displays JAWS options in a tree view format. If you create and provide JAWS scripts for others, you need to modify or create a new script to take advantage of the tree view. For scripting update instructions, select JAWS Script Verbosity Options to download a self-extracting Word document.

Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003 Calendar

The user interface for the Outlook Calendar offers challenges for Assistive Technology products. In JAWS 9, we have addressed these challenges and provided access directly to the Outlook Calendar without the need of providing a special interface to sit between Outlook and the screen reader.

• You can create an appointment for a specific time slot by pressing ENTER on the time slot.
• When you navigate to an appointment, JAWS announces the appointment’s title, time, busy status, and location.
• JAWS announces time slots as you use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to move through the current day.
• You can use TAB and SHIFT+TAB to jump between appointments.
• Use LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW to move between days.
• When in Day View mode, JAWS announces the day, the date, and the number of appointments scheduled.
• In Work Week, Week, and Month View modes, JAWS announces the total number of all day events and timed appointments within that range.
• Press INSERT+A for a summary of event and appointment counts for the current day, work week, week, or month.
• Press INSERT+A twice to place a list of all events and appointments for that range into the virtual viewer, where you can get an overall view of meetings and appointments for that period. You can also copy this information to the clipboard for further processing.
• The new Calendar support also makes shared calendars on exchange servers accessible.
• The Calendar supports regional layouts to handle international date formats.

Windows Mobile Device Center Support

In Windows Vista, ActiveSync has been replaced by the new Windows Mobile Device Center. JAWS 9 is the first screen reader to offer full accessibility with Windows Mobile Device Center found in Windows Vista. Using JAWS, you can now easily establish partnerships, install new software, manage what is synchronized, and manage media transfers without needing to manually navigate these screens with the JAWS cursor.

Internet Explorer New HTML Frame Update Notification

JAWS can now notify you when an HTML frame updates in Internet Explorer. The new Frame Update Notification option lets you configure the way JAWS handles HTML frame notification on various Web pages. It is located in both the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) and the Personalized Settings dialog box (INSERT+SHIFT+V) while in Internet Explorer.

Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following settings for the Frame Update Notification option:

• Off: When off, you are not notified of any frame updates.
• Speak Frame Name: JAWS speaks the name of the most recently updated frame. This is the default setting.
• Move To Frame: JAWS moves the cursor to the beginning of the most recently updated frame. JAWS also remembers your cursor location before the move; you can move back to your original location by pressing SHIFT+M, the keystroke for Move To Prior Frame. If you are in Forms mode when the frame updates and you have set the Frame Update Notification to Move To Frame, JAWS will instead speak the name of the most recently updated frame.

Foreign Language Detection in Forms Mode

If text in a form field of an appropriately-tagged HTML page appears in a different language, JAWS is able to recognize and switch to that language when speaking the text.

New WHIZWHEEL Tracking

Functionality for Freedom Scientific’s WHIZWHEELS® has been expanded to allow tracking of only the Braille Cursor.

• Pressing down on both wheels simultaneously switches from Track Focus mode to Track Braille Cursor mode.
• Use the left wheel to move up and down, just as traditionally one might use the left hand to track line position on a braille page. Use the right wheel to pan left and right without wrapping to the next line – no more confusion as to where the line starts and ends.

Better Performance with Microsoft Word

Freedom Scientific has made significant performance increases with Microsoft Word 2007, Word 2003, and Word XP by revising and updating the way JAWS works with these applications. This includes the streamlining of scripts and internal code, which results in enhanced responsiveness with total accuracy when navigating and editing documents. Both Windows XP users and Windows Vista users will enjoy this improvement in speed and accuracy without missing out on the most powerful screen reading solution in both speech and braille.

Bookmark Detection using Navigation Quick Keys in Microsoft Word

With Navigation Quick Keys turned on (INSERT+Z), you can now use the B keystroke to move to the next bookmark and the SHIFT+B keystroke to move to the previous bookmark in a Word document. JAWS will announce if no bookmarks are in the document. The INSERT+ALT+B keystroke opens a list of bookmarks.

Braille Proofreading Indication in Microsoft Word

JAWS now has grammatical error and spelling error options available when using braille to read Microsoft Word files. Once you turn on a specific proofreading option, it remains enabled until you reset the option.

To enable proofreading options, do the following:

1. Open a Word document.
2. Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
3. Press the letter B until you hear JAWS say, "Braille proofreading indication - Spelling errors."
4. Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:

• Spelling errors only
• Grammatical errors only
• Spelling and grammatical errors
• No spelling or grammatical errors (default setting)

5. Close the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.

Braille Bullet Type Indication in Microsoft Word

The Bullet Type Indication feature was introduced in JAWS 8.0. It allows JAWS to announce different bullet styles that appear in a Word document. This same functionality is now available in braille so that bullet styles can now be identified using either multi-cell symbols or an asterisk (*). By default, the Braille Bullet Type Indication feature is off, which only uses asterisks to symbolize bullets styles.

To enable braille bullet type identification, do the following:

1. Open a Word document.
2. Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
3. Press the letter B until you hear JAWS say, "Braille bullet type indication - Off."
4. Press SPACEBAR to turn on this item. JAWS now uses multi-cell symbols to show bullets.
5. Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Spelling Error Detection in Microsoft Word

In JAWS 9, Spelling Error Detection is a separate option that controls if JAWS detects and announces misspelled words while reading through a Word document. In previous JAWS releases, spelling detection was combined with grammar error detection. Spelling Error Detection is off by default. If braille is in use, the default is to mark spelling errors in braille.

To change spelling detection options, do the following:

1. Open a Word document.
2. Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
3. Press the letter S until JAWS announces “Spelling Error Detection – Off.”
4. Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:

• On: Spell checking is enabled.
• On + Count: JAWS announces the number of spelling errors per line.
• Off: Spell checking is disabled (default setting)

5. Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Grammatical Error Detection in Microsoft Word

In JAWS 9, Grammatical Error Detection is a separate option that controls if JAWS detects and announces grammatical errors while reading through a Word document. In previous JAWS releases, grammar detection was combined with spelling error detection. Grammatical Error Detection is off by default. If braille is in use, the default is not to mark grammar errors in braille.

To change grammatical detection options, do the following:

1. Open a Word document.
2. Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
3. Press the letter G until JAWS announces “Grammatical Error Detection – Off.”
4. Press the SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:

• On: Grammar checking is enabled.
• On + Count: JAWS announces the number of grammatical errors per line.
• Off: Grammar checking is disabled (default setting)

5. Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

Speech and Sound Schemes in Microsoft Word

Great strides have been made in Word’s responsiveness and accuracy when using the Speech and Sounds Scheme Manager. This manager lets you create reading rules, such as using different voices and sounds to indicate formatting attributes, when reading a Word document. Refer to the Speech and Sounds Scheme DAISY book tutorial on the Freedom Scientific Web site for more information.

Unit of Measure in Microsoft Word

JAWS can now report the PC cursor position and other related measurements using a unit of measure that you specify regardless of the Word document's default measurement units. The Measurement Units feature allows you to configure JAWS so that it reports the cursor position, tab stops, and indents in a unit of measure to your liking. The default unit of measure is based on the application's default measurement setting, for example, inches or centimeters.

