Inability to Select Menus...Disappear too Fast

Seen multiple posts in this area but no solutions. It seems like the system is constantly cycling somehow, so there is never enough time to select from the All Programs list, or for a taskbar right click or even hard to select an app when Alt-Tab is pressed. You can see a slight blink on any open apps which seems to instantly preclude any open menus. It is very hard to select from any drop down or selection menus from any appl. I have tried Scannow, malware scanners, creating new profiles...all to now avail.

Anyone out there know of a solution?

Is your installation an upgrade or clean install?

Clean install purchased with a Dell XPS8000.

what exactly happens when you click on "all programs"

Did you observe the same behavior the very first day using your system ? If not, then system restore could help.

Originally Posted by wolfpack416

Seen multiple posts in this area but no solutions. It seems like the system is constantly cycling somehow, so there is never enough time to select from the All Programs list, or for a taskbar right click or even hard to select an app when Alt-Tab is pressed. You can see a slight blink on any open apps which seems to instantly preclude any open menus. It is very hard to select from any drop down or selection menus from any appl. I have tried Scannow, malware scanners, creating new profiles...all to now avail.

Anyone out there know of a solution?

This is weird enough. You click on All Programs - you should see a list of installed programs, you right-click - you should see a context menu that stays untill you select an item or press a key.

1. Make sure that no other keys get pressed when you invoke a menu
2. An application that steals focus can be a temporary cause of that behavior
3. Close all 3rd party and non-essential processes and see if it helps

As for Alt-Tab, press Ctr-Alt-Tab, or press Alt-Tab and hold Alt down - so the switch menu stays until you select a window.

Did you apply any registry tweaks ?

It is really any menu...On All Programs...sometimes it just goes away quickly, sometimes I can click on All Programs and then click on a menu item and then it pops away. When I click on an application drop down menu, I have to click it really fast or it disappears. If I right click on an application in the task bar, it goes away before I can click on an item in the list. It is like it is automatically shifting focus to something else (what, I have no idea...). The timing of the cycling is random, btw. Sometimes I get a little longer to click, other times it moves it right away.

I haven't tweaked the registry.

I have the exact same problem. If i right-clicked on any programs in "all programs" in the start menu, it always shows up and then quickly dissapears before i could do anything. I did a clean install and didn't do anything to tweak my windows 7. It's all original. Still can't figure out what's the problem.

1. I did a scan, and found no thread nor virus.
2. I created another "user profile" as administrator (as it was instructed in the web somewhere), and logged on with the new user (administrator). Still having the same problem.

Anyone else have this problem?

Try this:
Open the registry (regedit in the run or start box)
Navigate to: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
Change the following registry value: (If the entry is not there, right click the "Desktop" and create a new key) You may find it is already on the "400" default, which would , unfortunately, lead to some other problem.

String Value: 'MenuShowDelay'
Default value: (should be) 'MenuShowDelay'='400', if not, change it. You can experiment down to 0,which gives a really fast response, but that is what you are trying to avoid.
You could even go higher, if it already shows 400. Try 600 and study the response.

Hey, RAK.....
It works........Thank you very much. I've been looking for the answer on the net, and couldnt seem to find it, until u replied to the thread. Once again, thanks so much.....

A pleasure, Samperfly, and welcome to the site. We hope you will return. This site will sort out any future queries you may have.