Section 10.16. Mouse

10.16. Mouse

All of the icons, buttons , and menus in Windows make the mouse a very important tool. And the Mouse program is its configuration headquarters (Figure 10-8):

• The Buttons Tab offers three useful controls: button configuration (for making the mouse respond correctly if you're left-handed ), double-click speed (if you're having trouble opening folders because you're clicking too slowly or too quickly), and ClickLock (if you have trouble holding the mouse button down while you drag something across your desktop).

• The Pointers Tab lets you choose a different pointer shape. Particularly useful here is the option to choose larger pointers, if you have trouble locating the tiny arrow or blinking insertion point on your screen.

• The Pointer Options Tab offers a few more random cursor- related functions. For example, you can make the cursor move faster or slower, or automatically move to the default button (such as "OK" in almost any dialog box).

• The Hardware Tab is exclusively for use when your mouse, or its driver, is acting up.

Figure 10-8. If you're a southpaw, you've probably realized that the advantages of being left-handed when you play tennis or baseball were lost on the folks who designed the computer mouse. It's no surprise, then, that most mice are shaped poorly for leftiesbut at least you can correct the way the buttons work in the Buttons tab of the Mouse Properties control panel.

TROUBLESHOOTING MOMENT
Sharing a Computer Between a Lefty and Righty

If a right- and left-hander share a computer, confusion and marital discord may result. If the mouse is set for the righty, nothing works for the lefty, who then may assume that the PC is broken or cranky.

If you're using individual user accounts (see Chapter 12), Windows XP can solve the problem by switching the left- and right-button modes automatically when each person logs on.

But if you're not using user accounts, you probably need a quick way to switch the mouse buttons between lefties and righties. The easiest way is to create a shortcut to the Mouse control panel. Be sure to put it on the desktop or the Quick Launch toolbar, so that the button-switching checkbox is only a click away.