"Display a Menu" keyboard commands don't work suddenly

Question

"Display a Menu" keyboard commands don't work suddenly

Inexplicably, my Safari can no longer Save graphics when I click on them. I also can't use keys and mouse to download a file to any location I choose.

In Safari, if I press Control and Option keys together (the keyboard command to "Display a Menu" -- which is confirmed as a message at the bottom of my screen), I used to be able to click on a graphic or on any file in order to download it.

But for some reason, now nothing happens. That "Display a Menu" dialog box doesn't appear, and of course I can't download using this method any more for some reason.

In other words, if you right-click then hold the Option (alt) key or ctrl-alt-click a link, then the 'download linked file' command changes to 'download linked file as....' & you can change file labels and Save to disk. Right? I can't do it any more. I see the command at the bottom of my screen, but nothing happens when I click.

Any ideas on what I might have switched off? (Firefox still works fine.)

A damaged pref file? Well, I dumped the Safari plist from the Home computer Library folder. I used Preferential Treatment and of course ran Disk Utility Permissions Repair, as well as cold and hard boots, to no avail.

Hope someone has seen such a problem before and has a fix/solution. Thanks for checking out my query.

David

OX X 10.3.9
Safari 1.3.2
Mac Mini PowerPC G4 (1.2), 1.42 GHz, 512 MB, 74.4 GB (18.2 GB available)

Mini - 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4, Mac OS X (10.3.9), Safari 1.3.2

Posted on Jan 16, 2007 10:53 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 18, 2007 4:00 PM in response to Ferd II

Thanks, Ferd II, for pointing me in the right direction.

I went to /Library/Contextual Menu Items and found an iGetter plugin, which had a recent modification date. So I researched forums on that download manager software and realized that it REMOVES Safari's Contextual Menus.

I dumped it, and also the iGetter Input Manager, and all is fine now.

(I couldn't figure out how to download any files without using the contextual menu so I was lost.)

Thanks so much!

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Answer 2

Ferd II

Level 10

104,871 points

Jan 17, 2007 7:27 AM in response to David Strumsky

David,

In Safari, if I press Control and Option keys together...

What happens if you only use the "conrol" key?

;~)

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Answer 3

Jan 17, 2007 8:21 PM in response to Ferd II

What happens if you only use the "conrol" key?

Nothing happens; no menu is displayed.

When I press only the control key I can see, in the thin gray section across the bottom of the screen, that it says "Display a Menu" but when I click the mouse on a graphic (or other file to download) nothing else happens.

Should I re-install Safari? (Hate to lose all passwords...)

Thanks for helping!

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Answer 4

Ferd II

Level 10

104,871 points

Jan 17, 2007 9:12 PM in response to David Strumsky

David,

The reason I asked that specific question, is because to the best of my knowledge (control + click) normally activates the contextual menu.

If I depress the "Control and option keys together" as you stated, I do see the "Display a menu" message which you describe, but I do not get a contextual menu when I click. When I depress only the control key i get a "Display a menu" phrase in the bottom left hand corner of the Safari window and a contextual menu then appears after a mouse click.

What happens if you control + click on any other non-image part of the Safari window?

Are you having contextual menu problems with any other applications?

Have you recently installed any third party Safari helper applications?

Can you identify any corrupted or incompatible third party files in the following folders (if they exist):?
Macintosh HD/System/Library/Contextual Menu Items
Macintosh HD/Library/Contextual Menu Items
Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Contextual Menu Items

If so, you may be able to uninstall/reinstall the associated application.

You may also consider temporary sequential manual removal/isolation of the suspect file to verify Safari contextual menu functionality.

If a corrupt or incompatible contextual menu item is not the problem you should investigate the use of a Cache Cleaning utility, such as Cocktail, Yasu, or OnyX. Make sure if you choose one of these that you select the OS X 10.3 Panther version.

No reason to reinstall...yet.

;~)

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Answer 5

Ferd II

Level 10

104,871 points

Jan 21, 2007 8:17 PM in response to David Strumsky

;~)

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Answer 6

Jan 23, 2007 10:50 AM in response to David Strumsky

Hi David,

Glad Ferd pointed you in the right direction. A lot to learn in these forums - always surprises.

Please be aware you have the option of "awarding" up to two "helpful" designations -

(to the far right of a person's screen name) to anyone who has helped you with information.

In instances where your question was satisfactory answered, one "solved" designation is also available.

Doing so helps others searching for a solved or helpful solution to a problem. It also adds to a person's Level Status, which in itself is helpful for others knowing a person's skill level and their ability to assist others with computer questions.

iMac G5 Rev C 20" 2.5gb RAM 250 gb HD/iBook G4 1.33 ghz 1.5gb RAM 40 gb HD Mac OS X (10.4.8) LaCie 160gb d2 HD Canon i960 printer, Airport Express (2 units)

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