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Mouse and touchpad skills

Move the pointer, click, right-click, double-click, scroll and drag with a mouse or a laptop touchpad, and fix the usual beginner problems such as accidental clicks.

25 minbeginnerUbuntu/LinuxWindowsPractical task needs a laptop or desktop

Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).

By the end of this lesson you will be able to

  • Move the pointer to a target and click it without overshooting.
  • Choose correctly between left-click, right-click and double-click.
  • Scroll, drag and drop an item using a mouse and using a touchpad.
  • Use one-, two- and three-finger touchpad gestures.
  • Change pointer speed, scroll direction and double-click speed in Settings.

Almost every program you will use is controlled by pointing at something and clicking it. If the pointer feels clumsy, everything else feels hard, and many beginners wrongly blame themselves when the real cause is a setting or a technique. This lesson teaches the small movements properly, then shows you where to adjust the speed and direction so the device suits your hand.

The pointer and what it does

The pointer is the small arrow on the screen. When you slide a mouse across a desk, or slide a finger across a touchpad, the pointer moves on the screen in the same direction. The pointer is only a stand-in for your finger: you move it on top of something, then you press a button to tell the computer what to do with it.

A mouse has two main buttons and usually a wheel between them. A touchpad has no separate buttons on many modern laptops: you press the lower left or lower right part of the pad, or you simply tap it. Both are input devices, so what you do with them is input.

Diagram

The five basic mouse actions, what each one does, and a typical use.

  • Left-clickOne quick press. Selects an item or presses a button.
  • Right-clickOpens a small menu of actions for the item under the pointer.
  • Double-clickTwo quick left presses in the same spot. Opens a file or folder.
  • ScrollWheel, or two fingers sliding on the touchpad. Moves the page up or down.
  • Drag and dropHold the left button on an item, move, then let go to place it.
The five basic mouse actions, what each one does, and a typical use.
Read this figure as text

Five cards describing left-click, right-click, double-click, scroll and drag and drop.

Left-click: one quick press of the left button; selects an item or presses a button. Right-click: one quick press of the right button; opens a small menu of things you can do with that item. Double-click: two quick left presses in the same place; opens a file or folder. Scroll: turning the wheel, or sliding two fingers on the touchpad; moves the page up and down. Drag and drop: press and hold the left button on an item, move the pointer, then let go; moves an item to a new place.

Left-click, right-click and double-click

A left-click (often just called a click) chooses what is under the pointer: it highlights a file, presses a button or places the text cursor in a line of writing. A right-click asks a different question: “what can I do with this?”. A small menu appears beside the pointer, called a context menu. Pick an entry with a left-click, or press Esc to close the menu without doing anything.

A double-click is two left-clicks, close together in time and without moving the pointer. In file managers a single click selects a file and a double-click opens it. Many beginners click slowly and the computer reads it as two separate single clicks; the fix is a faster rhythm, or a longer double-click delay in Settings (later in this lesson).

Simulated interface: not a real screenshot

A simulated right-click menu on a file called shopping-list.

Documents
shopping-list2 KB
letter-to-Joseph11 KB
holiday-photos4 MB

Right-click menu for shopping-list:

Open

Copy

Rename

Move to Trash

  1. Marker 1: Left-click selected this file
  2. Marker 2: Right-click opened this menu
  3. Marker 3: Reversible: goes to the trash
A simulated right-click menu on a file called shopping-list.
Read this figure as text

A simulated file window where one file is selected and a menu of actions is shown beside it.

A simple window titled Documents shows three files: shopping-list, letter-to-Joseph and holiday-photos. The file shopping-list is selected, marker 1. The body of the window shows the context menu that appears after a right-click, marker 2: Open, Copy, Rename, Move to Trash. Marker 3 points at the last menu item, Move to Trash, which sends the file to the trash or recycle bin rather than deleting it for good.

Scrolling, dragging and dropping

Scrolling moves the content of a window without moving the window. On a mouse, turn the wheel. On a touchpad, put two fingers on it and slide them up or down. Dragging means pressing and holding the left button on something, moving the pointer while still holding, and letting go where you want the item to land. Dropping a file onto a folder normally moves it into that folder.

