Right-Clicking with a Pen
Published: November 7, 2002
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Summary
This article describes how to use a Tablet PC digital pen action called "press and hold" to gain access to features you would normally gain access to with a right mouse button.
For example, imagine you are using Windows Journal to take notes in a meeting. You want to copy a handwritten note and paste it into a to-do list. You would like to use the Copy command on the shortcut menu to copy the writing, but you don't have a mouse with you. Instead of using a mouse, you can use the pen to select the text you want to copy, and then press and hold the selected handwriting to open the shortcut menu. When the shortcut menu appears, simply tap Copy.
When you use press and hold on the screen of your Tablet PC, you get the same result as when you click the right mouse button in the same location.
Press and hold is an optional feature. You can turn the feature on or off by going to Control Panel, and then Tablet and Pen Settings.
Your Tablet PC manufacturer may choose to include additional right-click equivalent features on your computer. For example, if your digital pen has buttons, you can try using a pen button as a right-click equivalent. For more information about the features available on your Tablet PC, see your hardware manufacturer's documentation.
Accessing Right-click Features by Using Press and Hold
The animation below demonstrates the press and hold pen action.
To use press and hold as a right-click equivalent, press the tip of the pen into the screen, hold it down until the mouse icon appears, and then lift the pen while the mouse icon still appears on the screen.
Troubleshooting
If you have trouble using press and hold to gain access to a shortcut menu or other right-click feature, try one or more of the following suggestions.
| • | Ensure that press and hold is turned on. (See Turning On or Turning Off Press and Hold, below.) |
| • | Ensure that the tip of the digital pen touches the screen. |
| • | Try not to let the tip of the pen move around on the screen. |
| • | Try holding the pen down for a longer period of time. |
| • | Try adjusting the press and hold settings. (See Adjusting Press and Hold Settings, below.) |
If you are still having trouble with press and hold, you may need to calibrate the screen of your Tablet PC so it responds more appropriately to the way you hold your pen. You can calibrate your screen from the Settings page in the Tablet and Pen Settings dialog box in Control Panel.
Turning on or Turning off Press and Hold
1. | On the taskbar, tap the Start button, and then tap Control Panel. |
2. | Tap Printers and Other Hardware, and then tap Tablet and Pen Settings. |
3. | Tap the Pen Options tab. |
4. | Under Pen actions, in the Pen Action column, tap Press and hold. |
5. | Tap Settings. |
6. | Select or clear the Enable press and hold for right-click check box. |
Adjusting Press and Hold Settings
Using Press and Hold Settings in Control Panel, you can:
| • | Set the length of time you must hold your digital pen on the screen before the mouse icon appears, indicating that you can perform a right-click equivalent. |
| • | Set the length of time you have to perform a right-click equivalent. |
| • | Test your press and hold settings. |
Try adjusting your press and hold settings, and then test them by using press and hold on the test image provided. If necessary, continue to adjust and test your settings until you get the results you want.
How to open the Press and Hold Settings dialog box
1. | On the taskbar, tap the Start button, and then tap Control Panel. |
2. | Tap Printers and Other Hardware, and then tap Tablet and Pen Settings. |
3. | Tap the Pen Options tab. |
4. | Under Pen actions, in the Pen Action column, tap Press and hold. |
5. | Tap Settings. |
Use the sliders under Right-click mode activation and Press and hold duration to adjust your settings.
How to adjust right-click mode activation
When you use press and hold to perform a right-click equivalent, your action is recognized as a press and hold only after a specified period of time. Use the Speed slider to adjust that specified period of time.
For example, if you tend to rest the tip of your pen on the screen of your Tablet PC, you might find you access right-click features when you don't intend to. You might want to move the slider further toward Long so you must hold the pen down for a longer period of time before the mouse icon appears.
On the other hand, if you prefer that the mouse icon appear after a shorter period of time, you might want to move the slider toward Short so you can perform a right-click equivalent after a shorter holding period.
How to adjust press and hold duration
When you use press and hold, a mouse icon appears on your screen to indicate when you can use your tablet pen to perform a right-click equivalent. The icon stays on your screen for a specified period of time and then disappears. Use the Duration slider to adjust that specified period of time.
For example, if you move the slider toward Short, then the mouse icon stays on the screen for a shorter period of time. However, if you move the slider toward Long, then the mouse icon stays on the screen for a longer period of time.
