Left click acts as delete

  • Thread starter Thread starter Simon
  • Start date Start date
S

Simon

Here's a strange one that has happened a couple of times in the last
few days. When my computer first boots up, the left mouse button acts
as a delete key instead of selecting things. Due this problem my wife
managed to delete all her emails! The problem seems to go away after a
while, but it is very annoying and potentially could cause a lot of
problems.
I've never seen this before. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Simon
 
Simon said:
Here's a strange one that has happened a couple of times in the last
few days. When my computer first boots up, the left mouse button acts
as a delete key instead of selecting things. Due this problem my wife
managed to delete all her emails! The problem seems to go away after a
while, but it is very annoying and potentially could cause a lot of
problems.
I've never seen this before. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Simon
Click to expand...

The only thing I can suggest: Look in the Control Panel, Mouse settings
and see what each button is set to do.

Ctrl-Z right after such a problem may restore the deleted items.
 
Simon said:
Here's a strange one that has happened a couple of times in the last
few days. When my computer first boots up, the left mouse button acts
as a delete key instead of selecting things. Due this problem my wife
managed to delete all her emails! The problem seems to go away after a
while, but it is very annoying and potentially could cause a lot of
problems.
I've never seen this before. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Simon
Click to expand...

I don't believe you; why would your wife continue on deleting email after
email? Even the most uniniated user would stop and ask what they're doing
wrong when the email disappeared instead of being read.
 
I don't believe you; why would your wife continue on deleting email after
email? Even the most uniniated user would stop and ask what they're doing
wrong when the email disappeared instead of being read.
Click to expand...
This was in Thunderbird, left clicking on the first mail message
selected all the messages, then deleted them all. The bad move was
going into the deleted items folder and clicking again. This
permanently deleted all the messages.
I had the same thing when I logged in. Thunderbird started to delete
all my messages, so I exited quickly and didn't click on the deleted
messages folder.
The 'select all and delete' also happened in a download program I was
using (DAP).
After a few minutes, everything was back to normal and I was able to
back into Thunderbird and recover my deleted messages.

This situation has happened 3 times over the last 3 or 4 days.
 
Simon said:
This was in Thunderbird, left clicking on the first mail message
selected all the messages, then deleted them all. The bad move was
going into the deleted items folder and clicking again. This
permanently deleted all the messages.
I had the same thing when I logged in. Thunderbird started to delete
all my messages, so I exited quickly and didn't click on the deleted
messages folder.
The 'select all and delete' also happened in a download program I was
using (DAP).
After a few minutes, everything was back to normal and I was able to
back into Thunderbird and recover my deleted messages.

This situation has happened 3 times over the last 3 or 4 days.
Click to expand...

Seems like pretty suspcious activity. What all is running on tha PC? Do
shortcuts get deleted from the desktop if you click them?
 
Seems like pretty suspcious activity. What all is running on tha PC? Do
shortcuts get deleted from the desktop if you click them?
Click to expand...

Yes, well you get the 'Are you sure you want to send xxx to the
Recycle Bin'. I have to then use the keyboard to select the 'Cancel'
option.

It's a reinstallation of XP Pro on a refurbished machine (genuine
licence key). It's the fact that it's intermittent that's confusing. I
did a virus scan, but didn't detect anything. I'm currently using a
USB mouse, but I'm going to try a PS2 mouse for a while - see if that
helps.
The only "non-standard" programs that I have installed (i.e. apart
from Firefox, Thunderbird, Word, etc) is Download Accelerator Pro. As
I said, it's a relatively new installation, so I haven't had time to
accumulate much junk.
 
On 11/21/2007 8:04 AM On a whim, Simon pounded out on the keyboard
Yes, well you get the 'Are you sure you want to send xxx to the
Recycle Bin'. I have to then use the keyboard to select the 'Cancel'
option.

It's a reinstallation of XP Pro on a refurbished machine (genuine
licence key). It's the fact that it's intermittent that's confusing. I
did a virus scan, but didn't detect anything. I'm currently using a
USB mouse, but I'm going to try a PS2 mouse for a while - see if that
helps.
The only "non-standard" programs that I have installed (i.e. apart
from Firefox, Thunderbird, Word, etc) is Download Accelerator Pro. As
I said, it's a relatively new installation, so I haven't had time to
accumulate much junk.
Click to expand...

Hi Simon,

In TB, you could have pressed Ctrl-Z right after the emails were deleted
and they would have returned (as long as you don't use Shift-Delete).

Have you tried a different mouse and installing a new driver? Is this a
left-hand/right-hand interchangeable mouse? The kicker is that is
switches function after a few minutes. I would suspect a mouse going bad.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.
 
On 11/21/2007 8:04 AM On a whim, Simon pounded out on the keyboard






Hi Simon,

In TB, you could have pressed Ctrl-Z right after the emails were deleted
and they would have returned (as long as you don't use Shift-Delete).

Have you tried a different mouse and installing a new driver? Is this a
left-hand/right-hand interchangeable mouse? The kicker is that is
switches function after a few minutes. I would suspect a mouse going bad.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.
Click to expand...

Hi Terry - I hadn't considered that the mouse might turn bad on me!
I've switched to a PS2 mouse from a USB one, so hopefully that might
make a difference.
 
Hi Terry - I hadn't considered that the mouse might turn bad on me!
I've switched to a PS2 mouse from a USB one, so hopefully that might
make a difference.
Click to expand...

In case anyone is interested, I switched to a PS2 mouse and the
problems seem to have disappeared. I don't know if it was a faulty USB
mouse or just a problem with USB mice in general.
 
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