HP Pavilion Elite HPE-337c: Right-Clicking on Taskbar Programs doesn't work any more.

[HectoRocker4]

1.  Product Name and Number:  HP Pavilion Elite HPE-337c

2.  Operating System installed:  Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (64-bit); Service Pack 1; Build Number 7601; DirectX Version 11.

3. Error message:  None; wish there were.

4. Any changes made to your system before the issue occurred:  Geez, there have been so many.

Problem:  It used to not be this way.  Whenever I right-click an open program on the taskbar, and move the mouse to pinned items or recent-items, the list disappears.  The mouse won't work this, but I can still use the cursor Up/Down arrows to highlight the item, hit Enter, and it works.  But there may be other problems related to mouse usage; we'll save those for later.

Thanks,

Hank

[erico]

Plug in a different mouse and test it.

Run the system file checker program from the command line.

Open a command prompt with admin priveleges.

Type the word "command" in the Search programs and files box. Right clilck the command prompt icon that appears above and select run as administrator. Type SFC /scannow in the command window. Let it run its course. It will inspect and replace any corupt system files that it finds. Post the results that system file checker gives you.

[HectoRocker4]

Erico,

1. Changed out the mouse—no effect.
2. Ran SFC w/Admin privileges twice—no effect.  Here are the results:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Hank_and_Sally>SFC /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired
them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For
example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

C:\Users\Hank_and_Sally>SFC /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\Users\Hank_and_Sally>

Next I shutdown the computer; waited about 5 minutes, restarted it:  No effect.

Then I tried System Restore.  I restored the latest restore point.  It passed.  I tried the earliest restore point (02/20/2012) and it failed.  

I'm waiting on C—a—r—b—o—n—i—t—e to complete its backup...it's probably going to be sometime tomorrow evening or night.  Then I'll then try more advanced recovery methods.

All this said, do you have any other ideas?  I would very much appreciate anything you have to offer.

Thanks, 

Hank

– — – 

[erico]

Are you running a third party program such as iTunes or Real Player in the background? Those have been know to create issues like the one you are facing.

Try unplugging all usb devices except the mouse. Use one of the rear USB ports for the mouse.

Control Panel-->Mouse -->Buttons tab. Take a look to see what is enabled or disabled 

[HectoRocker4]

Yes, I have been running iTunes constantly for about 18 months.  I don't use Real Player at all.  This problem has just started in the last few weeks.  The problem persists when I'm not running iTunes.  Should I use msconfig to disable all Apple apps?  

I unplugged all USB devices except the mouse, which I plugged into a rear USB port.  I went to Control Panel-->Mouse -->Buttons tab. Everything on this tab was disabled:  Switch pri and sec buttons; Turn on ClickLock.  No effect.

I changed Pointers from an Aero scheme to a Win Std scheme.  No effect.

I unplugged all USB devices and, in Device Mgr, uninstalled all USB hubs and devices.  Restarted.  No effect.

There's a new wrinkle I may not have mentioned.  Unless the mouse pointer is on the window or gadget, focus is lost to some other window or gadget.  In other words, the focus follows the mouse pointer.  

[erico]

Try disabling the Apple apps in MSConfig and then restart your PC for a test. iTunes has been known to cause this on Windows PCs.

[HectoRocker4]

I disabled a total of 6 Apple apps using MSConfig restarted.  No effect.  

I re-ran SFC /scannow.  If found more errors and corrected them.  No effect.  

What's next?  

Thanks for your help, 

Hank

[erico]

What brand of mouse are you using?

Invoke MSCONFIG ang go to the Startup tab. If you see that  Microfsoft Intellipoint has a checkmark in it just remove it and then apply and close MSCONFIG. Restart your PC to see if that had a positive effect. 

I checked in MSCONFIG in my Windows 7 Ultimate x64 installation and was a bit surprised to see Microsoft Intellipoint installed. I use an OCZ Behemoth laser mouse.

[HectoRocker4]

I use a Logitech M310 wireless mouse.  My wife's is an M320.

I ran MSConfig again, but didn't find Intellipoint there.

Hank

[erico]

Go to Logitech's download web page and download and then install the latest operating system appropriate version for your wireless mouse.

Does the same issue occur with a wired (USB) mouse connnected to the PC?