Mouse button may be cause of loss of text, Do you lose your msg after typing it?? Options

[SandyMcKean]

From time to time I lose a new message just after typing it in. Sometimes this can be after a half an hour of typing and corrections. I rarely have the energy to re-type the reply. I have finally figured out why this happens.

My mouse has 2 "thumb buttons" on the side of the mouse in addition to the standard left and right buttons. As it turns out these buttons move web pages back and forward in Internet Explorer (probably in other browers too). If these buttons are not disabled, when you reach for your mouse after typing, you may accidently hit the side button that sends the browser back one page. If this happens you will lose all your typing since there is no way to go forward again to the compose message page without losing all your keystrokes.

My solution was to install the full blown mouse software from the mouse manufacturer (Microsoft in this case) which allows the user to disable these side buttons on the mouse.

[kfw]

Thanks for the tip, Sandy. My solution is just to copy my message before I send it, so I can paste it back if need be.

[SandyMcKean]

Yeah, I've done some of that too, but I often get lazy.

Actually, for this mouse problem (for those that have it), your solution may not help. I presume that when you copy your message before sending it, you use your mouse to select the text. This "thumb button" problem can destroy your carefully typed message the moment you touch your mouse....well before you get a chance to copy it. (On a PC, one could do a CNRL+A, then CNRL+C to do the copy I guess, but my hand seems to instinctively go to the mouse instead.)

In any case, it is now nice to know that I no longer am exposed to having whatever I type lost simply because I happen to touch my mouse. I've heard others complain about losing their typing; perhaps this mouse problem is plaguing them unbeknownst as it was for me.

[vagansmom]

Sandy, thank you. You just solved a mystery for me. That has happened to me a lot. So very frustrating.