Win98: Adjust mouse hover select time? 4

[hotfusion]

Hi all;
No comments about my Win98 use please!
I use single-click for my mouse, and I know there's a way to adjust the delay between hovering the mouse over a folder, and it being selected.

I can't, however, remember where the registry setting for this is, and internet searching has become tedious and result-less.
Anyone long enough in the tooth to remember?
Many thanks!

Regards, Andy.
My pathetic attempts at learning HTML can be laughed at here:
[URL unfurl="true"]http://qsl.net/2e0waw/index.htm[/url]

 

[strongm]

Go to the following key: [tt]HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse[/tt].
Modify/create a new string (REG_SZ) value [tt]MouseHoverTime[/tt].
Change it to how many milliseconds you want to have for the mouse hover time. Default is 400

 

[hotfusion]

Thanks Strongm for your suggestion, but it didn't work on this Windows 98SE installation.
There was no key for 'Mouse' so I created one and created the dword you suggested within it, with an initial setting of zero to allow an easily-observable effect, but nowt. (Yes, I did restart the computer!)

Under 'Microsoft Input Devices' there is a Mouse key so I applied your suggestion to that, also with no effect.

Any further suggestions?
Regards.

Regards, Andy.
My pathetic attempts at learning HTML can be laughed at here:
[URL unfurl="true"]http://qsl.net/2e0waw/index.htm[/url]

 

[strongm]

Most odd. It certainly ought to work. But I spun up a W98SE VM after you reported this issue, and tested - and I get the same result: setting makes no difference. But a Registry monitor shows that W98SE is definitely reading the setting - it just doesn't seem to do anything with it. Strange. And I'm afraid I can't explain why, not offer a workaround.

 

[hotfusion]

OK, thanks again for your input.
The setting can be changed somehow, as IEradicator removes that 400mS delay, presumably to try to make the system feel faster. Zero delay has its own problems - I would just like a slightly shorter delay, plus it's got me curious!

I await any further suggestions!

Regards, Andy.
My pathetic attempts at learning HTML can be laughed at here:
[URL unfurl="true"]http://qsl.net/2e0waw/index.htm[/url]

 

[hotfusion]

OK, after a bit of research, and trial & error, I've got to the bottom of the issue, so will record it here should anyone else have the same question:

(This only applies to Windows 98SE, but may work in other Win9X systems)
Edit the registry - go to HKCU\Control Panel and open the 'Desktop' folder.
Create a new string (NOT DWORD!) MenuShowDelay and give it a value of your choice: 0 equals no delay, and 400 equals the default 400mS delay.

This affects the speed at which the start menu displays, but also the select time when the cursor is hovered over an icon if you have single-click enabled.

I'm experimenting with a delay of 100mS which is nicely fast, but slow enough to still feel in control.

Regards, Andy.
My pathetic attempts at learning HTML can be laughed at here:
[URL unfurl="true"]http://qsl.net/2e0waw/index.htm[/url]

 

[goombawaho]

Is anyone going to point out that nobody should be running Windows 98 in 2022 UNLESS it is completely disconnected from the internet? Or shall I be that guy?!?!

 

[spamjim]

Is anyone going to point out...

We have been warned from injecting sanity to this topic.

...No comments about my Win98 use please!
...internet searching has become tedious and result-less.

You're not seeing internet results because you're trying to access servers and web standards that have not been compatible for 20+ years.

Seriously, the only possible reason to still be running Win98 is to support old software or hardware. There are solutions for both cases.

If you need to maintain old hardware, replace the OS with any of the wonderful variants of Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, etc). You'll have modern, secure software to run around on the intertubes.

If you need to maintain old software, run an isolated Win98 system as a virtual machine with VirtualBox.

All of these options are free.

 

[hotfusion]

Thanks for your opinions; of course I don't attempt to use win98 to access the internet, that would be silly and would probably be unable to access most servers now in any case. That's done on my Windows 11 computer.

As for why I'm still running this old OS, it's fast, runs certain software, (SoundForge, Photoshop 6 plus several others) but also because I have the computers: it's become a bit of a hobby keeping them running, and me & my kids/grandkids enjoy a LAN party on occasions to play some of the classic games such as Age Of Empires, Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament. I know there are alternative ways to do this using modern equipment, but why bother when I have the old stuff here, and it works so well?

Regards, Andy.

 

[goombawaho]

See, that's why you read the whole post - so as to be fully warned NOT to make well-rounded comments.