To change the preferred unit of measure, do the following:

1. Open a Word document.
2. Press INSERT+V to open the Adjust JAWS Options tree view.
3. Press the letter M until you hear JAWS say, "Measurement units - Set to inches."
4. Press SPACEBAR to toggle among the following options:

• Set to inches
• Set to pixels
• Set to spaces
• Set to points
• Set to millimeters
• Set to centimeters

5. Close the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box.

List Embedded Object Command in Microsoft Word

In Word, the keystroke for the List Embedded Object command is now CTRL+INSERT+SHIFT+G. In releases prior to JAWS 9, this keystroke was for the List Graphics command.

Split Button Announcement in Microsoft Office Programs

JAWS now identifies split buttons, in both speech and braille, that are available under the Microsoft Office Button. The Office Button is located in the upper-left corner of Microsoft Office 2007 programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access. For an example of split buttons using JAWS, do the following:

1. From a Microsoft Office 2007 program, press ALT+F to open the Office Button.
2. Press DOWN ARROW to navigate to the Print button. JAWS announces Print split button.
3. Do one of the following:
   Press ENTER to print or press SPACEBAR to open the Preview and Print pane.

Gmail Support Improvements

Screen reader users currently get a message on the Gmail™ page that says, "If you are using a screen reader, you may wish to switch to basic HTML for a better experience." While you will still receive this message when running JAWS 9, it is no longer necessary to follow those instructions as JAWS works with the standard Gmail interface, which offers many enhancements over their basic HTML page.

In JAWS versions prior to 9.0, it was necessary to switch Gmail to its basic HTML interface or use the JAWS cursor to click the objects on the page that were not standard links. These include Inbox, Sent, Compose Mail, Trash, Create a Filter, and so on. With our new support for Gmail, these items show up in the links list. You can also use the ARROW keys to move to these items and either press ENTER to activate them or select the items with the routing buttons on your braille display.

Additionally, prior to JAWS 9, you had no way to see some editing attributes in the message edit window. For example, you had no way to see if text was a heading or even if it was a table when in Forms mode. With our new support for Web-based rich edit controls, you can add attributes to your messages such as bold, italic, and underline by using standard JAWS commands in this editor. Commands for similar Web-based editors may be different. At this time JAWS does not speak the status of these controls when they are activated, but you can use the command to get font information to see the attributes. It is also possible to see formatting such as list items, both bulleted and numbered lists, heading and level, and table information, even in Forms mode with both speech and braille.

Laptop Layout Keystrokes Update

The Left Mouse Button Lock (CTRL+8) and the Right Mouse Button Lock (CTRL+9) keystrokes, which are available when Laptop keyboard layout is selected, have changed.

The new keystroke for Left Mouse Button Lock is CTRL+WINDOWS Key+8.

The new keystroke for Right Mouse Button Lock is CTRL+WINDOWS Key+9.

New Commands for Yahoo! Instant Messenger 8.1

The following JAWS commands have been added for Yahoo! Instant Messenger 8.1:

• ALT+X, where X is 1, 2, 3,...,0, which allows you to review the last 10 Yahoo! IM messages. Note that ALT+1 opens the most recent message, and ALT+0 opens the 10th message.
• ALT+NUMPAD 5 twice quickly opens a Web link that appears in a Yahoo! IM message.
• When having an IM conversation, TAB lets you switch between the typing window and the message display pane located in the Instant Message dialog box.

New Basic Training for JAWS 9

The Basic Training for JAWS 9 was completely rewritten and recorded using a Windows Vista computer and Microsoft Office 2007. This new Basic Training in text and narrated audio DAISY format is included on all program and demo JAWS CDs beginning with JAWS 9. The new Basic Training is also available as a free download in either MP3 or DAISY format from the Freedom Scientific Training Downloads Web page. The Basic Training includes 9 hours of instruction, including step-by-step instructions and sample practice documents to help you make the most of your experience using JAWS 9.

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Enhancements in JAWS 9.0.2191 (October 2009)

The following was addressed between the final JAWS 9.0.2169 release and the JAWS 9.0.2191 posting. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in this release.

• Security update for JAWS 9.

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Enhancements in JAWS 9.0.2169 (May 2008)

The following reported items were addressed in this update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

JAWS

• AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 software no longer fails when you start the application while JAWS is running.
• Resolved an issue where several customers reported installation error #824 when trying to install JAWS after running a registry cleaner. This problem no longer occurs with versions 9.0.2169 and later.

AOL Instant Messenger

• The aimhelper.jsh file is now again included with JAWS 9. This file refers to constants and global variables used by the AOL Instant Messenger help file script.

Microsoft Excel

• JAWS now retains and reads column and row titles that you set in multiple Excel worksheets. Before, when you returned to the previous worksheet, JAWS would not announce column and row titles (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+C and CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R).

Microsoft Internet Explorer

• After selecting the Skip to Content link on the Social Security Administration Web page, JAWS now consistently moves to the next link when you press TAB.
• When you press ENTER to turn Forms Mode off, it now turns off as the Web page refreshes and updates.

Microsoft Office

• JAWS no longer repeats the column and row information when navigating by line (UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW) in a one row, one column table.

Microsoft Outlook

• When moving through a menu tree list of folders in Outlook, JAWS correctly announces folder names as you use the ARROW keys to navigate the list. Earlier, JAWS would say scroll down symbol or scroll up symbol instead of the folder name.
• When navigating the list of folders in the Move Items dialog box (CTRL+SHIFT+V) and the Copy Items dialog box (CTRL+SHIFT+Y), JAWS no longer announces blank as you move from one folder to another.
• E-mail messages no longer close when you select and copy message text using the APPLICATION Key's Copy command.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• JAWS correctly reads text that is typed into PowerPoint edit fields (for example, the File name field in the Open dialog box) when you use the Say Line command (INSERT+UP ARROW). Previously, JAWS would announce blank.

Microsoft Word

• JAWS now announces the Word Count dialog box statistics when you press ALT+T, W in Word 2007 or Word 2003 documents.
• JAWS now recognizes and announces when text wraps to the next line in any text editor, word processor, or Web page when using the Say All command with the read new line character function turned on. The User Reads Text Containing New Line Character check box is in the Text Processing dialog box of the Configuration Manager. When it is selected, JAWS announces the words new line while reading and moving to the next line of text in sentences and paragraphs.

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Enhancements in JAWS 9.0.2152 (April 2008)

The following reported items were addressed in this update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

JAWS

• If you change the value of the Braille Mode option from Structured to Line, JAWS now maintains this option's setting when you move between different dialog boxes.
• Skim Reading (CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW) operates correctly when reading the Surf's Up! – Surfing the Internet with JAWS Web page tutorial on the Freedom Scientific Web site.
• The JAWS shared components correctly update if you perform a Windows system restore after updating JAWS using the Check for Updates feature.
• After changing the synthesizer language from American English to another language, JAWS now correctly echoes text in the selected language as it is typed and reads text in the same selected language as you navigate using ARROW keys.
• JAWS now states if new lines are present in Word, Notepad, or WordPad documents when you perform a Say All. To enable this functionality, select the check box titled Indicate new lines when User Reads Text Containing New Line Characters. It is located in the Text Processing dialog box of the Configuration Manager.
• JAWS correctly reads the text in the Remove Scripts dialog box and no longer announces incorrect messages. This dialog appears when you synchronize the default script file using Script Manager.
  
