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Multiple windows

Mark Walker 0 Reputation points
2026-05-11T03:22:28.6433333+00:00

Until today I could open multiple windows on my laptop using windows 11 and right click my mouse. Today when I tried and did a right click nothing happens. What do I need to do to get it back.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-11T03:22:39.0933333+00:00

    Use the following steps to troubleshoot the missing right‑click behavior in Windows 11:

    1. Check the mouse itself
      • Make sure the mouse is properly connected (USB firmly plugged in or Bluetooth paired).
      • Try a different USB port.
      • If using a wireless mouse, replace or recharge the batteries.
      • Test another mouse if available to rule out hardware failure.
    2. Reconnect wireless devices (if applicable)
      • For a USB wireless mouse, unplug the USB receiver, wait about 10 seconds, then plug it back in.
      • If it’s Bluetooth, remove and re‑pair it via Bluetooth settings.
    3. Restart Windows Explorer
      • Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
      • On the Processes tab, find “Windows Explorer”.
      • Right‑click it and select “Restart”.
      • After Explorer restarts, test right‑click again on the desktop and in apps.
    4. Check if right‑click works in some places
      • Try right‑clicking in File Explorer, on the taskbar, and inside apps (like a browser).
      • If it works in some apps but not others, restart the affected app or the PC.
    5. Full restart of the PC
      • Use Start → Power → Restart (not Shut down → Power on) to ensure drivers and shell are fully reloaded.

    If the mouse and USB/Bluetooth connections are fine and restarting Windows Explorer and the PC does not restore right‑click, test with a different mouse to confirm whether the issue is with the device or Windows.

    References:

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  2. Thomas4-N 16,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-11T13:53:53.8833333+00:00

    Hello Mark Walker,

    To narrow this down, could you clarify exactly where you right-click to open multiple windows? For example:

    • Right-clicking an app icon on the taskbar (which shows a jump list with "New window" or recent files)
    • Right-clicking on the desktop
    • Right-clicking inside File Explorer
    • Right-clicking a shortcut to an app

    It also helps to know whether right-click still works in some places but not others. For instance, if you right-click on the desktop, does the context menu appear? If you right-click a file in File Explorer, does anything happen? That tells us whether the issue is global or limited to one spot.

    If it is limited to the taskbar specifically, restarting Windows Explorer often brings the jump list back: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer in the Processes list, right-click it, and choose Restart.

    Let me know what you find and I can take it from there.

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