Windows 7 Mouse pointer "jump to" (default button) function

[CBM]

I have a problem that I've never experienced before in XP, Vista and Windows 7. I have researched the problem but the only thing I can find is how to turn on and turn off the "jump to" default button pointer setting. In the past, the jump to feature worked as intended but appx. two weeks ago I started having this problem. We all know how the function works and the fact that it will not work with all default buttons, which is good. Here's the current situation: the pointer still goes to the window in which the default button is located but instead of landing on the button the pointer goes to the upper left corner or mid-left side of the window. I haven't installed any software lately that would cause such a thing to happen and I haven't made any changes. The problem occurs in both my user account and my wife's user account, mine being an Administrator account and hers being a Standard account. My Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard software is up to date and the latest driver is installed. I made no driver changes prior to the problem surfacing. The "jump to" box in Mouse Settings is checked. I have not changed/updated the driver in the software. I have uninstalled, rebooted, reinstalled and rebooted to no avail. The mouse settings are properly set to enable the jump.

I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 on a Dell XPS-17 L702X laptop. All Windows updates are current. This is not a widespread problem because I can't find any discussions related to the problem although I've searched the Internet for hours. I simply don't understand it. I can't take a screen shot using Paint as the mouse pointer arrow doesn't show and I can't take a window snip because I have to move the pointer arrow to initiate the snip in the snipping tool window. However, I have taken a window snip and circled the spot where the pointer arrow most often lands, which as you can see is not on the default button.

Thank you for your time and any assistance provided.

Edit: I investigated this issue further using a little bit of common sense and discovered that this problem surfaced after I had updated my Pale Moon x86 browser from 19.0 to 24.2 so I suppose it's off to the Pale Moon and Firefox forums. The "jump to" function did not misbehave in my Firefox and Pale Moon versions 19.0 but it does exhibit this strange behavior in Firefox version 25.0.1 and Pale Moon version 24.2. The browsers are x86 versions since I can't use the Windows Media Player plugin with an x64 browser. This problem only occurs within browser usage. I don't have this problem with IE 11.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you've done a thorough investigation into the issue you're facing with the "jump to" functionality in Windows 7. Given that you've narrowed it down to the behavior being specific to your browsers, Pale Moon and Firefox, after updating from versions 19.0 to 24.2, it's a significant clue to where the problem might lie. Based on the information you've provided, the problem only occurs within the usage of your browsers, particularly Firefox version 25.0.1 and Pale Moon version 24.2, after updating from version 19.0. This behavior is not observed in Internet Explorer 11. When such behavior is isolated to specific applications or software updates, it often indicates a compatibility issue between the software update and the operating system or other installed software. In this case, the update from versions 19.0 to 24.2 of Pale Moon and Firefox might have introduced a change causing this unexpected behavior. To address this issue, you may consider the following steps: 1. Browser Settings: - Check the settings within Pale Moon and Firefox related to mouse behavior or focus settings. There might be an option that's causing the pointer to behave differently. 2. Browser Extensions/Add-ons: - Disable any browser extensions or add-ons that might be interfering with the default behavior of the pointer. 3. Browser Updates: - Keep an eye out for any new updates released for Pale Moon and Firefox. Sometimes, new updates address known issues or bugs. 4. Browser Forums: - Visit the Pale Moon and Firefox forums to see if other users have reported a similar issue. You might find solutions or workarounds suggested by the community. 5. Rollback to Previous Version: - If possible, consider rolling back to the previous versions (19.0) to see if the issue persists. This can help confirm if the problem is indeed related to the updates. 6. Contact Support: - Reach out to Pale Moon and Firefox support for further assistance. They might have specific insights or solutions for this behavior. By exploring these steps, you can potentially identify the root cause of the issue and find a suitable resolution. Additionally, sharing your findings and experiences with the Pale Moon and Firefox communities could help in troubleshooting and resolving this unique problem. If you encounter any further challenges or need additional assistance, feel free to provide more details, and I'll be here to help you further.