Editor "missteps"

[JimL]

I have no actual word processor, as I don't need one. I get along fine with
WordPad, NotePad and such text editing services as are provided via browser
or within various programs.

But for several months now I have been seeing something odd. The actual
text editing doesn't always follow the mouse cursor.

For instance, I insert a line from the clipboard. I clip the line including
the leading space, then I set the cursor just to the _RIGHT_ of the period
ending the sentence after which I want the insertion. The insertion will go
to the _LEFT_ of the period, giving me one sentence with no period and one
sentence with two periods.

When highlighting I have seen it start the highlighting one character or
several away from where the cursor is positioned. The last time it happened
I was highlighting from right to left. The highlighting jumped and started
3 characters to the right of the cursor position.

Usually I cannot highlight a word at the beginning of a sentence. That is,
the highlighting jumps to include a space to the left of that word. If I
retry it with the cursor a little to the right the highlighting jumps from
inclusion of the space to the SECOND letter in the word. If I start at the
first character I get the space - period! It is impossible to start
highlighting AT the beginning of the word - that is, exactly AT the cursor.

With some built in editors such as the one in this OE program I'm running
now I get better following of the cursor. However here the highlighting
problem is different. If I start in the middle of a word fine. But if the
cursor goes beyond that first word, the highlighting jumps back to include
that entire word, not staying where I started.

(These events happen all to involve actions _away from_ the margins.)

I don't think this problem always existed. Where do I even BEGIN to look
for a fix for it?

 

[Jose]

I have no actual word processor, as I don't need one.  I get along finewith
WordPad, NotePad and such text editing services as are provided via browser
or within various programs.

But for several months now I have been seeing something odd.  The actual
text editing doesn't always follow the mouse cursor.

For instance, I insert a line from the clipboard.  I clip the line including
the leading space, then I set the cursor just to the _RIGHT_ of the period
ending the sentence after which I want the insertion.  The insertion will go
to the _LEFT_ of the period, giving me one sentence with no period and one
sentence with two periods.

When highlighting I have seen it start the highlighting one character or
several away from where the cursor is positioned.  The last time it happened
I was highlighting from right to left.  The highlighting jumped and started
3 characters to the right of the cursor position.

Usually I cannot highlight a word at the beginning of a sentence.  Thatis,
the highlighting  jumps to include a space to the left of that word.  If I
retry it with the cursor a little to the right the  highlighting jumps from
inclusion of the space to the SECOND letter in the word.  If I start atthe
first character I get the space - period!  It is impossible to start
highlighting AT the beginning of the word - that is, exactly AT the cursor.

With some built in editors such as the one in this OE program I'm running
now I get better following of the cursor.  However here the highlighting
problem is different.  If I start in the middle of a word fine.  But if the
cursor goes beyond that first word, the highlighting jumps back to include
that entire word, not staying where I started.

(These events happen all to involve actions _away from_ the margins.)

I don't think this problem always existed.  Where do I even BEGIN to look
for a fix for it?

Sounds like the problem stays with the mouse.

Is this a wireless mouse? Have you tried fresh batteries?

Is is a wired optical mouse? Have you peeked at the optical portion
for any foreign matter? What is the condition of your mouse pad -
have you tried another mouse pad?

Do you have a more old fashioned wired mouse with clean rollers and
ball to try? These do require some maintenance, but a lot of people
are unaware that this is required from time to time.

My friend has a wired USB optical mouse and switched to a used and
somewhat soiled mouse pad. He thinks it is just great, I merely hate
it - but I think it is his "new" mouse pad.

A slight vertical movement when you mean to do a strictly horizontal
movement can be interpreted a weird behavior as the highlighting
"jumps". This could mean things just need cleaning.

There are mouse properties in Control Panel - like Enhanced pointer
precision (mine is checked).