I get a black rectangle around what I click on

I recently changed a setting. I checked something that puts a black rectangle around whatever I click on on my laptop with a touchpad or mouse. I cant remember how I did it! I know It's stupid. I can't find where to go to unset or set it. It's not a problem but I'd like to know where the setting is. I've checked everything on Windows 11 home and the search engines and can't find it. I would appreciate some help.

I dunno if this will help, or if it's even related. This is what happens... sometimes... when I drag a file or text file, etc., from my desktop to a storage drive. I'm holding that text file with my mouse, in this pic...





When I first turn the computer on... this doesn't happen, but after about 5 minutes... it does.





Hmmm... I had the shortcut arrow set to classic arrow, same method as blank arrow (tutorial).
I set it back to Windows default, and....





That wasn't it... approx. 5 mins and the black bars are back again.



Just switched back to classic shortcut arrow, and black bars are gone again.
Maybe has something to do with restarting explorer?


I just had a thought. I still have the reg patch.... activated/added to registry, for the "classic file explorer with ribbon bar".
As soon as the black bars come back, I'll try undoing the classic ribbon bar reg patch.


It seems to be taking forever to get the black bars back... so I'm going to apply the undo classic file explorer ribbon bars patch and see what happens.
Ok... I just applied the... Default_modern_File_Explorer_with_command_bar.reg patch and restarted File Explorer.
So far no black bars. Will post back if I see them again.


Still no black bars. I'm going to do a cold reboot. I know I saw them about 5 minutes after a cold start.

Hello @gage3780 and welcome to Eleven Forum.

It would help if you could post a screen shot of the "black rectangle" you're seeing, if it's different than what I'm seeing.
It will also help if you tell us the exact Windows version you are on.
Just type: winver in the Taskbar search box and post the numbers shown here...




To post a screenshot on this forum...

1. Take the screenshot, edit it as desired, save to your desktop as .png or .jpg
2. Left click the mouse in your post, where you want to place the screenshot.
3. Drag and drop the screenshot from your desktop to your post.

@Brink

Nope... that wasn't it. Black bars are back.

Ghot said:

@Brink

Tentative solution... IF on 22H2... must apply the: Default_modern_File_Explorer_with_command_bar.reg patch.
Leaving the now useless: Restore_classic_File_Explorer_with_ribbon.reg patch applied, might be causing the black bars?

From... This tutorial

Some kind of conflict?

Click to expand...

I tested both below on my system, but I'm not seeing any difference other than it no longer working on 22H2 to restore the classic File Explorer from W10.

Brink said:

I tested both below on my system, but I'm not seeing any difference other than it no longer working on 22H2 to restore the classic File Explorer from W10.

Restore Classic File Explorer with Ribbon in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to restore the classic File Explorer with Ribbon for your account or all users in Windows 11. File Explorer in Windows 10 has a ribbon, tabs, and a title bar with color. The ribbon includes common tasks, such as copying and moving, creating new folders, emailing...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

That wasn't the cause. Now I'm testing the scroll bar width (Winaero Tweak). That's the 1st time I remember seeing it happen.

Even though I was ON 22H2 with the forced modern file explorer, I still had the reg tweak for the classic file explorer. I thought that may have been a conflict. It wasn't.


I just set the scroll bar width and height back to what I think was the default...
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

I now have ScrollWidth and ScrollHeight set to -260

I HAD it at -330 (which I really liked)


Now I have to wait for whatever it is that triggers the black bars. It seems to take a while.



If possible, check this key and tell me what the default settings are. I no longer remember.
21H2 or 22H2

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

ScrollWidth
ScrollHeight


/edit OK, I found the default for both of those items: -255
-260 seems to be OK. Now I'm trying -300

I really liked -330 which according to google results from approx. 4/2022 seems to be a legal setting.

Ok... -300 seems to be working. Now I'll try -320


Heck with it... I set them back to -330. I can deal with the black bars.
I can't deal with the useless width scrollbars.

This is with it set at -330

It looks like it may have been the vid card driver. I WAS on 516.94

22H2 on Sept. 24th
517.48 on Sept. 27th


Nope, that's not it. :/

gage3780 said:

I recently changed a setting. I checked something that puts a black rectangle around whatever I click on on my laptop with a touchpad or mouse. I cant remember how I did it! I know It's stupid. I can't find where to go to unset or set it. It's not a problem but I'd like to know where the setting is. I've checked everything on Windows 11 home and the search engines and can't find it. I would appreciate some help.

Click to expand...

Perhaps this:

@Brink


Well, I spoke too soon. This black bar problem is even stranger than I thought.

I made a text file I could test with, and saved it on the desktop.
No matter how many times I drag it from the desktop to a storage drive... no black bars.

BUT... if I put a .reg file on my desktop and drag it to the storage drive... I get the black bars.
And... now the text file has the black bars too.

I assume a reboot will once again remove the black bars till I once again drag a .reg file from the desktop to the storage drive.



Cursor is holding the text files in both cases. Once I let go of the files... they're fine again.


Rebooted and problem gone.
Made a text file and changed the extension to .reg, and dragged to storage drive... still no black bars.
Downloaded a .reg file from a tutorial, dragged to storage drive... still no black bars.
Grabbed the Disable System Restore .reg file from storage drive, dragged to desktop, then dragged back to storage drive.

Bam! Black bars again. Brb reboot

Ok... don't need to always reboot... just signing out works.



Ok... the problem ONLY occurs when I drag something from my F:\ drive to the desktop... then back again to the F:\ drive.
And, it happens with ALL files dragged from F: to desktop and back again.

Further, when dragging from F: to desktop, it looks like this...



I also changed F: 's drive letter and problem still occurs.
And this happens on all storage drives and partitions, and all file types.

So dragging something from any storage drive to desktop... does something to the file.
File still functions normally, but when dragged back to the storage drive... black bars again.

Moved here and solved...

Ghot said:

Moved here and solved...

Absolutely strange problem... file moving.

Ok... When I drag and file type from any of my storage drives and drop in on my desktop, it looks like this while I'm dragging it. Big white box around it. Then when dragging the file back to any storage drive... it gets black bars around it. I use Winaero Tweaker, so I figured that...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

That's not it. I set it. It is a double-line rectangle around anything I put my cursor on and click that highlights around it. It's not a glitch. I just can't remember how I did it.

gage3780 said:

It is a double-line rectangle around anything I put my cursor on and click that highlights around it.

Click to expand...

Screenshot???

gage3780 said:

That's not it. I set it. It is a double-line rectangle around anything I put my cursor on and click that highlights around it. It's not a glitch. I just can't remember how I did it.

Click to expand...

It would really help if you'd post a screenshot.


To post a screenshot on this forum...

1. Take the screenshot (PrtSc key), paste and edit it as desired in Paint, save to your desktop as .png or .jpg
2. Left click the mouse in your post, where you want to place the screenshot.
3. Drag and drop the screenshot from your desktop to your post.

Edwin said:

Screenshot???

Click to expand...

I updated Windows and the rectangle is gone.

gage3780 said:

I updated Windows and the rectangle is gone.

Click to expand...

Good job.