No right-click; double-click opens properties window... [FIXED]

[martinlest]

When I double-click on a file, instead of opening in the ascribed programme, I get the Properties box. Right-clicking no longer opens a context menu (nothing happens). Menus close as soon as you hover the mouse over them (so I can't access Control Panel or any of its 'subfolders'). The USB keyboard no longer works either - I can highlight (focus) a file, but none of the keyboard inputs are active.

I tried a different mouse, a different keyboard, in different USB ports. I tried System Restore. Still exactly the same.. can't really get into the PC functions at all. :huh:

Then I thought I would try a PS2 keyboard: as soon as I used that to try to open a file, everything suddenly went back to normal!

Now I post this having fixed the problem (far more by luck than by judgement), firstly because the 'solution' may help someone else reading this (if they have a PS2 mouse or keyboard, that is: had I not had one I would by now have been in deepest despair!). And also to ask if any of the resident gurus know what the root of this problem might be - plenty of reports over the web of this kind of thing, dating back over 15 years. I'd love to know what might be happening (must be a hardware issue if a System Restore does not help??).

Seems to me that half my PC problems end up being an issue with USB! Still faulty technology IMHO!

Thanks,

Martin

 

[Snick]

Sounds like you have an issue with your usb drivers.
USB Driver - General Fix for Problems - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[martinlest]

Thanks for the link, I'll read through it carefully.

 

[Snick]

You're welcome. Probably uninstall drivers, shutdown, then restart with power button, this is not the same as clicking restart.
Why?
"Restart" will not peform POST.
P.O.S.T. stands for Power On Self Test, which is primarily a test to verify the necessary hardware is working properly, such as the CPU, memory, and power rails, before handing control to the system to load the Operating System. A restart is also called a "warm boot", and the process of shutting down and powering up with the power button is called a "cold boot". Restart almost immediately hands control to the boot process, rather than take the time to run the POST tests completely.

Want computer to POST test, then identify USB drivers needed being that you deleted/uninstalled them. System will find and install drivers.