On a touchpad, drag with one finger by pressing and holding the lower part of the pad with your thumb while a finger of the other hand slides, or by tapping and holding depending on your settings. Most people find a plain mouse easier for dragging at first. A mouse costs little, and plugging one in is perfectly normal.

Practise dragging safely

  1. Step 1: Open your Documents folder

    Use the file manager (Files on Ubuntu, File Explorer on Windows) and open Documents.

  2. Step 2: Make a practice folder

    Right-click an empty space, choose New Folder (Ubuntu) or New then Folder (Windows), type practice and press Enter.

    You should see: A folder called practice appears.

  3. Step 3: Make a second folder

    Repeat and make a folder called sorted.

    You should see: Two folders are shown side by side.

  4. Step 4: Drag one onto the other

    Press and hold the left button on practice, move the pointer over sorted, then let go.

    You should see: The practice folder disappears from view because it is now inside sorted. Double-click sorted to confirm.

Touchpad gestures

A gesture is a movement of one or more fingers that the touchpad recognises. The same gestures work on most modern laptops, but the exact effect of three- and four-finger swipes depends on the system and on your settings, so treat the table below as the usual behaviour and check yours in Settings.

Diagram

Touchpad gestures grouped by the number of fingers used.

One finger
  • Slide: move the pointer
  • Tap: click (if enabled)
  • Press the pad: firm click

Everyday pointing

Two fingers
  • Slide up or down: scroll
  • Tap or press: right-click on many laptops
  • Pinch: zoom in some programs

Scrolling and menus

Three fingers
  • Swipe up: show all open windows
  • Swipe left or right: switch apps or workspaces
  • Behaviour varies by system

Moving between windows

Touchpad gestures grouped by the number of fingers used.
Read this figure as text

Three columns showing what one, two and three fingers do on a touchpad.

One finger: slide to move the pointer; tap to click (if tap-to-click is switched on); press the lower part of the pad for a firm click. Two fingers: slide up and down to scroll; tap, or press with two fingers, for a right-click on many laptops; pinch in and out to zoom in some programs. Three fingers: swipe up to see all open windows (Task View on Windows, the Activities overview on Ubuntu); swipe left or right to switch between apps or workspaces, depending on the system.

Where to change mouse and touchpad settings

Both systems let you change speed, scroll direction and click behaviour. Menu names are for Ubuntu 24.04 and Windows 11; other releases may be arranged slightly differently.

Ubuntu: Settings

  1. Step 1: Open Settings

    Open Activities, type Settings and press Enter. Then choose Mouse & Touchpad in the left list.

    You should see: A page with Mouse and Touchpad sections appears.

  2. Step 2: Adjust pointer speed

    Use the Pointer Speed slider in the Mouse section or Touchpad section and try it straight away.

    You should see: The pointer moves faster or slower as you move the slider and test.

  3. Step 3: Check scroll direction

    Under Touchpad, the Natural Scrolling switch makes the page follow your fingers like paper on a table. Switch it on or off, whichever feels right.

    You should see: Two-finger scrolling reverses direction.

  4. Step 4: Turn on tap to click

    Under Touchpad, switch on Tap to Click if you prefer tapping to pressing.

    You should see: A light tap now counts as a left-click.

  5. Step 5: Slow the double-click

    Open Accessibility, then Pointing & Clicking, and change the Double-Click Delay slider.

    You should see: Slower clicking is now accepted as a double-click.

Common problems and how to think about them

When the pointer misbehaves, work from the simplest cause. The decision tree below puts the usual checks in order. Most pointer problems are an unplugged or flat-battery mouse, a touchpad switched off by a key, or dirt on the sensor.

Diagram

A short decision tree for a pointer that will not move.

  • Does the pointer refuse to move?
    • YesAre you using an external mouse?
      • YesIs it plugged in or has a fresh battery, and is its receiver or Bluetooth connected?
        • YesDo thisA restart fixes many temporary faults. If it still fails, try another mouse before suspecting the laptop.
        • NoDo thisPlug it in, change the battery, or reconnect Bluetooth. Try another USB port.
      • NoIs the touchpad switched off by a key or setting?
        • YesDo thisUse the touchpad key on the top row, or the Touchpad setting, or plug in a mouse.
        • NoDo thisA restart fixes many temporary faults. If it still fails, try another mouse before suspecting the laptop.
    • NoDo thisChange pointer speed or scroll direction in Settings (Mouse & Touchpad).
A short decision tree for a pointer that will not move.
Read this figure as text

A yes or no decision tree that helps find why the pointer does not move.

