h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have a problem with windows xp- any time I try to open a program or file from the desktop, the left click of the mouse brings up not the file but the "properties" of the file. Any idea why the devil it's doing this?

Try holding the alt key and clicking - you should get the properties menu once but then you won't again.

or check the mouse settings in the control panel (or whatever XP has!) see if the buttons have been swapped.

It might be set for left hand use.

milo- i tried your technique and at first it seemed to work, but the next time I turned the computer on, the computer is now permanently assuming I've pressed "alt", so when I try to type I get menus from the top, when I click I get properties etc (I'm using someone else's computer right now)- any idea how to sort this out?

go into control pannel and choose classic view

open device manager (if you have problems then right click the icon and choose open)

You will see a tree

Find the mouse and keyboard and delete them. You can ignore the warnings and then restart the computer. When it starts it should re install them.

I did some more of that alt-click business and seems to be alright, but if it relapses I'll remember that about the devices, thanks.

Sorry to break in here, but I want to start a new thread and can't find how to. It says use the New Conversation Button, but I can't find any such ******************** thing!

Am I being dumber than usual?

Hi 236885

If you want to start a new conversation in Ask the H2G2 community go back to the list of conversations and scroll to the bottom of the page. There is a New Conversation link, promise.

If you want to take this one off on a tangent - called topic drift - click reply and post whatever you want. You might find that others want to drag the conversation back to the original topic though!

turvy

PS Try adding some text to your page and go to preferences and give yourself a witty name. Then folks can come over and say Hi! in your Personal Space!

good luck Egon

ok, it's gone tits up again, as I sit here with two computers- Apparition, will your tactic work with a laptop?

Thanks, found it now. Down and about 2 screens to the right in the middle of a lot of white space!

I think I'll log out and get some sleep now.

i CAN't fiond device manager.

Egon

This reply is based on Windows 98. I don't know xp

Either right click the My Computer icon on the desktop and select Properties or go via Start, Settings, Control Panels, System.

Either one will give you System Properties, part of which is Device Manager.

Hope that helps.

turvy

I think the solution here is quite obvious.

Windows XP _is_ the problem. Downgrade to a sensible OS.

B

Or get a Macintosh with OS X (10.2)


...

turvy

I seem to have solved it with some more frenzied alt-clicking. I got my computer for free on my household insurance (that new for old malarkey) so that's the reason I use the infernal XP.

You may have sticky keys on (ore some such thing) - look in COntol Pannl and Accessability Options. Also, change your Contol Pannel to look like the classic way we're all used too, otherwise it's all split up into little categories that no-one understands.

Have you tried Microsoft Support Online (http://www.support.microsoft.com/) Looks great, but may or may not solve your problem.

In control panel - system, choose tab Hardware and choose the middle one (called Apparaatbeheer in Dutch). That gives the list of installed hardware, including the mouse.

The best option was suggested earlier. Use Win98

**takes a bow for finally getting the right answer to a computer problem**

B