Right click context menu opens then closes quickly in Finder

Looks like a model-specific issue.
Not uncommon - if someone testing doesn't represent a model like that - especially a newer one - i can see it happening.
Have to see if this can be raised to Apple.

Great! Now that the question has been answered (twice actually), how do we contact Apple about the issue? Judging by the few responses it does seem to be an issue with the Late 2008 line of Unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro's.

That's an interesting thought about the mouse driver. I wonder if it's possible to remove it from a working copy of Leopard to see if that works? (a temp solution at that)

It can be done.
A big help for me would be for you (and anyone else) to post the exact specs of their units here and I will file a BR to Apple on it.
I will have to see if I can locate a model to test here also.

Thanks,
Scott

I've got a similar problem on my 15'' 2.66 mid-2009 unibody MacBook Pro (5,3) with 10.6
When I try to right-click any item in Finder the item changes from full blue highlighting to a blue outlining - but I never even get a glimpse of the context menu. Never.
If I have one item selected and try to right-click other items in the same folder, the last clicked item has the outline but the last selected item keeps the blue highlighting.
I have only tried using the trackpad.

And here is my System Profiler settings:

Hardware Overview:
Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP51.0074.B01
SMC Version (system): 1.33f8
Serial Number (system):
Hardware UUID:
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

Thanks!!

I am having the same exact problem and it occurs about 90% of the time.

Machine info:

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac7,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: IM71.007A.B03
SMC Version (system): 1.20f4

I was not as meticulous as others with my SL install. I just did an upgrade.

Thanks all,
Will put this together.

Just to add, I am experiencing the problem when trying to right click in Safari to spell check and the menu keeps closing.

Same error here basically with any contextual menu and very often.

Quite frustrating. :-S

@ Adster

Your MBP system profiler settings match mine even down to the 4gb mem.. Sad to say i don't experience any of these issues. Let me know if you want to check anything else by this system.

S

Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB31.008E.B02
SMC Version (system): 1.24f2
Serial Number (system):
Hardware UUID:
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

Siouxsie wrote:

…

If I have one item selected and try to right-click other items in the same folder, the last clicked item has the outline but the last selected item keeps the blue highlighting.
I have only tried using the trackpad.

Hmm, actually that last part of what you are describing is normal behavior (i.e. has been like that forever). Though, you should have a contextual menu anyways, the highlighting as you described it is what is supposed to happen.

Essentially, you won't lose the selection you've already made when you secondary-click on something else, and whatever you choose from the menu is meant to affect only that item (outlined) and not the main (solid color) selection.

This is great for getting more info (Get Info) about an item not in the selection without losing the selection you made, e.g. if you want to figure out whether you want to add it to the selection. There's really no other way to do that without using the secondary-click. I find it very convenient in those rare instances I need to do something without losing the specific selection I've made.

Has anybody tried to disable the secondary click and then after a while re-enable it?

If you're using a trackpad, do you have tapping the trackpad with two-fingers enabled to bring up the contextual menu?

Has anybody tried merely upgrading instead of doing clean installs? A couple days before Snow Leopard was released, I stopped by an Apple to ask about the installation and they recommended doing an upgrade and not a clean install. That's what I did and I seem to have no issues, as of yet. I know others haven't had the same experience, though.

Anyways, a good rule of thumb for any conflicts is to definitely consider any applications or add-ons you installed that might be in your account, such as in your personal Library. Often you won't even know they are in there, but be careful about deleting anything from your Library. If you must, just move it to the Desktop so you won't lose it and so you'll remember you took it out. Then if that doesn't change anything after logging out and/or rebooting, you can put it back.

Just because you did a "clean" install doesn't mean you're account is clean. 🙂

Azqi wrote:

Has anybody tried merely upgrading instead of doing clean installs? A couple days before Snow Leopard was released, I stopped by an Apple to ask about the installation and they recommended doing an upgrade and not a clean install. That's what I did and I seem to have no issues, as of yet. I know others haven't had the same experience, though.

Yes, this is the path that I took when doing the install, an upgrade.