Activate Windows Explorer column movement only on mouseover

[eganders]

Vista Windows explorer and some other Microsoft components with
columns and lists still do not use mouseover to activate the scroll
wheel. Unless you click on the window, the scroll wheel scrolls the
last window that you clicked and scrolled in. WHY IS THAT. It seems
logically intuitive that if you have the mouse arrow in a window THAT
is where your focus is and where you expect to see the column or list
to MOVE when you move the scroll wheel. To move the contents of a
window that may not even be visible on the screen and the arrow is not
even near seems unbelievably non-intuitive to me. Many other
applications have changes and only move the window that the mouse
arrow is over. Why can’t explorer work in this logical way.
Is there any way to FORCE Windows Explorer to move only the column
that the mouse arrow is in?

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Vista Windows explorer and some other Microsoft components with
columns and lists still do not use mouseover to activate the scroll
wheel. Unless you click on the window, the scroll wheel scrolls the
last window that you clicked and scrolled in. WHY IS THAT. It seems
logically intuitive that if you have the mouse arrow in a window THAT
is where your focus is and where you expect to see the column or list
to MOVE when you move the scroll wheel. To move the contents of a
window that may not even be visible on the screen and the arrow is not
even near seems unbelievably non-intuitive to me. Many other
applications have changes and only move the window that the mouse
arrow is over. Why cant explorer work in this logical way.
Is there any way to FORCE Windows Explorer to move only the column
that the mouse arrow is in?

You can make Windows mouse act like XMouse in X11/*nix.

http://shellrevealed.com/forums/thread/5726.aspx

I think there is a setting for it in the Ease of Access Centre as well.

ss.

 

[eganders]

Vista Windows explorer and some other Microsoft components with
columns and lists still do not use mouseover to activate the scroll
wheel.  Unless you click on the window, the scroll wheel scrolls the
last window that you clicked and scrolled in.  WHY IS THAT.  It seems
logically intuitive that if you have the mouse arrow in a window THAT
is where your focus is and where you expect to see the column or list
to MOVE when you move the scroll wheel.  To move the contents of a
window that may not even be visible on the screen and the arrow is not
even near seems unbelievably non-intuitive to me.  Many other
applications have changes and only move the window that the mouse
arrow is over.  Why cant explorer work in this logical way.
Is there any way to FORCE Windows Explorer to move only the column
that the mouse arrow is in?

You can make Windows mouse act like XMouse in X11/*nix.

http://shellrevealed.com/forums/thread/5726.aspx

I think there is a setting for it in the Ease of Access Centre as well.

ss.

This is not exactly what I am asking for. I don't want the WINDOW
that the mouse is over to pop up to the top to be the window being
controlled (unless I click the mouse on it). What I am talking about
is basically the Windows Explorer characteristic where the right pane
is scrolled by the scrollwheel even though the mouse is over the left
pane. The panes are both in the same window. If you want to scroll a
pane in the Windows Explorerer, you have to left click on the pane
before the scrollwheel will scroll the list in that pane. If you want
to scroll the left pane and click the mouse to do it, you will end up
opening up that folder and display its contents in the right pane
which you many not want to do.

If you want to see what I mean, check out how Yahoo Mail works. If
your mouse is over the "from"/"subject" pane (the top pane), you can
scroll through your messages. If your mouse is over the bottom pane
(the message content window), you can scroll through the message
content. You don't have to click the left button in that pane to
"activate" it, you just have to have the mouse pointer over it.

 

[Beauty Personified]

This is not exactly what I am asking for. I don't want the WINDOW
that the mouse is over to pop up to the top to be the window being
controlled (unless I click the mouse on it). What I am talking about
is basically the Windows Explorer characteristic where the right pane
is scrolled by the scrollwheel even though the mouse is over the left
pane. The panes are both in the same window. If you want to scroll a
pane in the Windows Explorerer, you have to left click on the pane
before the scrollwheel will scroll the list in that pane. If you want
to scroll the left pane and click the mouse to do it, you will end up
opening up that folder and display its contents in the right pane
which you many not want to do.

If you want to see what I mean, check out how Yahoo Mail works. If
your mouse is over the "from"/"subject" pane (the top pane), you can
scroll through your messages. If your mouse is over the bottom pane
(the message content window), you can scroll through the message
content. You don't have to click the left button in that pane to
"activate" it, you just have to have the mouse pointer over it.

This is exactly the way I want Windows to work when it comes to using a
mouse in Explorer. I have used Vista's Ease of Access setting for bringing
focus to whatever the mouse hovers over. It was useful in some situations for
me, but an annoyance more often, so I turned it off.

