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Disabling mouse side buttons?

P

PrinceofWands

Lifer
Is there a simple way (ie not requiring software running) to disable the side buttons on a mouse? Especially the 'forward/back' function in firefox. I'm pretty sure it's the WORST idea ever adopted in computers, and makes me angry enough to consider becoming Amish.
 
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It would help if you told us what mouse you had.

Anyway, the device software should allow you to reprogram the buttons.
 
Alone said:
It would help if you told us what mouse you had.

Anyway, the device software should allow you to reprogram the buttons.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't matter what mouse I have because it's a function of browsers (at least the forward/back thing), not the mice. I have no mouse software installed because mice don't (and shouldn't) need software (beyond the most BASIC of drivers). They're just mice - move the pointer, right-click, left-click, and maybe the scroll wheel. Everything else is fluff.

Edit - If it REALLY matters somehow it's a Logitech LX8.
 
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It is a mouse issue. Basic drivers cover extended functionality, and I guess fwd/bk are the default. You'd have to remap the buttons to something else with the Logitech drivers. Personally, I love having them on the side. My bedroom trackball doesn't have that, and it's irritating as hell.
 
lxskllr said:
It is a mouse issue. Basic drivers cover extended functionality, and I guess fwd/bk are the default. You'd have to remap the buttons to something else with the Logitech drivers. Personally, I love having them on the side. My bedroom trackball doesn't have that, and it's irritating as hell.
Click to expand...

I have probably lost a couple hundred or more hours of work in my life to side mouse buttons advancing or retreating the page I'm working on. They are the WORST idea ever...at least for me.

Any links to info on hacking the drivers? I won't install Logitech software other than basic drivers, it's cost me too many systems and is a wholly unnecessary waste of resources.
 
I dunno about cut drivers. I have the full package on my main system, and no problems. Maybe poke around in Windows. I don't think you can change them there, but it doesn't hurt to look.
 
PrinceofWands said:
I have probably lost a couple hundred or more hours of work in my life to side mouse buttons advancing or retreating the page I'm working on. They are the WORST idea ever...at least for me.

Any links to info on hacking the drivers? I won't install Logitech software other than basic drivers, it's cost me too many systems and is a wholly unnecessary waste of resources.
Click to expand...
You'd install some butchered makeshift drivers, but you won't trust the provided software from a reputable company like Logitech?

Either you're trolling or paranoid.
 
Since its a logitech mouse, I would suggest installing its software for it and disabling it with that.
Or putting those button to a better use.
 
Alone said:
You'd install some butchered makeshift drivers, but you won't trust the provided software from a reputable company like Logitech?

Either you're trolling or paranoid.
Click to expand...

A company which has already caused me hundreds of hours of tech time and vast quantities of lost data from their 'reputable software'. In other words, I trust experience, not corporations. That doesn't even get into the fact that NO SOFTWARE should be required. It's a WASTE of resources. I do NOT EVER run ANYTHING that isn't absolutely essential for basic functionality of the system.
 
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PrinceofWands said:
A company which has already caused me hundreds of hours of tech time and vast quantities of lost data from their 'reputable software'. In other words, I trust experience, not corporations. That doesn't even get into the fact that NO SOFTWARE should be required. It's a WASTE of resources. I do NOT EVER run ANYTHING that isn't absolutely essential for basic functionality of the system.
Click to expand...
If it pisses you off that much, you should get another mouse. Disabling buttons is not essential functionality.

I don't even understand how you could lose vast quantities of data from SetPoint, which doesn't need to run as admin.
 
Cerb said:
If it pisses you off that much, you should get another mouse. Disabling buttons is not essential functionality.

I don't even understand how you could lose vast quantities of data from SetPoint, which doesn't need to run as admin.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this was the only semi-reasonably priced wireless mouse in my town. I never would have bought it if I'd had another choice. But I needed something and it was the best option. I'll order a new one without side buttons soon, but it's still ridiculous to not be able to turn the option off in browser, or with a greasemonkey script, or something.

I've had numerous random lockups and failures after installing logitech software. Some of them have been total, requiring FFR. Mind you, that was years ago, but still a sore spot for me.
 
There are only two mouses where I can tolerate the default function of Mouse4 and Mouse5...and I use them ALL THE TIME.

