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Pen keeps double clicking

chiefjkh

New Member
Sorry if posted, didn't find it, but since everyone helped me so well on last pen issue posting for this one. After I fixed pen issue yesterday, my pen double clicks on everything and won't let me open most menus or apps. It makes it super hard for me to type when in bed or any position other than sitting in my chair, being handicapped. Anything onscreen, I need my pen for, choosing apps, browsing, typing onscreen, etc..
I can't use my fingers like most people after a bad wreck, my thumbs too big n clumsy, with keyboard out I can type. Anyone with an idea how to get my pen from double clicking everywhere, be most appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
@chiefjkh

Sorry about your disability. You sound like a determined and brave soul.

In trying to solve your pen issues previously, you may have made an unintended change. Let's fix that:

1 Cortana Search for Control Panel
2 In upper right corner of Control Panel search for Pen
3 Choose "Change tablet pen settings"
4 Set your pen to work similar to a mouse, as shown below.

Let us know of your progress.

snip_20160130084329.png


snip_20160130084256.png
 
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chiefjkh

New Member
I tried everything you suggested, all the settings were as they were supposed to be, thank you for helping. Still double clicking, so hopefully have another idea.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
Now let's check the "Surface" app.
Of course, this refers to the Eraser button, but make a change to this menu, then change it back. This may properly reset your pen functionality.

snip_20160130091553.png


snip_20160130091929.png
 
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chiefjkh

New Member
Was hoping someone would have another answer by now, I tried everything above and thought I had replied to it already. Can see now that I might not have, my bad. If anyone can possibly thing of another reason, please let me know.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
What happens when you press the pen right-click "side" button?
It should work like a mouse right click. Is it working as expected?

surface-pen-magnet-eraser-2015_medium.jpg
 

huedeman

New Member
This has been happening to me for months. It was reported to MS, escalated to 'Global Escalation Services', documented by me via video, eventually acknowledged as replicated by the 'Engineering Team', at which point my case was closed with no date for a fix, or even the promise of an eventual fix. The suggestion [believe it or not] was to interact via Type Cover, USB mouse, or use the touchscreen functions without the Pen -- the very hardware that sets the Surface ahead of many other tablet products.

I cannot believe users are not beating down the door with this issue.

If you want to replicate the problem, it can be done two ways:

1) open a new text document in notepad, and tap with the pen somewhat quickly between 'i' and 'j'. Then look back at what was input. You will see some number of double 'ii' and/or 'jj' mixed within the ijijij pattern.
2) with any window open to less than full-screen, single tap with the pen on the top menu bar as though you were initiating a move of that window. Most of the time, you will capture the window and be able to move it. But often, the window will jump to full-screen as would be the case if you actually double-tapped the menu bar -- even though you only single tapped the bar.

Try it -- you won't like it.
 

huedeman

New Member
Have you tried the two methods I described [surface 4 pro] ?

The pen was the first thing that MS support replaced -- no change in behavior. Though while I was waiting for the MS pen exchange, I bought a new pen from a major retail chain and it did the same thing.

I have also repeated the above experiments on several display models at various retail stores, and have yet to find a unit that does not exhibit the behavior I reported.

[which kind of makes sense as the 'Engineering Team' at MS reported that they replicated the problem -- as I noted]
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
@huedeman,

You are correct. I was able to replicate the behavior you describe with my Surface Book - but only within the first several keystrokes of the new document. Seems Notepad (and probably other apps) are not properly tuned in to screen keyboard input, until several keystrokes are logged. The result seems to be a hyper-sensitivity, which mimics a double-click.

Some better programming of the APIs by Microsoft is needed. By the way, you must be a rapid and talented user of the pen.
 

huedeman

New Member
Sadly, it happens not just using notepad, but also with Edge, IE and Chrome -- critically -- when trying to enter a password, when you cannot even see what is actually being typed. And I think, if you try a bit more -- opening even old text files -- you will find it can happen virtually at any time -- not just with a new document. I cannot pen-type any length email message without multiple double characters at nearly any point in the message.

But back to my original comment -- I'm amazed that there seems to be so little mention of this issue. I found it in this thread, and I found it mentioned on reddit under the search key surface_pen_double_tap -- but so far, I have found it nowhere else.

And the 'use your finger' workaround response from MS is simply maddening -- after all, the 'quality' of the pen interface was a hallmark of the Surface compared to 'finger only' devices.
 

smithrob0703

New Member
I had been using a tablet pc (Asus R1E and Surface Pro 2) for over 9 years before purchasing 2 Surface Pro 4 computers. I successfully used the pens as a substitute for the trackpad and mouse and expected the same from the Pro 4. Unfortunately, I also experience the random double clicks which makes the pen unusable as a pointing and clicking device. I have sought service a couple times in the Microsoft Store and a couple times via phone. While the service people can replicate the problem, the common "excuse" I get is that the pen was not designed as a pointing and clicking device but rather as a drawing and writing device. I suspect most people do not experience this problem as they either do not use the pen or only use it to draw or write.

The previous pens used Wacom technology. I wonder if the switch to N-trig technology has anything to do with this?
 
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