About ten percent of the world population is using the left hand as a primary hand. If the ratio converted into a number, it would surpass the US population more than twice. Mouse on the computer is a critical peripheral for the user, and unfortunately, most of them designed for right-handed people.
This condition leads to a new question: how to change the mouse to be left-handed?
There is plenty of free software that offers to switch mouse button that suitable for left-handed. The good news, Microsoft is aware of this problem and giving us an option to re-arrange mouse buttons. Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 come with that feature.
Let’s take a look at how to switch mouse buttons for left-handed.
Switch mouse’s primary button to the left in Windows 10
1. Go to Start Menu and click on the Settings button (symbolized by gears icon).
2. Select Devices option.
3. Go to Mouse menu on the left bar.
4. Now, select your primary button to Right.
5. After that, your Windows 10 immediately use the mouse’s right button as its main button instead of left. You may need some adaptation when using unusual button input, but that’s okay.
Despite Windows 10 boasts as the most popular operating system on the planet, millions of users still enjoying an older OS. Here are the steps to switch your mouse button via Control Panel – an ancient Windows’ feature that, well, still exists.
The following tutorial is relevant for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.
Change mouse to be left-handed on all Windows version
1. Go to the Control Panel. You can access it through Start Menu. On the search bar at the Control Panel, type “Change Mouse Setting” and run it.
2. The Mouse Properties window will be opened. On the Buttons tab, check the Switch primary and secondary buttons.
Once it switched, click OK, but with right-click mouse because the primary button has changed.
Will it work with any mouse?
Sure it works, no matter what the kind of brand or type of mouse you used. However, please note that to convert right-handed mouse to left-handed, it requires symmetric mouse with the same size and shape on both sides. That way, the mouse is suitable for right-handed and left-handed.
The ergonomic and gaming mouse commonly designed for a specific hand. Hence, converting these mouse to be left-handed probably not a good idea. But, don’t worry, mouse maker also keeps producing the left-handed mouse as well. You can find them easily on the online store or retail store.