This is an optical mouse on a PC. I click on a tab, and two or three open. I click to start selecting text, but the computer reads it as two clicks, and selects the whole word instead, so the only way to drag to select text is to abandon the mouse and use keyboard errors. And so on. Very irritating. I swapped mice, and also rebooted but the problem persists. Is this a virus or the mouse driver? If the latter how do I change it? Can I download a new one, just the driver, from MS?
On PCs I thought you could change the sensitivity of the mouse in the control panel? Have you check to do that? Otherwise, I’m sorry I can’t help. I’m a Mac LOVA 
I had a similar problem once, though in that case the problem was solved by getting a new mouse (which apparently won’t help you). But one thing I did might help your situation, at least temporarily: Go to Control Panel --> Mouse --> Buttons --> Switch Primary and Secondary Buttons. That will make it so you should right-click for what is normally a left-click. And vice versa. That won’t make the problem go away, of course. But if it works at least you won’t encounter the problem as often.
But I’m left-handed. So switching came easily to me.
Make sure none of your Tab, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Space keys is stuck.
My CRAP office keyboard does this all the time.
Torrents of lowbrow gags referencing sticky keyboards ensue…
[quote=“the chief”]Make sure none of your Tab, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Space keys is stuck.
My CRAP office keyboard does this all the time.
[/quote]
So, you actually type your own work? Men of our calibre should not have to bother with such menial tasks.
I dictate to a secretary, Churchill style (in the bathtub or pacing the library), or sometimes lounging on my recliner whilst sipping my daily nourishment.
[quote=“almas john”][quote=“the chief”]Make sure none of your Tab, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Space keys is stuck.
My CRAP office keyboard does this all the time.
[/quote]
So, you actually type your own work? Men of our calibre should not have to bother with such menial tasks.
I dictate to a secretary, Churchill style (in the bathtub or pacing the library), or sometimes lounging on my recliner whilst sipping my daily nourishment.[/quote]
Never ending source of embarrassment, that.
Two or three times a month, I’ll bray out, at the top of my lungs, “Pennyworth!! Take a memo!!”, just in case there’s been a change in policy.
But nothing ever happens.
I had that problem on my work computer, but I just needed a new mouse.
If you have a third mouse lying around, you can try that just to be extra sure. Otherwise, the control panel is the only other thing I can think of. The mouse is not too complicated, fortunately, but it’s also extremely necessary to have.
Typically the mouse driver is included in Windows. Some special mice with extra functions bring their own - so the driver package would be on the mouse manufacturer website.
Ideas:
Go into Control Panel - Mouse/Keyboard, and tweak the sensitivity of the mouse clicks from there. You can adjust it to be more or less sensitive according to your needs.
If you have WindowsXP, you can use TweakUI from the PowerToys to change some more Mouse settings: microsoft.com/windowsxp/down … rtoys.mspx
Yeah, tried that, thanks! 
[quote=“the chief”]Make sure none of your Tab, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Space keys is stuck.
My CRAP office keyboard does this all the time.[/quote]
Hey, that solved the main problem, thanks! I used compressed air to clean between all the keys and now I can single click. One problem remained, which I hadn’t mentioned, which was inability to drag to select text (the text would deselect upon releasing the button). Scomargo’s suggestion to try a third mouse fixed that. So it was apparently both the keyboard and mouse. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions! 