• JAWS can be authorized when performing ILM Authorization on a system with Windows Vista® Server.
• The "canvas" error message no longer appears after updating JAWS product activation.
• The SAPI 5 synthesizers recognize and speak blank lines that appear in Word documents.
• If you select a command from the Virtual Viewer (INSERT+H), such as a list of misspelled words (ALT+SHIFT+L) or list of footnotes (INSERT+SHIFT+F), JAWS correctly identifies the selected items for multiple applications.
• The Language Detect Change reading option for JAWS (default.jcf), Internet Explorer (internet explorer.jcf), and Word (microsoft word.jcf and microsoft word 2007.jcf) is now enabled by default.
• The JAWS uninstall process now removes all files from the JAWS User Settings folder.
• JAWS no longer applies the wrong Eloquence voice settings, such as person, rate, pitch and so on, when you switch between different languages using CTRL+WINDOWS KEY+L.
• The default synthesizer setting no longer changes when you temporarily switch from an Eloquence voice to a SAPI 5 voice using CTRL+INSERT+S.

.NET Applications Complied with Visual Studio 2005

• Dialog boxes created using Visual Studio 2005, will now correctly read when using the INSERT+B command.
• When moving in dialogs that contains GroupBoxes, INSERT+TAB will now report information about that control. Also, any AccessibleName or AccessibleDescription tags associated with the GroupBox will be spoken as well.

Adobe Acrobat

• MAGic now correctly highlights the cursor location when you use the ARROW keys to navigate around a PDF file while running JAWS and MAGic together.
• After reading a table in an Acrobat document, JAWS correctly reads the remainder of the file when using the DOWN ARROW to continue reading down the page. JAWS no longer announces blank and rereads the table contents as in previous releases.
• JAWS correctly announces blank if you enter a blank table cell in a PDF document.
• JAWS correctly announces items just once as you move through the Navigation tabs in a PDF document.

AOL Instant Messenger

• JAWS reads emoticon graphics using both speech and braille.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

• JAWS runs correctly with the Web site www.thehindu.com.
• JAWS correctly reads headings in pages created using the Movable Type blogging platform.
• When pressing the Navigation Quick Key D while viewing a Web page, JAWS correctly announces and moves to the next element every time.
• JAWS now announces and moves to the next button on a Web page when you press B.
• The Move to Prior Anchor keystroke (SHIFT+A) works correctly.

Microsoft Office

• When navigating through the Options dialog box of an Office 2007 application, JAWS now correctly reads all dialog controls.

Microsoft Outlook

• Resolved a reported Outlook issue where JAWS did not read the correct task priority when it was changed from low to high.
• The localized German version of JAWS now recognizes and correctly reads words with umlauts when using the Outlook calendar.
• JAWS only announces once, instead of three times, the contexts of combo boxes in Outlook's Find dialog box.
• After inserting a signature into an e-mail message, JAWS now returns focus to the message window instead of the Signature button submenu.
• JAWS moves its focus to the correct field if you copy text from an e-mail message that you are composing, and then press SHIFT+TAB to move from the message window to the Subject field.
• As you navigate through folders in Outlook, JAWS now announces the number of unread messages in each folder.
• Fixed a reported issue in Outlook where subject field text containing an ampersand (&), was not being read correctly.
• JAWS now announces the status of the check boxes for Automatic Formatting rules in Outlook 2007 Calendar.
• You can successfully forward Yahoo! Group messages.
• JAWS announces all submenus when using Outlook 2007 Calendar.
• JAWS properly moves its focus to the Reminder dialog box when you press INSERT+WINDOWS KEY+R. In addition, JAWS announces the title of the Reminder dialog box when it gains focus.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• JAWS no longer reads the last slide that is shown after you close a PowerPoint presentation.
• JAWS reads the text in the Notes pane of a slide when using the UP and DOWN ARROWS.
• When in Edit mode, JAWS now reads the selected text in a slide when you press CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.
• When editing text in a slide's Title Placeholder box, JAWS correctly announces text and deleted characters. This resolves an issue with caret tracking in PowerPoint slides.
• While using the LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS to move through lines of text in a placeholder box, JAWS no longer announces blank when it encounters a space between words.
• JAWS announces character echo correctly and no longer says blank when using BACKSPACE to delete text.
• JAWS correctly reads numbered list when using the UP and DOWN ARROWS to scroll through the list while in Edit mode.
• JAWS correctly announces characters when you press INSERT+UP ARROW twice quickly to spell the current line or press NUMPAD 5 twice quickly to say the current character phonetically.
• The Say All command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) operates correctly when editing a slide.

Microsoft Word

• When the Page, Section, and Multiple Column Breaks option is off in Microsoft Word, JAWS no longer announces any page breaks that are manually inserted in a Word document. This is the proper operation for this configuration.
• JAWS correctly detects comments, footnotes, and endnotes after you change the Comments, Footnotes, and Endnotes Detection option from On+Count to On.
• JAWS now recognizes bullets in Word documents when you set the Eloquence synthesizer to a language other than American English or British English.
• The WordClassic scheme is new to the Speech and Sounds Manager in Word. It is the default scheme. In a document containing superscript and subscript text, JAWS now ignores and no longer says the words superscript or subscript when announcing this text.
• JAWS no longer announces blank when you use the Navigation Quick Key C to move to the next comment in a Word document.
• There is no longer a noticeable delay when you navigate by TAB or SHIFT +TAB through a Word document or when you perform a Say All.
• Resolved a Word issue where JAWS was not announcing tab and paragraph marker characters.
• JAWS now announces blank if you try to move to the next paragraph or item (CTRL+DOWN ARROW) when you are at the end of the document.
• When the Non-Breaking Symbols Indication option is enabled in Word, JAWS correctly announces any non-breaking spaces encountered when reading the document.

Mozilla Firefox

• JAWS no longer announces the message Read Only when moving through items such as combo boxes, tree views, and edit boxes or when opening Web pages using Firefox.
• JAWS is compatible with Firefox 3 beta.
• The PC Cursor no longer becomes active when you select Firefox from the Window List dialog box (INSERT+F10).
• Headings that are also links on Web pages are now properly identified in braille when the Braille Mode option is set for Structured mode.
  

Mozilla Thunderbird

• JAWS correctly identifies command submenus when navigating up or down in the Thunderbird menu bar.

Notepad

• JAWS correctly announces number-letter combinations when navigating by word through a Notepad file.

Sun Java

• A temporary loss of speech no longer occurs after selecting a command from the menu bar in a Java application. Previously, you had to refresh the screen (INSERT+ESC) to regain speech.

Winamp

• Shuffle mode now toggles on or off when your press the letter S while in the Winamp playlist editor of the Winamp Classic or Winamp Modern skins.

Windows Explorer

• Fixed a reported issue in Windows Explorer where file names that contained an ampersand (&), were not being read correctly.

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Enhancements in JAWS 9.0.552 (January 2008)

The following items are new features added to JAWS to improve operation when running simultaneously with MAGic.

JAWS Navigation Quick Keys and MAGic Tracking are Now Synchronized!

When running MAGic 11 screen magnification software with JAWS 9.0.552 or later, there is now a visual indication on Web pages as you read or navigate using JAWS. Navigation Quick Keys let you move easily and quickly around Web pages, Outlook and Outlook Express e-mails, Adobe Acrobat PDF files, the JAWS or MAGic help files, and anywhere else the Virtual Cursor is active.

