Mouse Tricks

If you have been using a Windows machine for any time at all, you will be happy to know a lot of the tricks you learned with your mouse are still just as useful today as they were when Windows was young and frisky.

• Double clicking with the left mouse button on the top left icon (the Control Menu box) in any window will close that window ... NOW! Of course, make sure you have saved anything you happen to be working on before you give this one a whirl.
• Use the right mouse button to drag and drop files. When you release the right button, a popup menu will prompt you for a decision: Copy Here, Move Here, or Create Shortcut(s) Here. Cancel allows you to call the whole thing off. The main idea here is this... the right mouse button gives you choices. The left mouse button makes things happen. Try a single click with your right mouse button whenever (and wherever) you can. You will be so surprised at the neat choices you will have available to you.
• When you're working in a table or spreadsheet, keep your eyes on the mouse pointer. When it is positioned just to the right of a cell's left edge, it will turn into a left-pointing arrow. A single click will select that cell, a double click will select the row, and a triple click will select the entire table. When the pointer is positioned just below a cell's top edge, it will turn into an upward-pointing arrow. When it does, a single click still selects that cell and a triple click still selects the whole table, but a double click now selects the column.
• Right-clicking on a tool bar (the top area of any open program) will give you options to view or choose other tool bars. Placing the pointer on an empty section of the tool bar will allow you to move it to a more convenient place. Would you rather have your tool bar at the bottom of the screen, or on the right-hand side? Left-click any spot where there's no button, and while holding down the left button, drag the whole bar. Once it's undocked, you can grab its border and reshape it more to your liking. And, if you change your mind, just double-click the bar where there's no button to return it to its original location. Now, this won't necessarily work on every app you use, but you will never know unless you give that right mouse click a try.
• Learn to keep an eye on changes to your pointer. This gives you an indication of what you can do with your mouse. When you see a double-ended arrow, it means that you can hold down the left button and make something bigger or smaller. A blinking cursor means you need to type something. An "I" means you can move the mouse around in text and click the left button to give you a blinking cursor in a different place. A regular pointer means you can select something. So, keep your eyes on that thing!
• Finally, learn to RELAX! Many people have discovered that when the mouse is held casually and the buttons are clicked in a relaxed manner, it has more of a tendency to do what they want it to do. When the mouse is clutched too tightly, it will sometimes act as though it has a mind of its own. And, we all know it doesn't....does it??