Using the Mouse - Basic Classes

In this lesson you will learn:

The Control Panel

When working in Control Panel it is important to remember that settings made here affect all programs, screens and sounds in every program, without exception!

That also means that if mouse properties are changed here then it directly changes the way that word processing, spreadsheets and database data entry behaves.

Pointing Devices

The computer considers the mouse as an input or pointing device but there are other devices that can be also listed, like controllers, track balls, joysticks etc.

These settings are also dependant on the actual mouse used and it 'driver' software, which communicates between the hardware mouse and the machine CPU. That means that AT, PS2, USB and wireless mice may all have slightly different settings available depending on the manufacturer. It is not only the connection to the computer that matters, but the built-in functionality of the mouse itself.

Mouse Properties

In Windows Systems open up the mouse properties box from the control panel:

The mouse has several settings that can be changed according to individual user needs. On a shared machine these default settings should work fine and Office suite programs and most program files run fine on these settings.

The Mouse Settings Property page has several tabs. Changes made in any of these tabbed windows will affect all programs and users regardless of who is logged in. As such it is important to remember that these settings are mainly for an individual user who uses this one machine.

The mouse Properties Dialog box

When setting up a computer system the default is set so that the left button selects something that the pointer is resting on. The right button displays a menu that changes (Context Menu) depending on what you right click on.

The most popular change that users need to change is switching the mouse buttons. No matter which operating system that you use, when you open the settings dialog the first setting shown is switching the buttons. Simply click on the option.

The next popular is of course the button click speed, which takes some practice to get right so that the proper result happens the first time. It may have to change so you will also have practice getting in and out of the mouse settings!

Practice this:

On the desktop, double click any shortcut on the desktop. If there is any particular speed that suits you then make the change in the mouse properties before starting any work.

Some of the options that can be changed are a little tricky to use. The Click Lock can be really annoying and can lead to some big mistakes and frustration in text selection and cut and paste. Use cautiously.

The Mouse Pointer

The Mouse Pointer Property

Mouse pointers can be a real help and Mouse Shadows help in locating the mouse curser at a glance. But like any other setting, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Practicing with these settings will make your computer a tool that is comfortable for you to use for a very long time.

NOTE: Settings should be transparent and stay in the background to make the tool almost unnoticeable when in use.

Technician rule #1; Just because you can doesn't mean that you should.

If the tool is too noticeable then is may become annoying after extended use, so sneak up on the settings until it feels perfect, then come back only if things change with different programs or backgrounds.

Some settings are for assisting with eyesight or hearing by using high contrast or audible aids. The drop down box will give different cursors and sizes and are important to know when assisting others to know what to recommend as an aid.

Pointer Options

The Pointer Options

Assistive technologies usually control the mouse, screen resolution and the display contrast to aid those that need help with eyesight or hearing loss. The mouse 'Pointer Options' settings can be a great aid in that, as they change the Pointer speed as it moves across the screen, accuracy of the screen coordinates (pointer location on the screen vs the object pointing to), leave a trail behind as the mouse moves and CTL key to find the actual location.

As always, too much of a good thing can lead to frustrated users so when adjusting the settings for someone let the user make the choices and be ready to make several visits to this screen for further tweaking.

TIP; If you know ahead of time that there will be many adjustments it will help you to have patience as the user works through these settings and decides one by one what is best for THEM.

Wheel Options

Wheel settings affect scrolling. The mouse wheel clicks as it is rolled and each click can move x amount of lines in a page, which is decided here. It is used mainly as an aid in using (or not having to use) the side scroll bar.

Scrolling multiple lines can be an asset when scrolling large pages and need to move quickly from one location to the next, but in a word processing document it can also make it easy to lose track of where you are in the document when the mouse is scrolled, forcing the use of the side scroll bar.

The Wheel Options

Older mice have other options for the wheel, like pressing down on it to enter another level of scrolling tasks in a document, or moving it side to side etc.

Hardware Properties

The hardware tab displays the driver and connection information. As new products roll out the drivers are updated periodically, so if you want to see if the driver is up-to-date this is one area to do that.

Mouse Hardware Properties

Depending on what is connected to the computer there could be several things listed here. Each one when highlighted would have different properties that would be checked if not working properly.

The most important item here is the 'device status' shown at the bottom. This will change as each device listed above is selected.

Selected Hardware Properties

When he selected hardware properties are open for that device the status is of special note. This is the same dialog as the Control Panel Hardware box and if there is a problem it will show here.

Selected Hardware Properties

Selecting 'Change Settings' (not shown) will allow power management, status and hardware driver updates. The particulars of the driver can be seen in the 'Details' tab using the drop down list and seeing the settings.