The following examples highlight this new functionality:

• When reading a Web page in Internet Explorer with JAWS and MAGic, pressing the letter H not only jumps to the next header and reads it aloud, but it also provides a visual indication of where you are on the Web page.
• The Navigation Quick Key P moves you to the next paragraph and begins reading using a synchronized reading box to make it easier to know where JAWS is reading. As you navigate around Web pages, a visual box appears around each line that is read.

Sighted trainers and low vision users will love this new combination of JAWS and MAGic. If there is no need to magnify, just set the MAGic magnification to 1x, so that a sighted user can easily find your location in a document.

The following Navigation Quick Keys provide visual tracking when running JAWS and MAGic together.

Navigation Quick Key	Description
A	Next Anchor
B	Next Button
C	Next Combo Box
D	Next Different Element
E	Next Edit Control
F	Next Form Control
G	Next Graphic
H	Next Heading (Press 1–6 on the number row to jump to the next heading at that level.)
I	Next List Item
K	Next Placemarker
L	Next List
M	Next Frame
N	Skip Past Links to Next Block of Text
O	Next Object
P	Next Paragraph
Q	Next Block Quote
R	Next Radio Button
S	Next Same Element
T	Next Table
U	Next Unvisited Link
V	Next Visited Link
X	Next Checkbox
Z	Next Division
> (Greater Than)	Step Past Current Element
< (Less Than)	Step Back to Current Element

Document Presentation Mode Updated for Use with MAGic

The JAWS Document Presentation option has been updated so that it defaults to Enhanced Visual Layout mode when running MAGic 11 with JAWS 9. This means that the layout of Web pages, tables, links, and graphic elements is the same in the virtual buffer as these items appear on the screen. If a paragraph on a Web page has only four or five words per line, then this is exactly what the JAWS user hears when moving up and down the page while JAWS and MAGic are running. If MAGic is not running, the JAWS user hears longer lines of text that do not always synchronize with the text layout on the screen, which is exactly what the JAWS user has typically experienced.

The Select and Copy option's default setting for HTML documents has changed. It is now Full Content Using Onscreen Highlight instead of Full Content. The default setting lets you highlight and copy HTML text and elements and retain the formatting just as it appears in the HTML document. This means that you can use the SHIFT+UP ARROW or SHIFT+DOWN ARROW, the CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW or CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW, and the SHIFT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW keystrokes to select HTML e-mail and Internet Explorer items that appear on the screen.

To open the Select and Copy option and choose a setting, press INSERT+V while in an HTML document. Next, press S to navigate to the Select and Copy option, and then press SPACEBAR to scroll through the settings. Press ENTER to save the change.

Enhancements List

The following items were addressed in this update. All enhancements since the initial public beta release are included in the update.

• An issue involving video corruption when running JAWS and MAGic together has been resolved. This corruption, also known as mouse painting, would cause pixels to disappear when passing the mouse over the title bar, toolbars, and menus of dialog boxes. Often it would take up to 45 seconds or a minute for this problem to resolve itself.
• Now, when running JAWS and MAGic together, the keystroke MAGic Key+SHIFT+DELETE toggles MAGic screen magnification and does not lose speech.
• When in the Save As dialog box or the Open dialog box of a Word 2000 document, JAWS now reads the text that appears in the File Name edit combo box. Previously, when using the PC Cursor, JAWS would announce blank as you move through the file name text. This forced you to use the JAWS Cursor to read the text. This problem has been resolved.
• Windows Explorer no longer shuts down while in use, and now operates correctly when running JAWS and MAGic together in Windows Vista.
• The JAWS cursor now functions correctly when using the INSERT+LEFT ARROW, CTRL+LEFT ARROW, INSERT+RIGHT ARROW, or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW keystrokes to navigate by prior word or next word. When the cursor reaches the end of a line, it now returns to the beginning of the next line using these keystrokes while running JAWS and MAGic together.
• If you open a Web page using the Run dialog box, Internet Explorer no longer shuts down when running JAWS and MAGic together.
• Navigating up or down in an e-mail message no longer causes screen jitter when running JAWS and MAGic together. Previously, the screen jitter typically occurred when a line of text wrapped to a second line. If you navigated to the line of text that exceeded the magnified area, the text would shift one to three characters to the right and then back to the original position. This no longer happens.
• When running MAGic and JAWS together, you can successfully navigate between multi-line edit fields that are in a table.
• The script load error that appeared when running MAGic Pro Scripting Edition with JAWS has been resolved.
• If you are running MAGic and JAWS together, the MAGic command to enable or disable magnification (MAGic Key+DELETE) now announces the correct magnification message.
• JAWS can now display a list of embedded objects that appear in a Word document. Press CTRL+SHIFT+INSERT+G to open the Embedded Objects dialog box. Next, use the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to navigate through the list, and then press ENTER to select the item. JAWS will move to the embedded object in the document.
• When searching for inline objects in a Word document (CTRL+SHIFT+O), the Inline Object dialog box has been updated to provide more details about the items appearing in the list. This is an improvement over previous JAWS releases.
• The way that JAWS presents reviewer comments in Word documents (CTRL+SHIFT+APOSTROPHE) has been enhanced. JAWS now provides more details about comments in the Reviewer’s Comments dialog box than in previous JAWS releases.
• The Virtual Viewer now shuts down properly when exiting a PowerPoint 2007 slide show presentation. In previous releases, this customer reported problem would cause the Virtual Viewer to remain loaded after closing PowerPoint 2007.
• When running PowerPoint 2003 or PowerPoint 2007, pressing SPACEBAR now advances to the next slide during a slide show. Previously, JAWS would report that nothing was selected.
• When using PowerPoint, the CTRL+SHIFT+O command now shows a list of objects on the current slide. Previously, the INSERT+F8 command would show this list.
• When configured for Grade 2 braille, words that are to the left of the braille cursor no longer disappear when the Expand Current Word braille option is enabled.
• Words containing renu now contract correctly in braille.

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Enhancements In JAWS 9.0.519 (November 2007)

The following is a list of items addressed between the final JAWS 9 public beta release and the final JAWS 9.0.519 posting.

• After posting the final JAWS 9 public beta release, Google™ released an updated version of Gmail. The final JAWS 9 release has been adjusted to resolve the problems the newly updated Gmail introduced.
• An issue with the Winamp command ALT+CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move Select to Current Track) has been resolved for the final JAWS 9 release.
• Resolved a problem in Outlook 2003 where Outlook would not properly shut down in some cases. The result was that Outlook.exe was still running in the Task Manager after shutting it down if JAWS 9 was running. This problem started during the public beta 9.0.467 build.
• JAWS correctly reports the duration of each appointment when multiple appointments are scheduled on a single day in Microsoft Outlook Calendar. Time slots between appointments are not included as part of an appointment.
• When the header and footer are opened in a Word document, JAWS now announces if focus is in the header or footer when you press UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to move between the two.
• When a tree view group is expanded, JAWS now announces the number of items in the group as expected.
• JAWS selects and reads the next or previous paragraph in an Outlook e-mail message when you press CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW or CTRL+SHIFT+UP ARROW.
• JAWS no longer pauses or hangs when deleting an e-mail message during a Say All in Windows Mail or Outlook Express.

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Enhancements During the JAWS 9 Development Cycle

The following items were resolved during the JAWS 9 development cycle and public beta releases.

