topic Re: Activating right click function in New to GIS Questions

Activating right click function

JakeHearen — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 20:49:45 GMT

I just hopped on the ArcMap at my new office that I just started at a couple weeks ago and it seems that I have no contextual menu (the right click function). This is only seems to be within the main window; the right click works everywhere else: TOC pane, the menu bars at the top, other programs. It is only when I am in the main window frame trying to right-click on elements that I have no right-click functionality. I have searched through the help, the forums, and external sites.

Does anyone have any ideas for how to turn this function back on again?

Re: Activating right click function

JeffWard — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:15:20 GMT

What context menus are you looking for?

Can you post a screen shot?

Re: Activating right click function

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:17:35 GMT

what elements are you trying to get a context menu for? some elements don't have anything that can be accessed that way. I normally tell my students to try the following to access "stuff"

left click once... nothing?
double click ... nothing?
right-click .... nothing?

not available...try a menu, or extension

Re: Activating right click function

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:20:38 GMT

Jeff... I moved it to New to GIS given the OP's disclosure and others that are 'new' may have experienced similar issues.

Re: Activating right click function

JeffWard — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:20:40 GMT

These are the default context options in the map area:

If you are looking for information regarding features - you would use the identify tool for that. If you want to be able to move/modify features, you need to be editing the features to allow those context options and you need to use the edit tool.

Re: Activating right click function

SepheFox — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:15:00 GMT

Hey Jake, you might try resetting the normal template by renaming the normal.mxt file to something else. Next time you start ArcMap it wiil create a new normal.mxt, and the tools will revert to defaults.

Re: Activating right click function

SepheFox — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:15:35 GMT

I got the impression that it was his job that was new, not him. Well, no biggie.

Re: Activating right click function

JakeHearen — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 23:15:28 GMT

Unfortunately the problem is on a government system and the security managers won't let me move a screen grab from it to the internet. But to clarify, the issue is that I have no right-click. Some functions I have found menus for but I have not found everything that is available through the right-click function such as grouping elements in the Layout or even the ArcMap properties that you get when right-clicking outside the edge of the product when working in Layout view.

I have tried resetting the template, reinstalling the software, etc. I am currently waiting for my account manager and government technical support rep in Olympia, WA to get back to me to see if they have any input.

Side note: government said I had to move from where I was working in Hawaii back to Washington state, but I myself am not new to GIS. Been doing this going on 5 years. Still plenty to learn of course.

Re: Activating right click function

TimothyHales — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 00:08:20 GMT

Thanks Dan Patterson for moving this. For future reference, here is a document on Moving Content

Re: Activating right click function

DanPatterson_Retired — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 00:38:03 GMT

For some amusement I searched the web using

"disable right-click" Windows

perhaps you can get a headstart on the IT department and enable it before they arrive...none of the solutions require you to right-click to enable or disable

Re: Activating right click function

SepheFox — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 00:45:30 GMT

He says he does get some of the right-click menus though, so it can't be completely disabled. A thoroughly vexing problem, considering he seems to have tried all the usual things! Possibly requiring help from ESRI?

Re: Activating right click function

DanPatterson_Retired — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 01:41:43 GMT

perhaps, but a good list of things that work on another installation versus his might go a long way to solving the problem. We used the old disable thing in our teaching labs years ago until we realized that the students were far cleverer than we thought.