Although the mouse seems like a simple animal, its behavior can be customized in Windows. Very nice if you are left-handed or have trouble double-clicking.
Scroll through the text faster with the scroll wheel
If you have a mouse that, in addition to buttons, also has a wheel in the middle, you can adjust how many lines at the same time the mouse scrolls through the text. By default, the text moves three lines each time you turn the wheel, but you can also choose one or a hundred lines. And everything in between.
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- In Windows 10, under “Choose how many lines to scroll,” click the slider. In Windows 11, under ‘Lines to scroll at once’, click the slider.
- Move the slider to the left or right.
Turn left and right
By default, the mouse is set to function optimally for right-handed use. If you want to click on something, use your index finger. However, if you are left-handed (and you use the mouse with the left), the so-called primary button is under the middle finger. Reverse the functions of mouse buttons if you like. This is not recommended for right-handers.
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- In Windows 10, under ‘Select your primary button’, click the drop-down menu. In Windows 11, under ‘Primary mouse button’, click the drop-down menu.
- click on Right.
The change takes effect immediately. If you still want to go back to the default setting, right-click on the drop-down menu and then click Left. In this article we also assume the normal settings of the left and right mouse buttons. So the left mouse button is the primary button.
Active mouse
The ‘Slide contents of inactive windows when I point to them’ option scrolls any window the mouse moves over when you use the scroll wheel. This can be annoying if you’re just hovering over a window that you don’t want to scroll in at all. If necessary, disable the function:
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- click on On under ‘Slide contents of inactive windows when I hover over them’.
- The button will change color and the text will change to ‘Off’.
Adjust double click speed
Double-clicking is a skill that takes some practice with some users. If you click too slowly, the computer will not register the action as a double click, but as two single clicks. If you want more time between clicks, adjust the speed.
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- In Windows 10, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional mouse options. In Windows 11, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional Mouse Settings.
- A window opens. Click on the tab Buttons if this tab is not already open.
- Move the bar under ‘Double Click Speed’ by clicking anywhere between ‘Slow’ and ‘Fast’.
- Double click on the yellow folder to test the setting.
- If the folder won’t open or close, try a slower setting.
- click on OK.
Turn on click lock
The click lock allows you to select and drag without holding down the mouse button. Setting is then done by briefly pressing the mouse button, release by pressing the mouse button again.
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- In Windows 10, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional mouse options. In Windows 11, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional Mouse Settings.
- A window opens. Click on the tab Buttons if this tab is not already open.
- Put a tick in front of Enable Click Lock.
- The ‘Settings’ button is now available. Click here.
- Move the arrow between ‘Short’ and ‘Long’ to set the time of the click lock.
- click on OK > OK.
Adjust pointer speed
You can also set the speed at which the pointer moves across the screen:
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- In Windows 10, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional mouse options. In Windows 11, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional Mouse Settings.
- Click on the tab Pointer options.
- Move the bar under ‘Motion’ by clicking anywhere between ‘Slow’ and ‘Fast’.
- Move the mouse pointer over the screen or test if you have a nice speed.
- Adjust the speed further if necessary.
- click on OK.
Where’s the mouse?
Is the mouse pointer not visible on the screen or is the cursor lost in a text? You can find it again with a press of the Ctrl key. You have to set this:
- Click the Start button.
- click on Institutions. That’s the gear icon.
- In Windows 10, click Devices > Mouse. In Windows 11, click Bluetooth and devices > Mouse.
- In Windows 10, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional mouse options. In Windows 11, under ‘Related settings’, click Additional Mouse Settings.
- A window opens. Click on the tab Pointer options.
- Put a tick in front of Show pointer location when I press CTRL.
- click on OK.