JAWS

• Windows Vista users will see noticeable improvements in the responsiveness of JAWS when using Eloquence speech synthesizer. For example, this can be seen when navigating through the Start menu or typing text in the Internet Explorer address bar.
• Public beta testers reported braille contraction errors with several words. The following words now contract correctly: ant; be; Beijing; bottleneck; clip art; denote; denoted; denominator; denounce; denouncing; denunciate; DuPont; edition; erroneous; Hadley; littler; littlest; microwave; MIME-Version; names beginning with McC; newsletter; nonesuch; nonetheless; numbers that follow two slashes; Phoenix; scones; severity; was; were; words beginning with the prefix co-, such as coworker and coworking; words beginning with the prefix non-, such as noneruptive and nonerosive; words containing en; and words ending in -bly, such as agreeably and interchangeably.
• Resolved an issue where capitalization in braille was not recognized in mixed numerals and capital letters.
• When you toggle contracted braille on and off (G CHORD), JAWS now clearly states if you are turning on Grade 2 translation or turning off Grade 2 translation.
• JAWS now allows the mapping of Unicode characters to multiple-cell braille entities.
• Resolved a reported problem with AutoComplete not speaking or being represented in braille correctly. Two examples of this were in the Open (CTRL+O) dialog box found in Internet Explorer and the Run command (WINDOWS Key+R) dialog box.
• Worked closely with developers from Alliance Enterprises, Inc. to resolve an issue with the Aware™ Web-based case management software system, JAWS, and HTML Forms mode.
• JAWS can now process approximately 2000 pronunciation rules in dictionary files (jdf). Previously, JAWS was limited to around 1000 entries.
• Resolved an issue regarding empty virtual buffers as reported by the public. This typically occurred when you pressed CTRL or DOWN ARROW to interrupt the Say All function while a Web page was loading.
• Resolved an issue reported in Windows 2000 where JAWS was not exiting as expected when using INSERT+F4 to exit.
• If a misspelled word is found while spell checking a Word document, JAWS now spells the entire word that appears in the Suggestions list box when you press UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW.
• When running JAWS and MAGic® together, pressing CTRL to stop speech during a Say All (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) no longer disables speech.
• When running JAWS and MAGic together, MAGic can now track desktop icons when using the ARROW keys to move from one icon to the next.
• If you uninstall MAGic and remove shared components, when JAWS and MAGic are installed on the same computer, JAWS now opens a dialog box after restarting. It states that shared components are missing and that you must reinstall JAWS.
• If the JAWS Cursor is active, the CTRL+DOWN ARROW keystroke now moves to the next paragraph on an HTML page instead of disabling the JAWS Cursor.
• Although JAWS only announces the contents of the Virtual Viewer once, it no longer visually shows the contents twice within the Virtual Viewer window.
• JAWS now announces the message Nothing Selected if you press CTRL+C while in a Virtualized Window (INSERT+CTRL+W) with no text selected.
• JAWS no longer truncates speech when navigating window panes in the JAWS help system.
• JAWS no longer announces the message A Script Can Not Be Called Within Itself when selecting a link in the Hot key Help (INSERT+H) dialog box. This occurred in multiple applications.
• Resolved an issue where the script function "lvGetItemColumnRect()" would cause JAWS not to respond when you are in the list view of an application.
• In JAWS Keyboard Manager and Script Manager, the Punctuation option is set to All by default so that literal characters can be used when assigning keystrokes with punctuation characters.
• Resolved the following issues when using a rich text editor for Web development: Graphics are now recognized along with meaningful alt text when available; the number of items in a list are now announced by JAWS; and standard table navigation keystrokes now work correctly. For more information about editing in HTML composition environments, refer to the HTML feature described earlier on this page.
• You can now read HTML tables one row at a time with speech or braille when the Document Presentation option is set to Screen Layout (INSERT+V, D, SPACEBAR). Previously, there was an issue recognizing the HTML
  tag in tables when this option was configured for Screen Layout.
• When you set a PlaceMarker on a link or visited link (CTRL+K) on a Web page, and then you return to the PlaceMarker (K), JAWS correctly announces the link and also announces if it is a visited link.
• If you use a mouse to select a link on a Web page to jump to another page, and then press BACKSPACE to return to the original page, JAWS will remember your position on the original page.
• Resolved an issue with the Typing Echo option where JAWS would announce the first character of a deleted word when typing a new word.
• JAWS correctly announces spelling and grammatical errors when using Navigation Quick Keys in Word to find spelling errors (A or SHIFT+A) and grammar errors (M or SHIFT+M).
• If you uninstall JAWS from a remote server, but you decide to leave shared components on the server, the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) components are not uninstalled and remain on the server.
• JAWS now saves many of the application-specific changes that are made using the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box. For example, when you press INSERT+V while in Internet Explorer, changes made to options in the Internet Explorer Options group and the Virtual Cursor Options group are saved. However, changes made to options in the General Options group are not saved.
• Resolved the reported issue where JAWS would begin to fail in reading many items like the List of System Tray items (INSERT+F11) after coming out of Hibernation or Standby mode.
• Addressed a long standing issue where JAWS would sometimes fail to announce Copy, Cut, or Append to Clipboard. Once in this state, the only way to get it to properly report the message was to restart JAWS.
• Resolved a reported issue found when using the Append to Clipboard (WINDOWS Key+C) command several times, which would result in only the last selection added being present when the user pasted (CTRL+V) from the clipboard.
• The Skim Reading feature correctly reports and maintains modified color and text attributes.
• When a ToolTip appears, pressing INSERT+TAB announces the ToolTip and flashes the ToolTip in braille.
• If you issue the Say All command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) while in a dialog box, JAWS will announce the current line just like the Say Line command (INSERT+UP ARROW). Previously if you performed a Say All in a dialog box, JAWS was silent. If you want to hear the entire contents of a dialog box, you can still use the INSERT+B command.
• The ZIP directory's Browse button, which appears in the General Options dialog box of the Settings Packager, is correctly announced by JAWS.
• The access key for the Startup Wizard, located under the Help command, is now the letter Z instead of the letter S.

Adobe Flash Player

• While in Forms mode, JAWS 9 has 100 percent accuracy when editing or reviewing text typed into a Flash movie edit control. To take advantage of this new Flash support, you must download the latest Flash Player beta software.

Adobe Reader

• Resolved an issue in Adobe Reader where JAWS would say the same text over and over again when navigating from one form field to the next. Previously, if you entered and exited Forms mode, and then entered Forms mode again, this problem would occur.
• JAWS now correctly announces the text that appears in the Adobe Reader edit fields when performing a Say Line (INSERT+NUM PAD 8) or pressing BACKSPACE while in an edit field when in Forms mode.
• When navigating through tables in an Adobe Reader document, JAWS announces when you enter a nested table. JAWS also states the nesting level, the number of columns, and the number of rows in the nested table.

AOL Instant Messenger

• AIM® 6.5 is ready for use with JAWS 9.

Cakewalk Sonar

• JAWS now correctly tracks and announces items when navigating through Cakewalk's Sonar music recording application.

Citrix/Windows Terminal Services

• Fixed a reported problem where the communication between JAWS on a Client and Server may have been briefly interrupted, which caused the Authorization to drop for the Server version of JAWS. The result was that the user would be forced to log off and back on to the Server to reestablish the authorization. This was mostly reported by customers working with Servers located at great distances from the Client machines.

