JAWS on a thumb drive

  • From: "Brian Giles" <briangiles@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 19:22:14 -0700

Hi all,

 

I downloaded the portable version of JAWS 10 that runs from a thumb drive
just in case I ever need it. I'm very picky when it comes to my JAWS
settings, so running JAWS off my thumb drive in some ways has been great. I
used it in Florida while I was there in the summer, and got teased quite a
bit for wanting to have my JAWS settings just so. LOL

 

I know you can't do a merge from the version that is installed on your
computer, although I really wish you could! Since it looks like all the
settings get put in a JAWS X folder on your thumb drive depending on what
version of JAWS it is, would it be possible to just copy my my settings
folder under JAWS 10 on my desktop onto my thumb drive? I've done a lot of
customizing to JAWS on my desktop over the years, particularly with sound
schemes, and it's hard to remember what I did. With the desktop I can just
do a merge everytime a new version of JAWS comes out, and JAWS works just
like the older version. Whenever a new portable version comes out though, I
have to go through all the customizing again.

 

IMO though it is great, the thumb drive version needs some tweaking. I
haven't used a Braille display often although I'm starting to more, but I
don't see why you can't use a Braille display if you're running JAWS off a
thumb drive. Every other screen reader's portable version lets you do that.
The other thing that would be cool is if they could figure out a way to let
you use PAC Mate desktop with a thumb drive version of JAWS, and use your
PM's serial number to authorize it, just like you can with the desktop
version. That sounds like it'd be useful for people who cary their PM around
with them anyway. The only thing with that though, is the PM desktop uses
ActiveSync. I tried setting that up with a demo of JAWS in a computer lab on
campus, and it ended up being more trouble than it was worth because I
couldn't get PM Desktop to work reliably.

 

Brian

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