Problem with single-click and "Save As" dialog

[JBRC]

I have recently moved from Windows 2K and XP to Vista Business.

I am using the folder option which sets "Single-click to open" on files and
folders. As a side-effect, this also enables "Point to select" on files and
folders, meaning than when you hover over a file or folder, then after about
half a second the item is selected.

With this option set in W2K (and I am pretty sure on XP too, though I cannot
check this now) the "Point to select" option is suppressed in File > Save As
dialog boxes. But in Vista it still happens, with the result that when you
open a "Save As" box and inadvertently hover over a file for a moment, the
file becomes selected and the name replaces the name in the "File name" box
below. This can be particularly unexpected when you drill down to another
folder and the pointer ends up being over some random file in the new folder.

I find this very problematic, as I frequently do "Save As" to another folder
or just to change part of the file name (e.g. to change a version number in
the document name).

Does anyone know of a way to suppress "point to select" for the "Save As"
box, while keeping it for normal desktop/explorer activity.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Andy C.(never #)]

SNIP

Sorry, but I'm afraid you're wrong about that. I got into the habit
of
quickly moving the mouse pointer outside the dialog box to avoid
inadvertently selecting another file name while trying to navigate to
the correct folder/subdirectory.
This functionality has been available since W95 came out with the
little downloadable group of utilities. And it's always worked the
same
way. Maybe you just have a faster pc now and it makes it more
noticeable. You might be able to dial back the mouse sensitivity
level using Control Panel->Mouse.

HTH,

Andy C.(never #)

 

[JBRC]

--
John


:

This functionality has been available since W95 came out with the
little downloadable group of utilities. And it's always worked the
same
way.

</snip>

I just tried it out again on my W2003 server and in a normal explorer window
the file is selected after around 1/2 second or so of hovering. In Word 2003,
in a File>Save As... dialog box, hovering over the file does not select the
file and it does not change the File name being saved.

Using Word 2003, under Vista File > Save As... the file is selected after
hovering and the File name changes.

John

 

[Andy C.(never #)]

Ok, there's lots of inconsistencies in how Windows works and how some
Microsoft Applications work. Personally, I was always more frustrated
that select/single click worked in the OS but never worked in Office.

It sounds like M$ is actually trying to make their application
consistent with their OS. Kudos.

It seems you prefer the functionality exhibited by Office, so maybe
you should change your OS settings to mirror that. I use some version
of Linux/Unix 90% of the time, so I'm not the one to use for advice in
how to get windows to work consistently.

Sorry.

Andy C.(never #)

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

JBRC

Your correct, this is not the way this worked in XP, I just tried it on an
XP system.

I'm not sure why this was changed, but I'll see if I can find more
information.

 

[JBRC]

Thanks Ronnie - I would be interested to know why it was changed.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

JBRC

Me too! I have no idea why they would change this function?

 

[JBRC]

I have been back on the W2003 server via RDC from the Vista machine, and the
behaviour is the same on both machines as Andy C said, but:

- When the Save As dialog first opens, the focus is set on the File Name
box, the file list is not activated, and hovering over a file name does not
selected the file and the File Name box does not change.

- If the focus is shifted from the File Name box then it seems the file list
is activated and hovering selects the file and changes the File Name.

So I think the difference I have noticed is because Vista is on a fast
laptop, so when i used the touch-pad to move down the file list, I
inadvertently shift the focus from the File Name to the file list and
activate it. Whereas on the other older server machine I am using a
mouse/keyboard so this does not happen.

Thanks for all your help - and thanks Andy C you spotted that it was
probably to do with me rather than Wndows/Office - but sorry to have wasted
everyone's time.