Lee,

In order for an otherwise innocent double click to invoke several files
at once one normally has to have been in that folder before and single
clicked on an object which highlights it.

There you mention something. Only now I realize that if the selection would
be done from the first item I should have been seeing a lot of open
folders -- which I don't. I have to check that next time it happens.

But yes, the folder I'm double-clicking an item in was already open before I
switched to-and-back-from the console window.

then one needs to double click another item with the Shift key held down.

Indeed.

The 'reach' of that type of selection of files and invoking same is
unlimited
to my knowledge at least when it comes to copy/cut for pasting, unless I
again am not on the subject at hand?

As far as I know you're right. Hence my question to apply a limiter. :-)

But XP is not 98 and 98 may not have such oversight. And if it did, I
wouldn't know where to find it.

What is it known as under XP / where is it located ? knowing how its named
could be a starting point for a round of googeling ...

And I'm not really sure I am talking about the same thing you are. Yet.

I get the feeling we now are. By the way, thank you for *not* biting my
head of when I mentioned we weren't (I've got experiences otherwise ...
:-\ ).

Yes, don't want that ever. I'll rename my more malignant batch files to
txt files just for that reason.

:-) Most the scripts, executables and batch-files are *very* wanted ...
when used at the right time and correct arguments. Luckily I like to write
my stuff "idiot-proof", meaning that I most always make sanity-checks on the
provided arguments. But that doesn't make the risk any/much less, as some
of my scripts are *ment* to be executing on a mere double-click.

There are just too many key presses needed to do what is going on.

Jup. And when using the keyboard the selecting is seperate(d) from
activating the selection.

One can select and highlight a file starting with g just by pressing the g
key

I did not know about that, I just tried it. It did not appear to do
anything for me (on my Win98se 'puter).

And I'm thinking now you possibly have some keyboard program or
setting that is supplying these key presses?

Nope (you veered of the right pad again, my young padawan :-D ).

What happens is that, as I described earlier,when I double-click an item my
'puter responds as if I also have the SHIFT key down. Very simple, nothing
complex.

If I would need to put my suspicions into words than I would describe it as
if the keyboard-driver didn't detect (or ignored!) the keyboards "SHIFT-key
UP" message, and reports to the rest of the OS that its still down.

You use a PS2 keyboard I assume?

Yep. One of the last ones in existence it seems. :-)

Thanks for the links. There is a problem with them though: I would need to
be able to have them do whatever they do *just after* I switch from te CLI
to the GUI (or the other way around), with no further actions needed on my
side (which either would make it cumbersome, or interfere with being able to
detect the problem). It looks like they are not upto such a job ...

You may have sticky keys turned on.

Nope (IIRC I even disabled its interference). And its effect would be
rather permanent, and therefore easily detectable ...

It may come down to a faulty keyboard?

Yes, I also thought of that. But in that case the problem would also stick
up its ugly head at other moments than after just having switched from the
CLI to the GUI, which does not seem to happen.

I had misery for better than a year due to broken wires in my mouse cord

As the break is more-often-than-not in the first centimeter sticking outof
the mouse, I've been known to repair them by shortening the cord and
re-attach the wires (I've even replaced the switches of malfunctioning
buttons a number of times).


By the way: yesterday it happened again. This time I did not touch my
keyboard, but physically dis- and reconnected it again. The sticky key was
no more.

In other words: it does not seem to be a physical problem (might still be in
the keyboards electronics, but as the moment of appearing seems to be bound
to what I do in the OS I doubt that).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


-- Origional message:
Lee schreef in berichtnieuws
...
On Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at 1:06:38 AM UTC-6, R.Wieser wrote:
Lee,

But you're focussing on something I did not ask for.


It does appear so, I'll admit to more than some confusion about the issue.

What I *really* want to know (at least as a first thing) is if there is a
setting/method to limit the reach of a double-click. If that is available
I
could not care less about the ALT (or any other) key appearing to be
sticky.

In order for an otherwise innocent double click to invoke several files at
once one normally has to have been in that folder before and single clicked
on an object which highlights it. Returning to that window then one needs
to be scrolled down where you don't see the highlighted item or it would be
obvious, then one needs to double click another item with the Shift key held
down. All files between the first highlighted item and the double clicked
item will try to run with their default program and all at once.

The 'reach' of that type of selection of files and invoking same is
unlimited to my knowledge at least when it comes to copy/cut for pasting,
unless I again am not on the subject at hand? I have only tried a large
selection in XP though.

Playing around here with XP and I can not run more than a fraction of a
screen's worth without a warning popping up asking if I really want to run
all those files? But XP is not 98 and 98 may not have such oversight. And
if it did, I wouldn't know where to find it. And I'm not really sure I am
talking about the same thing you are. Yet.


Yes, a sticky ALT or CTRL key (c|w)ould than still bring up dialogs, but
none as potentionally dangerous as starting a slew of programs, scripts
and
batch files I have in a particular folder.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Yes, don't want that ever. I'll rename my more malignant batch files to txt
files just for that reason.

There are just too many key presses needed to do what is going on. One can
select and highlight a file starting with g just by pressing the g key, but
it usually scrolls into view, then by other valid keyboard shortcuts it just
might be possible to fire up the lot of them. And I'm thinking now you
possibly have some keyboard program or setting that is supplying these key
presses? I've never done such work but I do recall reading about various
keyboard set up strings that one can use to effect a change in the normal
way the system uses the keyboard. You use a PS2 keyboard I assume?

Back from a cursory look about for something along the lines I was thinking
and got sidetracked by a bunch of stuff such as this
http://www.bttr-software.de/freesoft/keyb.htm

ScanCode Show - of note, I believe you mentioned needing this
Quickey - flushing of keyboard buffer is available here (possibly)
StuffIt - might be useful for sending that ALT press you don't want to

You may have sticky keys turned on. And other Accessibility Options at work.
Found under Help in windows it will show how to turn them off at least.
Search emacs for some extra confusion, perhaps one of your text editors does
emacs mode or some other program you use? It may come down to a faulty
keyboard? I had misery for better than a year due to broken wires in my
mouse cord, had it not been just happenstance that out of frustration I wrap
the cord around and held it under my thumb and like magic the symptoms just
disappeared, I would still be fighting that battle. My own keyboard flashes
the LEDs above the numeric keypad when I pick it up - I suspect some wires
here too. But no problems I can complain about yet.