How-To Guides: Using the Mouse's Right Click Button

Your mouse has two buttons and often a scroll wheel. The left mouse button is the primary button, is used most often and allows you to move objects, open them, or delete them by pointing, clicking and dragging. The scroll wheel is between the twobuttons and is used to help scroll through documents and webpages more easily. The right button or the secondary button displays a shortcut menu (also called a context menu) that shows options available to use with that item.

To right-click an item, point to an item on the screen, press and then release the right button. A list of shortcuts for that item will then appear. Some examples:

• Right-clicking within a word document shows you a shortcut menu to paste, change the indent, font, bullets or numbering.
• Right-clicking on the recycle bin opens a shortcut menu to open the bin, empty it, create a shortcut or look at its properties.
• Right-clicking in an email you would like to send opens a menu with paste, select all, align, indent, font, bullets, etc.
• Right-clicking on a web page allows you to save the background as, copy the background, select all, create a shortcut, add to favorites, print, etc.
• Right-clicking on the Start menu lists a shorcut menu with open, explore, search, scan for viruses, and properties.
• Right-clicking on a document or folder on your desktop lists shortcuts to open, explore, search, scan, cut, copy, paste, create a shortcut, delete, rename, etc.

Once you have opened the shortcut menu, you can left-click to choose one of the options. Right-clicking is safe and often faster than searching pull-down menus for the option you want. You can experiment with this feature since right-clicking will display the choices but no action will be taken until you actually click on a menu item.

Try right-clicking on an item on your desktop and experiment with what happens. And remember to relax and have fun while playing….

 

 

[Posted on February 5, 2007]