I have, however, downloaded a small program called KatMouse that allows this
behavior. At first I thought I had a problem, because it took away my usual
mouse scroll button behavior - specifically the "open link in new tab"
behavior in Firefox. However, I just had to set the program's wheel button
behavior to "none of the buttons".

The only annoyance is that you have to allow the program's tray icon or you
can't get to the program's settings. i.e. If you uncheck the tray icon option
in the settings, then you can't get back into the settings to turn it back
on. (I had to go into the registry editor to do that.) Of course, you can
always set the tray icon to "hide".

Anyhoo... Until Microsoft starts getting things right... :-|

Christopher J. Carlson

 

[eganders]

This is exactly the way I want Windows to work when it comes to using a
mouse in Explorer. I have used Vista's Ease of Access setting for bringing
focus to whatever the mouse hovers over. It was useful in some situationsfor
me, but an annoyance more often, so I turned it off.

I have, however, downloaded a small program called KatMouse that allows this
behavior. At first I thought I had a problem, because it took away my usual
mouse scroll button behavior - specifically the "open link in new tab"
behavior in Firefox. However, I just had to set the program's wheel button
behavior to "none of the buttons".

The only annoyance is that you have to allow the program's tray icon or you
can't get to the program's settings. i.e. If you uncheck the tray icon option
in the settings, then you can't get back into the settings to turn it back
on. (I had to go into the registry editor to do that.) Of course, you can
always set the tray icon to "hide".

Anyhoo... Until Microsoft starts getting things right... :-|

Christopher J. Carlson- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Whoa!

I might look into KatMouse, but I don't know if I want to put a
bandaid such as that on the problem. I am ALMOST as interested to
know how this is not a high priority for Microsoft as I would like it
fixed...almost. I have bought more tickets on Northwest Airlines than
I anticipated because of this problem. You can scroll "added tickets"
in a box without even realizing it.

 

[Harry Johnston [MVP]]

I might look into KatMouse, but I don't know if I want to put a
bandaid such as that on the problem. I am ALMOST as interested to
know how this is not a high priority for Microsoft as I would like it
fixed...almost.

I think the behaviour you're describing is the intended behaviour. Other than
third party stuff like Yahoo, do you have any particular reason to expect
Windows Explorer to behave in the way you're asking it to?

I have bought more tickets on Northwest Airlines than
I anticipated because of this problem. You can scroll "added tickets"
in a box without even realizing it.

This sounds like a serious usability problem on Northwest Airline's part. Does
the scroll wheel really change the number of tickets you're purchasing??

Harry.

 

[Flight]

Whoa!

I might look into KatMouse, but I don't know if I want to put a
bandaid such as that on the problem. I am ALMOST as interested to
know how this is not a high priority for Microsoft as I would like it
fixed...almost. I have bought more tickets on Northwest Airlines than
I anticipated because of this problem. You can scroll "added tickets"
in a box without even realizing it.

I use Katmouse for more than a year now. On several computers wits Vista and
XP. Never had any troubles with Katmouse.

 

[Harry Johnston [MVP]]

Yes. I get the idea it may just be the intended behavior. But why?
Is there any reason I would want the window that my mouse is over NOT
to be the one that is controlled by the scrollwheel?

Not that I can think of, and I agree this is irritating. But Microsoft aren't
going to change their user interface model any time soon ... perhaps if enough
people suggest this they might change it in Windows 7, or perhaps the next
version after that, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Harry.

 

[Bob A. Bowie]

I had the same problem on an XP Pro SP2 machine. Some programs with
multi-panes (i.e. Outlook) would scroll the pane underneath the mouse
pointer. Windows Explorer, however, required an extra mouse click to focus
the pane under the mouse.

The ONLY solution I found is a ghetto looking 1990's vintage program called
FreeWheel (http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2060/freewheel.html).

The program is lightweight (~150kb download), but does activate a ~5mb
process (its absurd to have to devote memory to fixing something this stupid
- but whatever MSFT). After install, enable the Setting "Scroll the window
underneath the mouse pointer." Works flawlessly on my machine.

Other solutions I tried, that failed inlcude: installing KatMouse (waste of
time) and alternatively updating and rolling back mouse drivers.

I also tried Windows Explorer alternatives and FireFox plugins that enable
file management. Bypassing Windows Explorer with another app didn't feel
like a good fix though.

FreeWheel was the only viable solution to this enormous usability headache
in Windows Explorer.

Hope this helps anyone else struggling with this issue.