How to use a Computer Mouse

Familiarize yourself with the mouse.

The front of the mouse points away from you and has two buttons on the left and right which you can click. These allow you to open programs and menus. In the middle of these two buttons is a small wheel, which allows you to scroll up and down pages.

Place the mouse on a clean, smooth surface, preferably a mouse pad

Allows the mouse to move without interference.

Grip the mouse lightly in your dominant hand.

You don’t want to hang on to the mouse too tightly or click with a lot of force. Keep your fingers relaxed, and keep the mouse at elbow level. If your fingers become tired, take breaks from the computer.

Plug in the mouse with its USB connector.

Your mouse will have a cable extending from it, or it will come with a small USB connector if it is wireless.

Make sure the mouse is working.

Your computer should be on, and you should see a cursor on the screen you can control by moving your mouse. If the mouse isn’t working, try plugging it in to a different USB port or plugging it in again.

Practice clicking with the mouse.

The left button is the primary button for right-handed users, and the right button is the primary button for left-handed users.

Click the primary button once to click on something and twice in a row to “double click” on a program or menu. When clicking the non-primary button, this is called “right-clicking.”

Practice scrolling and dragging items with the mouse.

Move the wheel with your pointer finger to scroll up and down pages. To drag an object, place the cursor on it, then press and hold down the primary button, and move the mouse to a new location. Release the primary button once you are done.