Eudora E-mail

• Certain mail messages that users submitted to Freedom Scientific caused Eudora to unload or crash while running with JAWS 8.0. This has been fixed in JAWS 9.
• JAWS scripts for Eudora have been modified so that JAWS automatically starts reading when a message is opened. The scripts also allow the use of the new Options tree view format (INSERT+V).

FSReader

• JAWS now correctly identifies Web links that appear in DAISY books when reading with FSReader.
• When performing a Find in a DAISY text book, JAWS now reads the line automatically when it lands on the line where the word is located.

Gmail

• JAWS now works with the standard Gmail interface. For more information about Gmail support and JAWS, refer to the Gmail feature described earlier on this page.

Microsoft Access 2007

• When reading by line (INSERT+UP ARROW) in a Microsoft Access 2007 database, JAWS now announces the content of data fields instead of giving an unknown function call message.

Microsoft Excel

• Pressing ENTER while in submenus of the Microsoft Excel ribbon now activates the selected command.
• JAWS now announces the correct screen-sensitive help (INSERT+F1) when the Virtual Viewer is opened in an Excel workbook.
• The Virtual Viewer now closes when you press ESC in Excel.
• Now when you try to send a copy of an Excel workbook as an e-mail attachment directly from Excel, JAWS is able to navigate through the header edit fields of the open Outlook message.
• In Excel 2007, you can now press ENTER to exit submenu options on a split button control in the ribbon toolbar. Previously, focus would remain on these options, and JAWS would not announce anything in the worksheet unless you pressed ALT+TAB to move away from and then return to the Excel worksheet.
• When using the JAWS Cursor in Excel, cursor movement now behaves normally. For example, if you issue the CTRL+HOME or the CTRL+END commands, the JAWS Cursor moves to the top or bottom of the worksheet.
• When using the JAWS Cursor to navigate a context menu, JAWS correctly announces each item in the menu.
• JAWS now announces when a region of a worksheet is selected when using the CTRL+SHIFT+8 command.
• When using the Laptop keyboard layout, the CAPS LOCK+UP ARROW keystroke correctly speaks the current line, and the CAPS LOCK+UP ARROW keystroke pressed twice quickly correctly spells the current line.
• JAWS now correctly speaks the help message when Formula mode is activated.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

• When linking from one Web page to another, JAWS would move focus to the top of the second Web page even if the link from the first Web page pointed to another part of the second page. This has been fixed.
• When typing into a secured field, such as a password field, on a Web page, JAWS now says STAR if you use the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys to move back and forth over the entered text. Previously, JAWS would say BLANK instead of STAR.
• JAWS 9 now detects hidden headings on Web pages. Hidden headings are useful when using a screen reader to navigate a Web page. This functionality was previously available in JAWS 7.10 and earlier.
• When you select a same page link on a Web page, braille now shows the correct heading information.
• JAWS now speaks and shows in braille the name of buttons and the associated alt text on Web pages.
• A public beta tester reported that when listening to an audio feed Web site, JAWS speaks each time a frame on the Web page refreshes. This can now be solved with the new Frame Update Notification option as described earlier on this page.
• The Table Titles Announce option, which determines if you hear row and column titles as you navigate through tables on a Web page, is now available in the Personalized Settings dialog box (INSERT+SHIFT+V). This option is located in the List and Table Options group. Formerly, the Table Titles Announce option was only available in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V).
• JAWS no longer says Frame zero, blank update, or any other frame chatter when you open an RSS feed (CTRL+J) in Internet Explorer.
• JAWS now recognizes multiple lines and carriage returns when entering text into a multiple-line edit box in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
• Changes made to the Document Presentation option in the Personalized Settings dialog box (INSERT+SHIFT+V) are now saved when running Internet Explorer.
• Resolved an issue reported where pressing ENTER twice, in a multi-line edit field in Internet Explorer while in forms mode, would result in messages happening if you then type a number, as if Navigation Quick Keys had been turned on.
• JAWS announces the row and column headings when moving between columns (CTRL+ALT+RIGHT ARROW or CTRL+ALT+LEFT ARROW) in a table.

Microsoft Office

• JAWS no longer announces the Unknown Script Called To message when selecting a link in the Hot key Help (INSERT+H) dialog box. This occurred in various Microsoft Office 2003 applications.
• JAWS now announces all static text that appears in dialog boxes for various Office 2007 applications. Previously, it was necessary to press INSERT+B to read items in dialog boxes.
• When navigating through the ribbon groups of the ribbon toolbar, JAWS now announces the name of the ribbon group.
• When using the RIGHT ARROW key to navigate through a hyperlink in Microsoft Word or Outlook 2007, JAWS now correctly announces the link and identifies that you are in a link.
• The Virtual Cursor Options group has been removed from the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) for Word 2007 and Outlook 2007.
• In Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access, the AdjustJAWSVerbosity script has been replaced by the AdjustJAWSOptions script (INSERT+V).
• When you press F6 to move from one pane to the next in an Office 2007 application, JAWS correctly announces the name of the pane. This did not always happen in JAWS 8.0.
• JAWS can navigate Office 2007 floating toolbars, for example, the Apply Styles dialog box (CTRL+SHIFT+S). Press F6 to navigate between panes, and use the TAB and ARROW Keys to move within a pane.
• JAWS now announces the status of ribbon buttons in Office 2007 applications. For example, if the Bold button is selected in Word 2007, JAWS says, Bold button pressed.
• JAWS now reads text entered into the Search Help edit box when you press F1 in an Office 2007 application. JAWS also reads the history in the edit box when you press the UP or DOWN ARROW keys.
• The Office Assistant is no longer available in Office 2007. As a result, the Close Office Assistant keystroke (CTRL+INSERT+F4) is only valid for Office 2003 and earlier applications.

Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express

• If you have a list of rules and alerts in Microsoft Outlook, JAWS now speaks and shows in braille these rules when you navigate through the list.
• When navigating through the Signatures and Stationery dialog box in Outlook 2007, JAWS no longer says Options Dialog before announcing the title of the current control.
• If the Spelling and Grammar tool detects a misspelled word in the Subject line of an outbound e-mail message, and you press INSERT+C to hear the misspelled word in context, JAWS now announces the correct information instead of the message Word in Context Not Found.
• JAWS no longer loses focus when reading a message list in Outlook 2007 using braille.
• JAWS now accurately speaks and shows in braille the labels for all fields in the Create a New Contact dialog box in Outlook 2007.
• JAWS now correctly maintains the speech synthesizer that is assigned to the Say All (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) and the Alternate Say All (ALT+INSERT+DOWN ARROW) commands. This was an issue reported by a public beta tester. Previously, after pressing INSERT+DOWN ARROW and then ALT+INSERT+DOWN ARROW, JAWS would use the opposite speech synthesizer for subsequent keystrokes.
• Now when you press ALT+TAB while Navigational Quick Keys are enabled in an Outlook message or Word document, JAWS will switch to another application.
• JAWS no longer executes an ALT+ modifier keystroke when Keyboard help (INSERT+1) is enabled in Outlook 2007.
• When in Outlook 2007, Hot key Help (INSERT+H) now refers to Outlook instead of Word.
• When using Hot key Help in Outlook 2007 or Word 2007, links that appear in the Virtual Viewer now work.
• When the PC Cursor is active (NUM PAD PLUS) in Outlook 2007, JAWS now announces the caret position when you press ALT+DELETE.
• The INSERT+A keystroke now correctly reports if an e-mail message has an attachment. If there is an attachment, JAWS moves focus to the attachment list.
• JAWS no longer looses focus when reading a message list in Outlook 2007 using braille.
• JAWS no longer shows miscellaneous characters on a braille display after you empty an Outlook 2007 mailbox.
• JAWS now announces and shows in braille all edit boxes when creating a new Contact card in Outlook 2007.
• When creating a note in Outlook 2007, the UP and DOWN ARROW keys now read prior and next lines.
• The UP and DOWN ARROW keys will read the subject line text if focus is in the Subject edit box when you press these ARROW keys.
• When information is copied to the clipboard, and you press INSERT+SHIFT+CTRL+R to reply to the sender of an e-mail message, JAWS no longer attempts to overwrite the clipboard contents.
• JAWS now announces all options that appear when you select the Office Button when reading or composing an Outlook 2007 e-mail while running Windows Vista.
• If you press SHIFT+UP ARROW to select multiple e-mails in Outlook 2007, JAWS now correctly announces the selected e-mail messages.
• When using TAB to navigate the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) in Outlook, JAWS now correctly reads the built-in help messages in the Read-Only edit window.
• JAWS now reads static text in various Outlook 2007 dialog boxes.
• If you must enter security credentials when logging on to Outlook 2007, JAWS now allows you to easily navigate between the User Name and Password edit boxes.
• When using TAB or SHIFT+TAB to move between next or previous Web links in an Outlook 2007 e-mail, JAWS now announces the links.
• You can now open or close an Outlook 2007 e-mail message when using the right ALT key and the F4 key together.
• JAWS can now successfully activate hyperlinks in read-only Outlook 2007 e-mail messages.
• JAWS can now switch between applications if Navigation Quick Keys are on while using ALT+TAB to cycle from an open Outlook 2007 e-mail message to other applications.
• Keyboard help is now available for Outlook Header keystrokes when using the Outlook 2007 Keyboard Manager (INSERT+8).
• When using the Laptop Keyboard Layout in Outlook, there is no longer a conflict between the Say All keystroke assignment (CAPS LOCK+A) and the Move to Attachments keystroke assignment (INSERT+A).
• When the Messages Automatically Read option is enabled (INSERT+V, R, M, M, SPACEBAR), JAWS now retains this setting so that e-mail messages are read when opened in Outlook 2007.
• JAWS now announces the titles of all open dialog boxes in Outlook 2007.
• When you press INSERT+A to move to attachments in an Outlook 2007 e-mail message, JAWS correctly announces that you moved to an attachments list and not a categories list.
• When creating a new e-mail message in Outlook 2007, the word from is no longer spuriously announced by JAWS as you press TAB to move through various edit boxes and message text.
• Resolved a problem reported in Microsoft Word and Outlook 2007 where text could be skipped during a Say All when preceded immediately by a period followed by a comma.
• Resolved reported problems associated with reading by sentence in Word and Outlook 2007 where sentences could be repeated.
• Resolved an issue where JAWS was reporting the section and page number in Word 2007 and Outlook 2007 when landing on a blank document or e-mail.
• Changed the behavior in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) in Word and Outlook 2007 so that if the user changes or toggles the item "Say All, using Line, Sentence, or Paragraph," JAWS now makes the change persistent across JAWS sessions.
• Resolved a reported problem of Say All only reading the top line of the Read-only Help window in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) if you activated the dialog box while in Word 2007 or Outlook 2007.
• When in the body of an Outlook 2007 message, the Say Active Cursor and Position command (ALT+DELETE) now reports the correct cursor information.
• JAWS recognizes capital letters in e-mail addresses.
• JAWS correctly announces the controls of the Rules Wizard dialog box in Outlook.
• When in a new e-mail message, INSERT+H displays the correct Hot Key Help message when the cursor is in a header field.
• The problem reported regarding empty Virtual buffers when replying to an e-mail message has been fixed.
• JAWS correctly reads all button labels in the Account Settings dialog box.
• JAWS now reads the static text in the Opening Mail Attachment dialog box that appears when opening an attachment.
• Information bar messages in Outlook 2007 are announced by JAWS.
• Resolved reported issue of JAWS not reading list items that appear in the Custom View Organizer dialog box in Outlook 2007.
• When composing an HTML formatted e-mail using Outlook 2003, JAWS can announce the formatting used in the message, for example, Heading 1, Normal style, and so on. To enable this feature, press INSERT+V, and then choose On for the Style Changes option that is nested in the Formatting group of the Outlook Options group.
• When you press CTRL+Y in Outlook 2003, JAWS now announces the full name of any dialog box that contains a tree view.
• In Outlook XP, the Say Character Phonetically command (NUMPAD 5 twice quickly) now speaks characters phonetically. This was an issue in JAWS 8.0.
• JAWS now operates correctly if you delete an Outlook Express or Windows Mail message while JAWS is reading using the Say All command (INSERT+UP ARROW).
• When using SHIFT+UP ARROW or SHIFT+DOWN ARROW to select multiple e-mail messages in Outlook Express, JAWS now reads across all columns that are highlighted. For example, JAWS announces the sender or recipient's name, the subject, the date and time, and so on.
• JAWS no longer announces items twice when you use the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to navigate the Font dialog box in Outlook Express.

Microsoft Outlook Calendar

• Calendar support, which was previously only in Outlook 2007, is now available in Outlook 2003.
• JAWS announces the correct appointments in Outlook 2003 instead of appointments for the same day from a different year.
• In Outlook 2007, when navigating to an appointment in the Calendar, JAWS now announces and shows in braille appointments that span multiple time slots.
• When the Virtual Viewer is open on a specific appointment, JAWS now announces the appointment.
• JAWS now announces all appointments when tabbing through the Outlook 2003 Calendar.
• After changing regional language settings in Windows Vista's Control Panel, JAWS no longer announces appointments or events from previous months when navigating through the Calendar while in Day view.
• Resolved a reported issue where using the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW in the Outlook 2007 Calendar while in Month View was sluggish.
• When configured for Laptop keystroke layout, both the INSERT+WINDOWS Key+R and the CAPS LOCK+WINDOWS Key+R keystrokes now move focus to an open Reminder window for an Outlook Calendar item, task, or e-mail message.
• When exiting the Virtual Viewer when in a Calendar appointment, JAWS no longer double speaks or announces incorrect information.
• When creating an appointment in Outlook, JAWS no longer speaks incorrect information as you type in the Subject and Location edit boxes.
• JAWS now says the word appointment as you press the UP or DOWN ARROWS keys to move through an Outlook appointment that spans multiple time slots.
• When using the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys to navigate through Day view appointments in the Outlook Calendar, JAWS now only announces the day, date, and number of appointments for that day.
• When navigating by line or word in the Out of Office Assistant dialog box, JAWS now announces text that has been entered in the edit boxes. Previously, this was a problem when creating an out of office message.
• Resolved an issue where JAWS would not announce words in the Subject edit box of an Outlook Calendar appointment when reading the current word (INSERT+NUM PAD 5).
• Screen-sensitive help for the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box has been corrected regarding appointment scheduling.
• Updated INSERT+F1 context-sensitive help and INSERT+H Hotkey help in new Outlook 2007 Calendar support.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• Resolved several reported problems in Microsoft PowerPoint 2007.

Microsoft Project 2007

• JAWS now functions correctly in Microsoft Project 2007 when you open the Tools menu and select commands.

