Most of us use a mouse along with the keyboard quite often when working on the computer. The mouse lets you precisely locate an object on the screen, list contextual menu, scroll the windows etc. It can do much more than what one actually does know about. Here are some of the mouse tips that help you get the full potential of your computer mouse, increase your overall productivity, and much beneficial to you in saving time.
Clicking the left mouse button
The left mouse button can be used to select and open a file. For selecting, just left-click the mouse on the file or an object. For opening a file, double click the left mouse button.
Using shift key with the mouse
You can highlight all or portions of text using the Shift key and the mouse. Left click to place the cursor at the beginning of a paragraph or a text block, then hold down the Shift key and click at the end of the paragraph to highlight the full paragraph or text block.
Using scroll wheel in mouse
Mouse scroll wheel is used for multiple purposes,
1. It scrolls up or down the web page or program window for seeking content. By pressing the scroll wheel and lock it to place a double arrowed button which can be used as a guide for the scrolling bars and the scrolling speed can be adjusted by moving the mouse.
2. It can also be used as a button and pressing down on the wheel will act as a third mouse button. This can be used to open a web page in a tab by clicking the wheel on any link and can also be used to close a tab by clicking the wheel on any open tab.
3. For zooming in and out of a web page, word document, excel spreadsheet, etc. by holding down the Ctrl key and scrolling up to zoom in and scrolling down to zoom out.
4. Move forward and backwards the pages while browsing the Internet by holding down the Shift key and scrolling up and down. Scrolling down goes back and scrolling up goes forward.
Selection of content
Any word can be easily selected by double-clicking the word. If you want to highlight the whole paragraph, click the mouse button three times on any text in the paragraph.
Using right-click
Right-click can be used view the properties of highlight text or view the properties of an object. Right clicking also helps to bring the contextual menu for the selected object and select the choice in that menu. Eg. Highlight a file or text, you can right-click the item copy it and then right-click anywhere to paste it.
Opening Links
In a browser pressing and holding Ctrl while clicking on any link will open that link in a new tab.
Use Ctrl key and mouse click to highlight
While holding down the Ctrl key you can left-click to select multiple objects or highlight multiple sections of text. If you wanted to highlight different parts of a paragraph or web page, you could also hold down the Ctrl key and select each section you wanted to copy. You can also select objects and files by Shift and left-clicking for selecting an entire row from start to the end.
You can also hold down the Ctrl key and individually left-click on each cell in a table to copy or drag the mouse down a row to select just that row or text without selecting any of the other text in that table.
Manage the open window with the mouse
Double-click the top title bar of any window to maximize a window or if it is already maximized, resize it to a window. You can also double-click the icon for the window in the top-left corner of the window to close that window.
Use the mouse side buttons
Many new computer mice have buttons on the side of the mouse. These buttons can be programmed to do anything, however, by default the left-thumb button can be used to go back on a web page.
Customizing your mouse
You can customize your mouse button configuration, double click speed, change the pointer object, change the blinking speed of the pointer, display pointer trails, change the scroll extend etc.
Finally, if you have a mouse with more than two buttons, installing the included mouse software will allow you to customize the mouse even more.
Clicking the left mouse button
The left mouse button can be used to select and open a file. For selecting, just left-click the mouse on the file or an object. For opening a file, double click the left mouse button.
Using shift key with the mouse
You can highlight all or portions of text using the Shift key and the mouse. Left click to place the cursor at the beginning of a paragraph or a text block, then hold down the Shift key and click at the end of the paragraph to highlight the full paragraph or text block.
Using scroll wheel in mouse
Mouse scroll wheel is used for multiple purposes,
1. It scrolls up or down the web page or program window for seeking content. By pressing the scroll wheel and lock it to place a double arrowed button which can be used as a guide for the scrolling bars and the scrolling speed can be adjusted by moving the mouse.
2. It can also be used as a button and pressing down on the wheel will act as a third mouse button. This can be used to open a web page in a tab by clicking the wheel on any link and can also be used to close a tab by clicking the wheel on any open tab.
3. For zooming in and out of a web page, word document, excel spreadsheet, etc. by holding down the Ctrl key and scrolling up to zoom in and scrolling down to zoom out.
4. Move forward and backwards the pages while browsing the Internet by holding down the Shift key and scrolling up and down. Scrolling down goes back and scrolling up goes forward.
Selection of content
Any word can be easily selected by double-clicking the word. If you want to highlight the whole paragraph, click the mouse button three times on any text in the paragraph.
Using right-click
Right-click can be used view the properties of highlight text or view the properties of an object. Right clicking also helps to bring the contextual menu for the selected object and select the choice in that menu. Eg. Highlight a file or text, you can right-click the item copy it and then right-click anywhere to paste it.
Opening Links
In a browser pressing and holding Ctrl while clicking on any link will open that link in a new tab.
Use Ctrl key and mouse click to highlight
While holding down the Ctrl key you can left-click to select multiple objects or highlight multiple sections of text. If you wanted to highlight different parts of a paragraph or web page, you could also hold down the Ctrl key and select each section you wanted to copy. You can also select objects and files by Shift and left-clicking for selecting an entire row from start to the end.
You can also hold down the Ctrl key and individually left-click on each cell in a table to copy or drag the mouse down a row to select just that row or text without selecting any of the other text in that table.
Manage the open window with the mouse
Double-click the top title bar of any window to maximize a window or if it is already maximized, resize it to a window. You can also double-click the icon for the window in the top-left corner of the window to close that window.
Use the mouse side buttons
Many new computer mice have buttons on the side of the mouse. These buttons can be programmed to do anything, however, by default the left-thumb button can be used to go back on a web page.
Customizing your mouse
You can customize your mouse button configuration, double click speed, change the pointer object, change the blinking speed of the pointer, display pointer trails, change the scroll extend etc.
Finally, if you have a mouse with more than two buttons, installing the included mouse software will allow you to customize the mouse even more.
