How to assign actions (hot keys) to mouse buttons in OS 10.3???

[ArkabaS]

Hey everyone,

I just started using Mac OS 10.3.6 a few days ago.

Everything is perfect expect for one thing. Neither Safari nor Finder recognizes the back/forward keys of my generic 5-button laser mouse. Right, left, and middle mouse work great, but the addition of functional back/forward keys would be EXCELLENT in programs like Safari.

How can I assign actions to the back and forward mouse buttons?? Do I need to install 3rd party drivers or programs?? Will the change be global or specific to programs like Safari??

Thanks for any response.

[gekko513]

I think any App can make special use of extra mouse buttons if they are programmed to do so.

Other than that I know that you can assign extra mouse buttons to activate Exposé in different ways. But that's the only global option for this that I know about.

[floatingspirit]

For what it's worth, my kensington mouse has it's own drivers that can be downloaded from their website. Perhaps the maker of your mouse has the same arrangement.

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says....have a look at USB Overdrive (http://www.usboverdrive.com/) - shareware but worth it - I use it with my Logitech MX500 mouse as it is 100 times better than Logitech's software.....oh yeah!

[ArkabaS]

Thanks for the help everyone. My problem is now fixed. Apparently "A4 Tech" is not such a generic company. Their website had a great Mac OS X driver for my mouse (a little buggy interface but it does the job). I probably should have looked for drivers before posting here :rolleyes:, but I thought that maybe Mac OS 10 had already implemented a 5-button mouse scheme.

By the way, why is Apple still making one button mouses?? I know they love tradition and everything, but come on, it's 2004. Their should be a petition asking to "upgrade" the classic one-button mouse.