Lesson #4 - How to use a mouse

You use a mouse to "Click here" or to "Highlight" or to "Select" or to "Drag". Sometimes you single click; sometimes you double-click; sometimes you right click.

"Click Here".
What does that mean? Move your mouse until the pointer on the screen is over what you want to "click" on and then press and release the left mouse button one time. That's it.

The second part of this "click here" lesson is that the mouse acts a little differently in different programs. For example, this lesson is being displayed by your Browser - the same program that you will use to tour the Internet - and anytime you're using the Browser, you'd usually use a single click to do something. (In Windows 98 you can also elect to open files and folders with a single click by changing your Desktop style. This subject is covered in Personalize Your Computer, Part V. Active Desktop).

But when you're using Windows (or a program in Windows), it's more common to use a "double-click" to accomplish something. A double-click is just like a click except you press and release the left mouse button twice instead of once. The speed at which you double click is important. It should be "one two" instead of "one,...two". If you have a longish pause between clicks, you may be triggering something you don't want to happen. Your computer may interpret your action as two single clicks instead of a double click. (If you single click twice instead of double click on the name of a program, for example, the name will be outlined in a black box and you'll see a cursor blinking inside the box. This is one of the ways you can change the name of a program. You don't want to do that yet, so if that happens, just single click anywhere outside the black box and start over.)

Any time you are working your mouse and get something unexpected and/or unwanted, just move your mouse pointer away from what you're trying to click (or double-click)on, do a single click, then move your mouse pointer back to where you want it and try again.

The final part of our "click here" lesson is what happens if you click your right mouse button instead of the left one. Usually (again, depending on what program you're in) your left mouse button is the action button and your right button will usually cause a menu to display. Try it. Put the mouse pointer somewhere on this page and click the right mouse button. Neat, huh? Now move your mouse pointer somewhere else (away from the menu box) and do a left click. The menu box goes away. These little boxes are called shortcut menus and they're supposed to be shortcuts to things you might want to do when you're doing whatever you're doing when you do the right click.

The most important part of this lesson is to learn that you can't do any damage to your computer with your mouse. The mouse can do lots of things (you'll learn more of them as we go along) but it can't do any damage - unless you really work at it! If you're trying to do something and you get an unexpected result, STOP! Moving your mouse pointer to a blank part of the screen and doing a single click will usually undo whatever you'd started. Sometimes pressing the Esc key on your keyboard will accomplish the same thing. If all else fails, shut off your computer, wait 30 seconds or so and turn it back on. That will usually bring you back to where you were the last time you turned on your computer. And even if worse comes to worse and somehow some damage should be done (not likely!) remember that damage is a relative term when you're talking about a computer. There won't be any physical damage - the hardware will be unharmed. About the worst thing that could happen is that some of your programs (or your operating system) may have to be re-installed.

(And while we're on this subject, it's a good idea to keep all your original software - keep it all together and keep it in one place where you can find it. Computers are active devices, subject to the whims of your local Power Company, and it doesn't take very much sometimes to cause your operating system to go weird. At the very minimum you should be using a surge protector and, if you live out of town as we do, I would strongly suggest an Uninterruptible Power Source for your computer.)

Your mouse is an input device. It is one of the ways you tell your computer what to do. Most mouses (mice?) have two buttons but there are three button models.

Almost everyone at first tries to move the mouse pointer and runs off the mouse pad before they get to where they want to go. If that happens to you, simply pick up the mouse and move it to the center of the pad again. The pointer will stay where it is. Repeat as needed.

If you are left handed and want to change your mouse to left-hand settings, go to the Start Button on your taskbar, select Settings and then select Control Panel. You'll see a variety of icons. Select the Mouse icon and change the setting given under Button Configuration.

Highlight, Select, and/or Drag

As well as "Click" you will also see instructions to "Highlight" something. Put your mouse pointer over the name of whatever you are supposed to highlight and left-click once. The name will turn blue.....it is highlighted.

To "select" something means to highlight it but it can be a single word or the whole page. To Select something, put your mouse pointer at the beginning of the text, hold down the left mouse button and "drag" your mouse until you come to the end of whatever it is you want to select. Then release your left mouse button. This is used most often for editing your work.

To "drag" means you place your mouse pointer over a selected area and left click. You hold down your left mouse button and move the mouse in the direction that you want the selected area to move. This is used to edit text, to move files and folders, to put something into your recycle bin.

To select adjacent items from a list, hold down SHIFT while you select items. For non-adjacent items, hold down CTRL and click items you want to select.

If you want to select an entire file, Keyboard shortcuts are handy:

CTRL + A will select the entire work.
CTRL + C will copy it to your clipboard or
CTRL + X will move it to your clipboard and then
CTRL + V will paste it somewhere else.

Please note the difference between "Copy" and "Move". To copy means to create a second edition. To move means just that--to take it away from where it is now and put it somewhere else.

(A Keyboard Shortcut such as "CTRL + A" means that you are to hold down the CTRL key at the same time as you hold down the A key.)

There's a lot of material in this chapter. Much of it is repeated in the practice session which follows. Please spend the time to practice as we go along or you may find yourself overwhelmed later.

Click here now to practice.

Here's a summary you can copy and paste

(but only if you did the practice!):

Mouse Skills

"Click"
means to press down and then release the left mouse button.
"Click here" or "Click on..."
you should put the mouse pointer on the specified area and click once with the left mouse button.
"Right click"
means that you should press down and release the right mouse button.
"Highlight"
means that you should put your mouse pointer over the name of whatever you are supposed to highlight and left-click once.
"Select"
means to highlight something other than a name. To Select something, put your mouse pointer at the beginning of the text, hold down the left mouse button and "drag" your mouse until you come to the end of whatever it is you want to select. Then release your left mouse button.
To select adjacent items from a list, hold down SHIFT while you select items.
For non-adjacent items, hold down CTRL and click items you want to select.
"Drag"
means you place your mouse pointer over a selected area and left click. You hold down your left mouse button and move the mouse in the direction that you want the selected text to move.

Keyboard Shortcuts is the next subject.

End of Lesson #4

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*Windows* refers to Microsoft Windows 95® or Microsoft Windows 98®.