Microsoft Word

• When pressing the TAB key to move to tab stops in a document, JAWS now announces the correct position for all tab stops.
• When using CTRL+F6 to cycle between open Word documents, JAWS no longer opens and moves focus to a blank document window.
• When in a non-uniform Microsoft Word table, the ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+UP ARROW and the ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW keystrokes now move focus to the beginning and the end of the current column.
• When in a non-uniform table in Word, the Say All command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW) now functions correctly and reads all cells in the table.
• JAWS correctly announces table numbers when you enter a table in Word documents.
• When you navigate into a Word table by line or paragraph, JAWS now announces the cell coordinates of the first cell encountered in the table.
• JAWS now announces row and column information after announcing cell contents when you navigate to and enter a Word table.
• When entering a table from below, CTRL+UP ARROW places you in the last cell of the table, and INSERT+C reports the correct row and column number. If you continue to press CTRL+UP ARROW, JAWS will continue to move up the table and will only land on cells that contain data.
• JAWS correctly reads row and column information in Word tables when you navigate up through a table.
• JAWS now announces table cell coordinates when using the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys to move from cell to cell, or the CTRL+LEFT ARROW or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW keys to move to the next or previous words in a cell.
• JAWS now allows you to select text in Word tables using the CTRL+ARROW keys and the CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW keys.
• Resolved an issue reported by a public beta tester where the values for the Column Titles Row Set option and the Row Title Column Set option were not being saved for tables in a Word document.
• Resolved an issue reported where reading the table of contents in Word documents could fail once moving away from the table of contents and then returning to it.
• When using Navigation Quick Keys in a table (INSERT+Z, T), the > and < keys will move you forward out of a table or backward out of a table.
• When you reach the last cell in a Word table and you press TAB, JAWS now announces a warning message.
• When in a Word form, it is now possible to check or uncheck a check box that appears in the Select a Form Field dialog box (INSERT+F5) by pressing ENTER on the check box item in the Select a Field list box.
• Resolved an issue in Word forms, where JAWS was reading the F1 automatic Help messages prior to reading the status bar help text. This will now be reversed.
• Braille auto advance now works in Word when Enhanced Edit mode is turned on.
• The ALT+ modifier keystroke now functions correctly when Navigational Quick Keys are enabled in a Word document or Outlook e-mail message.
• Navigation Quick Keys in Word now function correctly when text is copied.
• JAWS now correctly announces the next or previous field when using F11 or SHIFT+F11 to navigate between fields in a Word document.
• First letter navigation is possible in the Adjust JAWS Options tree view (INSERT+V) when Navigation Quick Keys (INSERT+Z) are enabled in a Word document.
• When Navigational Quick Keys are enabled in Word, and you are changing options in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box, JAWS now honors the TAB, SPACEBAR, and ENTER keys for navigating, changing, and saving options.
• When a dialog box that contains a list is opened in Word, and Navigational Quick Keys are enabled, ENTER now selects items in the list, and TAB now lets you move through the list.
• Resolved an issue reported where JAWS would skip items while you are navigating through dialog boxes when Navigational Quick Keys are enabled in Word.
• If you insert a page break (CTRL+ENTER in Word) to create a new page, and then press UP ARROW to return to the previous page, JAWS now announces the page break and page number as you navigate back to the existing page.
• JAWS announces the word enter once when you press the ENTER key to add a line in a Word 2007 document or select an e-mail message in Outlook 2007.
• When running JAWS with Word 2000, the WINWORD.EXE process now closes when you exit Word. This can be verified in the Windows Task Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+W).
• The setting for the Say All Reads By option can now be changed by pressing SPACEBAR to toggle through the various settings. This option is located in the Say All Options group in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box for Word.
• If your focus is on a blank line between paragraphs in a Word document, JAWS no longer repeats the first sentence of the next paragraph twice when you perform the Say All command (INSERT+DOWN ARROW).
• When reading a Word document using the Say All command, JAWS no longer reads the last line of the document twice.
• The B keystroke (Move to Next Bookmark), the SHIFT+B keystroke (Move to Previous Bookmark), and the INSERT+ALT+B keystroke (List Bookmarks) are now in the JAWS Help file.
• Resolved an issue reported by a public beta tester where JAWS would repeat the last line of a Word document twice.
• When the Unit of Measure feature in Word is configured for spaces, JAWS now announces the tab stop position as you press TAB.
• JAWS now announces binding hyphens and binding spaces that appear in Word documents when navigating using ARROW keys.
• Resolved an issue where accented characters could not be typed into Word documents.
• When you press CTRL+SHIFT+UP or CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN to select a paragraph in Word, JAWS now announces the selected paragraph.
• JAWS now correctly announces the numbers of a numbered list when using the ARROW keys to move through the list.
• In Word, the ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+A keystroke states the language that is in use. This keystroke is not available when in a protected Word form. If the keystroke is issued in a protected form, JAWS now announces the following message: This function is unavailable when the document is protected.
• The Announce Revision command now appears in the Virtual Viewer when you press INSERT+H for Hot key Help in Word.
• Added an option in the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box (INSERT+V) for Word to give users the ability to disable F1 automatic Help messages.

Mozilla Firefox

• Resolved a Forms mode issue with Mozilla Firefox 2.0. Pressing TAB or SHIFT+TAB to navigate into, around, or out of a form caused problems that shut down JAWS.
• Fixed a reported issue where JAWS did not parse complex HTML links in Firefox 3 as it does in Firefox 2.
• When navigating or deleting text in edit fields of a Web page form, JAWS, while in Forms mode, now announces characters instead of saying blank.
• When using Firefox version 2.0.0.7, the JAWS Find function (CTRL+F) works correctly. JAWS no longer says unknown function call when searching for a term on a Web page.

Nero

• JAWS now works correctly when burning files to a CD using Nero® Burning ROM 7.10.

SecureCRT

• Resolved an issue reported by a public beta tester using SecureCRT®. JAWS can now virtualize (INSERT+CTRL+W) the SecureCRT terminal screen when resolution is set to 1280 by 1024 pixels or higher. This fix also applies to any other application where the resolution is set to 1280 by 1024 pixels or higher.

Windows Explorer

• Screen-sensitive help is now available when JAWS announces three-state button on the General page of a folder's Property dialog box.
• When navigating through a tree view in the Folder Options dialog box, JAWS correctly announces items in the tree view.

Windows Live Messenger

• In Windows Live Messenger, JAWS now reads all contact information available in the Contacts menu.
• The status of check boxes in the Create a Group dialog box is announced when you navigate to a check box or toggle its setting using the SPACEBAR.

Windows Vista

• If an invalid password is entered when logging on to Windows Vista, JAWS now reads the static text for the Invalid Password dialog box.
• JAWS now announces the labels for the Power Settings slider controls when using a Windows Vista Dell laptop computer. The controls are Adjust Monitor Brightness, on battery and Adjust Monitor Brightness, plugged in.
• JAWS now reads the CTRL+ALT+DELETE prompt when Secure Log On is enabled on a Windows Vista computer.
• JAWS correctly reads and navigates the Move File dialog box when cutting and pasting files in Windows Vista.

WordPerfect

• Resolved a reported problem with Corel® WordPerfect® Office X3. JAWS no longer announces an error message regarding the font and point size when navigating by characters (NUM PAD 4 and NUM PAD 6).

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