Start Menu Closes too Quickly in Windows Vista + Trouble renaming

[Guest]

Hi all,

This is a problem I've encountered on my new laptop:

Lenovo Thinkpad T61 16U (14.1 inch widescreen version)
Intel T7300 @ 2.0 GHZ
2 GB Ram
Windows Vista Business 32 Bit

What happens is that when I open the start menu and try to start a program,
the menu closes before I can successfully click on the program and open it.

So let's say I want to open Microsoft Word, which is in a Microsoft Office
folder. I can click Start > all programs > Microsoft Office ... the folder
will expand, and then everything closes before I can click on the program.

I played around with settings, restarted the machine, and still it happens
every time. Very frustrating. I can sometimes manage to get the program if I
open the start menu several times in a row and am quick with the mouse.

I also noticed just now another, possibly related, issue: I created a new
folder, and then right clicked, and selected "rename". I managed to type only
a few letters before the folder stopped letting me rename it. I clicked
rename again, same thing happened. Repeat 100 times with same result. The
'editable' version of the filename remains visible for approximately two
seconds, and then reverts to the read-only view.

It seems like it may be a mousing issue here, but it happens whether I am
using my external usb wireless mouse (Microsoft Laser 6000) or when using
either of the touchpad or trackbutton on my PC.

I also played around with the 'properties' settings for the start menu
without success.

It's becoming a real problem -- I can't rename any files or folders. Any
help appreciated.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Justin.

I have that same mouse (Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, part of a
wireless desktop set). I have some gripes about it, but this is not one of
them. I've never had a laptop of any kind. I'm running Vista Ultimate x64
(and occasionally dual-booting to x86) on a home-built rig on an EPoX mobo
and AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ CPU.

I can't help with your problem except to report that, "It works for me."

Do you have the latest drivers? My current mouse driver is referred to as
IntelliPoint 6.2; Device Manager shows it as version 6.20.178.0, dated
8/28/07.

Are you using the default Vista Start menu, or the Classic Start menu, with
its WinXP-style "fly-out" sub-menus? As I recall, those XP-style fly-outs
often disappeared before I wanted them to. There was a setting to adjust
the time, but I don't recall where it was. It should still be there in
Vista if you have opted for the Classic menu.

As to renaming files/folders, if you press <F2>, do you get the same
reaction as with the mouse?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 beta v.275)

 

[Guest]

Hi R.C.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

To answer your questions, I have made sure all the drivers are up to date,
so it's not a driver problem for sure. I am also using the Windows Vista
Menu.

The problem still exists, and I've come to realize that it's actually a lot
more complicated then I first thought.

The mouse performance is completely off within the Vista environment itself.
It seems like the system will not recognize when I am holding the mouse
button down, and it acts as if I am clicking the mouse button at times when
I'm not.

The start menu and file-renaming issues are just two symptoms. For instance,
if I try to click and drag a file, I sometimes need to try many times in
order to do it.

If I try to click and drag on the desktop, creating a 'box' to select
things, it will disappear again after about two seconds -- as if I had let go
of the mouse button, but I'm still holding it down. If I try to use drop-down
menus in Vista, they disappear quickly also. If I try to click and drag a
scroll bar up or down within a folder, it will stop moving after two seconds
or so, as if I had let go of the button.

Sometimes open folders will act strangely, as if I was clicking on something
repeatedly, but I'm not. I can tell this by fluctuations in the colour of the
folder, if you know what I mean, as if it's being selected and de-selected
multiple times.

Interestingly though, this only happens with Vista folders or other
utilities belonging to the operating system. If I open an application (even
Windows Mail) everything is fine and the mouse works like a charm. It's just
when I am trying to move files or folders or access things through Vista that
all these problems arise.

I am at my wits end -- any insight would be wonderful.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Justin.

I waited a couple of days, hoping someone would jump in with The Answer.
But, no joy on that hope. :^{

I'm about out of ideas here. My own Laser Mouse 6000 performs well MOST of
the time. Sometimes I have to click the scroll button multiple times here
in the NGs to get it to register the Ctrl+H that I've set it for, so that I
can easily toggle in and out of Show replies to my messages. The most
curious anomaly is in Quicken, where I can scroll down in a report or
register, but not up; the more I roll the scroll wheel down - or up, the
more the register scrolls up! :>( Other users have reported the same
problem and we've not yet been able to determine even whether the problem is
in Quicken or in Vista or in the IntelliPoint 6.2 driver.

But I've not seen anything like the symptoms you describe.

You HAVE checked all the obvious things, I'm sure: Batteries? Mouse pad or
other surface? Placement of both the mouse and the sending unit to be sure
there is no electrical interference? (I moved my controller unit from my
desk to a nearby bookcase and that got rid of a lot of spurious actions for
my mouse - and keyboard. It is now about 4' from the mouse; it was just 1
foot away.)

I hope someone chimes in here with something useful.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 beta v.275)

 

[Guest]

Hi RC,

Thanks again for the response!

I finally managed to figure this out late last night. I had checked before
whether the problem still occurred when I disconnected the USB mouse
altogether (it did).

But yesterday was the first time I actually disconnected my computer from
the entire USB hub -- I noticed that the problem was gone!

After checking through all the devices, it proved to be a small USB memory
key that was causing the trouble -- a memorex 512 mb.

This key has some applications that run automatically when it's inserted,
and these apps are apparently not vista compatible. Once I removed the key --
all the strange behavior disappeared.

Both relieving and very strange. Thanks again for taking the time to help me
out.

Justi

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Justin.

Congratulations! And thanks for the report back.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 beta v.275)