Logitech G9 (and G9x)
Logitech MX Revolution

It's much harder to press accidentally on these two mouses.

What's actually MUCH MORE ANNOYING is the left / right tilt of the mouse wheel. When I'm trying to middle-click on the page so I can have variable-speed scrolling, it sometimes takes FIFTY @#$%ING TRIES before it activates the scroll mode without immediately canceling it.

FAAAAWK!
 
Hmmm! I have about 5 wireless mice - none have side buttons. Are yousure Radio Shack in Triangle Center has no wireless mouse w/o side switches?
 
Alone said:
You'd install some butchered makeshift drivers, but you won't trust the provided software from a reputable company like Logitech?
Click to expand...

Given some of the evil things Logitech software does and all the compatibilty problems I've had with both Logitech's and Microsoft's extended "drivers", I'd install the makeshift drivers. Well, I'd just physically disable the buttons in the mouse or buy a new one, but yah simple low-level hacked drivers over the crappy software that comes with mice and keyboards.
 
Setpoint is a load of shit. I don't know if your mouse is the same as my G9, but because it stores the profiles in the mouse with the G9 you can edit those profiles using setpoint on a non mission-critical system and have them stick.

Personally I wish I could disable them for just Firefox. I tend to use backspace for a back button anyway, and its a royal PITA when trying to talk to someone on Teamspeak and browse the web.
 
lxskllr said:
It is a mouse issue. Basic drivers cover extended functionality, and I guess fwd/bk are the default. You'd have to remap the buttons to something else with the Logitech drivers. Personally, I love having them on the side. My bedroom trackball doesn't have that, and it's irritating as hell.
Click to expand...

And what do the drivers do that disables the built-in / standard function before overriding it with their own? There has to be some way in the OS that they disable that function.
 
Mouse without drivers use the USB default HID descriptor for input devices. Inside that there are basic functions that work by default. That is how a usb keyboard can control volume without a driver loaded.


I agree the mouse back and forward are annoying. I haven't done it before but what would need to be done is to block those actions at the HID level. It would kill it for all applications though, not just firefox.


I found a solution that is easy to use and free
Download autohotkey basic and install
http://www.autohotkey.com/download/
open notepad and enter the text below:
Code: 
XButton1:: return
Xbutton2:: return
Save the file as mouse.ahk , make sure notepad doesn't add the txt extension.
Now double click the mouse.ahk file you just saved. You should see an icon in the systray with an H on green background, that is autohotkey running the script.
Now as long as the script is running the two side buttons for next and back are disabled.
Script is simple , Xbutton1 is the name of the button, : is the start of routine it should do when button pressed, : is the end of the routine, and return sends it back to the beginning of the script. When pressed the button is being processed and nothing being done 🙂


Autohotkey has a ton of other functions you can automate, check the help file or website.
 
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Autohotkey is a nice program. I use it to keep my Num Lock in Numbers mode on desktop computers.
 
I can kind of understand where the OP is coming from on not wanting extra software, if only because the Logitech software completely screws up my scrolling speeds, at least in OS X. In Windows I might install it since scrolling is weirder there and having application specific speeds might actually be useful.

That said, I never use the side buttons on my mice, but I also never hit them accidentally.
 
Modelworks said:
Mouse without drivers use the USB default HID descriptor for input devices. Inside that there are basic functions that work by default. That is how a usb keyboard can control volume without a driver loaded.


I agree the mouse back and forward are annoying. I haven't done it before but what would need to be done is to block those actions at the HID level. It would kill it for all applications though, not just firefox.


I found a solution that is easy to use and free
Download autohotkey basic and install
http://www.autohotkey.com/download/
open notepad and enter the text below:
Code: 
XButton1:: return
Xbutton2:: return
Save the file as mouse.ahk , make sure notepad doesn't add the txt extension.
Now double click the mouse.ahk file you just saved. You should see an icon in the systray with an H on green background, that is autohotkey running the script.
Now as long as the script is running the two side buttons for next and back are disabled.
Script is simple , Xbutton1 is the name of the button, : is the start of routine it should do when button pressed, : is the end of the routine, and return sends it back to the beginning of the script. When pressed the button is being processed and nothing being done 🙂


Autohotkey has a ton of other functions you can automate, check the help file or website.
Click to expand...

As long as its less of a hog than logitech crap I may have to give it a shot.
 
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