Why can't I right click on my desktop anymore?

Question

Why can't I right click on my desktop anymore?

I am using A MacBook Pro with Lion OSX 10.7.5 with a magic mouse.

I used to be able to right click anywhere on my desktop and it would bring up a menu with options like "Change desktop background, New Folder, Delete Folder, etc.." I can't click on files on my desktop anymore either. I used to be able to right click and see a drop down menu that would have options like "Open, delete, move to, etc..."

However, I can right click in any other program to bring up the drop down menu for that specifc program. And I can right click when I'm inside of finder, but not on the desktop any more. DId I somehoe disable right clicking only on my desktop?

I have already been in my System Preferences>Mouse and the "Secondary Click" is enabled. Again I can right click everywhere expect my desktop.

Also I know holding Control + Clicking is supposed to bring up the same drop down menu, but even that doesn't work on my desktop. It works everywhere else except my desktop.

I haven't mad any major changes to my system preferences and this is driving me crazy.

How to I get back to being able to right click on my dektop?

Here is a picture of the drop down menu I am talking about:

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Jan 28, 2013 1:52 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 11, 2013 10:53 AM in response to MastaSkrilla5280

I may have found out how to fix this issue. There seems to be some glitch in the software that disables right clicking on my desktop any time I reset my computer. It's annoying to have to do these steps everything, just to enable right clicking on my desktop, but it's a short term solution to the problem.

Here's how I fixed it:

System Preferences > Trackpad > Then I uncheck Seconday Click. Then I close System Preferences.

Open System Preferences again > Trackpad > Then I check Seconday Click (and have click or tap with two fingers)

Close System Preference again.

Then I navigate to my Finder Icon in my Dock, and hold Option and Left click untill the pop up menu appears.

Then I click Relaunch.

This restarts just the Finder and not my entire computer and now I can right click on my desktop again.

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Answer 2

Xandris

Level 2

164 points

Jan 28, 2013 11:50 PM in response to MastaSkrilla5280

I am using OS X 10.8.2, Mountain Lion. When looking into my mouse settings, where the checkbox is for enabling Secondary Click, there is a little dropdown menu below it, where you have to click and select Right Click from the menu. I am not sure if 10.7.5 has the same menu settings, but if it does, that may be your problem. Check and see if you can change it to right click. Hope it helps.

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Answer 3

Jan 29, 2013 10:08 AM in response to Xandris

Yes 10.7.5. has the drop down menu you are referring to in the Mouse settings, and yes mine is set to the right side.

Again I can still right click everywhere except my desktop. It's as if I somehow disabled right click ONLY on my desktop. I don't know what I did.

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Answer 4

Oct 13, 2013 6:06 PM in response to MastaSkrilla5280

I also got the sample problem,

I tried the sampe, but it now work

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