Start: Is the pointer frozen on the screen? If no, the pointer works, so check the speed setting. If yes, ask: Are you using an external mouse? If no, ask whether the touchpad is switched off (some laptops have a touchpad key; try it, or plug in a mouse). If yes, ask whether it is plugged in or its battery is fresh: if not, plug in or change the battery. If it is, restart the computer and try another USB port.

Common mistakes

  • ✖ Instead of: Pressing the pad or mouse hard and repeatedly when the pointer is slow.

    ✔ Do this: Wait a moment, then check whether the computer is busy. Hard pressing does not speed anything up and repeated clicks can open several windows.

  • ✖ Instead of: Dragging an item and letting go while the pointer is not over a folder.

    ✔ Do this: Make sure the folder is highlighted before you release. Dropping on the wrong place just moves the file somewhere else; undo with Ctrl+Z, or drag it back.

  • ✖ Instead of: Treating a right-click as dangerous.

    ✔ Do this: A context menu is only a list of choices. Nothing happens until you pick an entry, and Esc closes it.

If something goes wrong

Things open or close by themselves because my palm touches the touchpad while I type.
Turn off Tap to Click, or choose the setting that disables the touchpad while typing. Rest your palms lower on the laptop and use an external mouse for long typing sessions.
A wireless mouse is jerky or stops for a second.
Change its battery, move the USB receiver to a port closer to the mouse, and use a plain surface rather than glass or a shiny table.
The pointer is too small to find on the screen.
Increase the pointer size in the accessibility settings (covered in the accessibility lesson). Shaking the mouse also makes some systems briefly enlarge it.

Key terms

Pointer
The small arrow on the screen that moves when you move the mouse or slide a finger on the touchpad.
Touchpad
The flat, touch-sensitive panel below a laptop keyboard that you use instead of a mouse.
Gesture
A movement of one or more fingers on a touchpad or touchscreen that tells the computer to do something.
Input device
A device you use to give information to a computer.

Practise it for real

Reading is not the same as being able to do it. Complete these on your own computer, then tick only what you have actually done. These ticks are your own honest record: nothing checks them for you.

Guided exerciseNeeds a laptop or desktop

Ten-minute pointer workout

On your own laptop, open the file manager and your Documents folder. Make a folder called practice, right-click inside it to make a new folder called pictures, and drag pictures into a second new folder called archive. Open the context menu on archive, read the entries without choosing any, and close it with Esc. Then scroll a long page, such as a help page in your browser, with two fingers or the wheel.

You have succeeded when:
Independent challengeNeeds a laptop or desktop

Challenge: make the pointer comfortable

Without looking at the lesson steps, open the mouse and touchpad settings on your computer and adjust the pointer speed, scroll direction and double-click delay until clicking and scrolling feel natural to you. Then use the new settings for five minutes and decide whether to keep them.

You have succeeded when:

Knowledge check

6 questions. You need 80% to pass. Mistakes here are part of learning, and you can retry as often as you like.

  1. Question 1.You want to see the list of things you can do with a file. Which action opens that list?
  2. Question 2.Opening a right-click menu changes the file until you press Esc.
  3. Question 3.Match each touchpad movement to its usual effect.
  4. Question 4.Put the steps of dragging a file into a folder in order.
    1. Move the pointer over the folder
    2. Press and hold the left button
    3. Let go of the button
    4. Move the pointer onto the file
  5. Question 5.Fatuma double-clicks a folder, but it only highlights and never opens. She is clicking carefully and slowly.What is the most likely explanation and fix?
  6. Question 6.Two-finger scrolling moves the page the opposite way to what you expect. What should you do?

Summary

  • The pointer follows your hand; a click tells the computer what to do with what is under it.
  • Left-click selects, right-click opens a menu of actions, and double-click opens a file or folder.
  • Two fingers scroll on a touchpad, and three-finger swipes switch between windows or apps.
  • Speed, scroll direction, tap-to-click and double-click delay are all settings you can change.

Checklist: can you do these?

Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).

Related lessons

References and further reading

Official sources for details that can change between versions.

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