Microsoft has added a very valuable timesaving tool to Windows (versions 95 and above). The tool is in the form of a menu that pops up when you click the right mouse button once. What makes this menu special is that it is contextual, meaning it changes based on whatever you are right clicking on. For example, the menu choices for My Computer are different than the menu choices for a folder.

The concept of getting a special menu when you right-click goes beyond Windows and can be found directly in many software applications, such as Microsoft Word.

Right-clicking also comes in handy when moving or copying items. If you right-click and drag a file, for example, Windows will give you three choices once you’ve released the right mouse button: Move Here, Copy Here and Create Shortcuts Here.