Usage Input Options

Mouse Functions

Under Swap mouse buttons you can swap the left and right mouse button. You would then click with the right-hand button and open the context menu with the left-hand button.

Many mice now come with a scroll wheel. In accordance with Microsoft Intellimouse and similar models, you can specify under Scroll wheel what should happen when this wheel is used. The standard setting is scroll by 3 lines. You can change the number of lines, increase the scrolling setting to a full screen page or turn it off completely.

Under Set pointer automatically you can specify that the cursor automatically moves to the highlighted button when a dialog box opens so that you can click this button right away.

Mouse Sensitivity

Under Double clicking and dragging you can specify how much you can move the mouse when double clicking and how far you have to move the mouse to start dragging an object. The values are given in pixels.

Tip: Try out your new settings on the Test icon.

Under Hover effect you can change the movement tolerance and the hover time of the mouse cursor for the display of the hover effect. This takes effect as soon as the cursor hovers over an item for a certain length of time.

Tip: You can also try out the setting on a Test icon. It lights up as soon as the mouse pointer is placed

over it.

Active Window Tracking

Here, you can enable a little-known Windows function that could change the way you work with windows completely: Active Window Tracking.

If you enable this feature, all you need to do is move the mouse pointer over an inactive window to activate it so that you can work with that program. You then no longer need to click on a window in order to enable it.

You can turn on the option in the Foreground section in order to pull the active window immediately to the top.

Keyboard

Under Flashing cursor, you can set how the cursor flashes at the point at which data is to be input (e.

g. in a word processing program).

Tip: Look in the small preview to the right of your current settings and the changes made.

Use the slide control to specify the frequency of flashing. If desired, you can also set the cursor width to your liking and enter a value in pixels.

Modern keyboards are made with a special Windows key with the Windows logo printed on it. This key is used to open the Windows Start menu and it can also be used in combination with other keys to initiate special functions, e.g. maximizing all windows (Windows + M) or showing the Desktop or, since Windows Vista, the Computer (Windows + E).

If you do not need these key combinations or sometimes hit them by accident due to the layout of your keyboard, you should turn this option off.

Start Menu

General

Under Menu speed, you specify whether the submenus should open automatically as soon as the mouse points to the menu entry in question or whether a click is also necessary. There are great differences here between the various operating systems, about which we would like to go into further detail.

Windows XP:

If you opt for Display when pointed to, you can set for how long the mouse pointer is to be positioned over the item before the menu opens.

Under Users you can specify whether your user name should be displayed in the upper area of the Start menu. In addition to the Shut down button, you can also display or remove a Log off button by which to switch users.

Windows 7:

Under Exit a session, you can specify which action should be taken when you click the Exit a session button. By default, the computer is shut down.

For the Hibernate and Power save modes, the current status, including all opened documents and programs, is preserved so that after switching your computer back on you can continue working right where you left off. Whereas power save mode still requires a small amount of power, in hibernate mode the computer can be completely disconnected from the power supply. However, putting the computer into hibernate mode and then "waking" it will take much longer.

Alternatively, you can specify here that this button causes the computer to restart, the computer to be locked, the current user to be logged off, or that the user should be changed. Simply decide based on your preferences.

Note than when an update is ready for installation, this button is temporarily assigned to the Shut down computer function (until the update has been installed). This ensures that key program updates are not accidentally forgotten.

Vista only:

Under Power off button you can set what action is to be carried out when you click on the Power off button. By default, the computer is put into Power save mode.

If you would prefer to shut down your computer quickly (or you are missing this function entirely in Windows Vista), you are advised to select Shut down computer. This saves you from having to open the submenu and selecting Shut down there. The third option is to put your PC into hibernate mode.

For the Hibernate and Power save modes, the current status, including all opened documents and programs, is preserved so that after switching your computer back on you can continue working right where you left off. Whereas power save mode still requires a small amount of power, in hibernate mode the computer can be completely disconnected from the power supply. However, putting the computer into hibernate mode and then "waking" it will take much longer.

Recently Used

Use the Default settings button to restore the Windows default settings.

Windows XP:

Under Recently used files you can set whether recently used files are to appear under Documents in the Start Menu. You can also define the exact number of documents to be displayed. When logging off, you can also automatically clear the list.

Windows Vista and Windows 7:

Under Recently used files you can set whether recently used files appear in the Start menu under Recently used. You can also delete the content of the list.

Under Recently used programs you can specify whether recently used programs should appear in the Start menu. On Windows Vista you can also use Settings to specify which programs you want to be displayed in the Start menu. The default setting is for Windows to show all recently used programs here.

Shortcuts

Under Move and edit shortcuts you can set whether the moving of shortcuts is allowed.

From here you can also start AVG Shortcut Cleaner. Advanced

Windows XP:

Here you can open the AVG Styler module in a new window and thereby personalize the appearance of Windows to suit you, e.g. change the icons for folders and menu items.

Task Bar

Flashing Buttons

While entering text and other content, the activation of other windows is prohibited. A flashing icon in the taskbar alerts you to the fact that other software is trying to communicate with you. If this flashing should be retained, the option Enable flashing taskbar buttons must be turned on.

Under Flashing speed you specify how rapidly the button on the taskbar should flash. You have two options to choose from: The first one lets a window button in the taskbar flash until it is clicked again.

The second option restricts flashing to a certain number specified by you. The default setting is 7.

Under General, you can specify how long Windows should wait after your last key press before windows from other programs are allowed to appear again.

Button View

Here, you can specify whether and how windows should be represented by buttons on the taskbar.

Under Display you specify the desired maximum width of buttons in pixels. The default value is 154 pixels. If you deactivate the option Show animated buttons, Windows will no longer animate the corresponding taskbar button when a window is opened. This leaves more computing power available for other tasks.

Under Grouping you can specify whether and in which cases several windows of a program are to be represented by a shared button on the taskbar.

Minimized Windows

Sometimes, after the windows of a program have been minimized, only the title bar remains which is then automatically positioned at the bottom of the screen.

Under Position and alignment you determine the exact target position of these bars. The default setting is bottom left, where several bars are displayed side by side.

Under Spacing, you can specify how many pixels there should be between the individual title bars.

Advanced

Notifications are often shown in the (next to the clock) to inform you of important events or ask you to perform various tasks, such as removing unused shortcuts from the desktop. Here you can specify

different options for these reminders.

10.1.3. Communication