CNET Editors' review
Your mouse probably has several buttons and maybe a scroll wheel or two, but are you using the default settings or can you open and close Web pages, turn the volume up and down when you play music, or simulate any keystroke? You can, with X-Mouse Button Control. This free utility lets you set customized profiles, called Layers, with individually customized mouse controls in each, and rapidly switch between them. You can create separate mouse control profiles for individual applications, such as games that don't support extended mouse buttons. Or, you can have the scroll wheel change to a volume control when you hover your cursor over the system tray.
X-Mouse Button Control's main interface shows your profiles in the main window and configures them via a series of tabs labeled Layer 1 through 5, with another tab for Scrolling & Navigation. Each Layer has a name entry field and up to 8 mouse controls, including left, right, and middle buttons; wheel up and down; and tilt right and left. Drop-down lists let us choose from a huge range of commands or No Change (Don't Intercept), which leaves the default command intact. We started by naming our first Layer and selecting our control options. In the Application/Windows Profile pane, we browsed to several applications to create custom mouse commands, such as opening Outlook's inbox. The Settings button offered three tabs of options to configure: General, Global Hotkeys, and Modifier Keys. When we'd made all our selections, we clicked Apply. X-Mouse seamlessly applied our settings, with no discernible difference in performance or feel. We tried the program with several different mice, including a wireless laser laptop mouse and a wired laser gaming mouse that actually had too many controls for X-Mouse, including a thumbwheel. However, X-Mouse let us map any control we chose. We could right-click the program's system tray icon and choose any Layer, enter Setup, disable X-Mouse's controls, and other choices.
X-Mouse is a great way to get more out of your mouse. With a little effort, you can set up individualized control profiles that let you do things with your mouse that you'd need a series of clicks and keystrokes to do the usual way.
Publisher's Description
From Phillip Gibbons:
X-Mouse Button Control is a windows application to remap your mouse buttons. This software can handle, including things like copy, cut, and paste, volume control, media player control, send a custom keystroke sequence, launch your email (or any other) application, capture screen (or active window) image to clipboard, click-drag, and save and restore desktop icon positions.
What's new in this version: Version 2.5 added option to change layers by left clicking the system tray icon and fixed problems with Dvorak keyboard layouts.
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All versions:
4.0 starsout of 13 votes
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Current version:
3.9 starsout of 9 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-9 of 9
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"Didn't work on my Vista laptop"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
didn't work enough to say
Cons
Installed and got some error about a server. Uninstalled the thing.
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"almost awesome"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
A regular old wireless laser notebook mouse turns into a gaming mouse (I get 35 commands out of 7 buttons using hotkeys, or 45 if I include scroll up and down). I also use it a lot for Acrobat Pro to map highlighting and editing tools for reviewing academic articles.
Cons
Bug with MS Word where it first causes pc to type whatever button is being pressed repeatedly, and then crashes. I don't even have an X-Mouse profile for Word, really not sure why this happens. Sticky hotkeys sometimes get activated for no reason. Mapping doesn't work for some games with launchers (the buttons get mapped to the launcher not the game).
Summary
Version 2.6 has been out for a while now on the publisher's website. Definitely knocks the socks off most native software. Really makes your mouse much more versatile, but it's still buggy and I'm looking for an alternative. BTW, for those complaining of bloatware, check again it may well be C|NET's not X-Mouse.
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"Simple to pick up. A must have for any PC owner."
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
Simple
Powerful
Think of about 10 more pros of your own, chances are they are true of this product.
IT'S FREE!Cons
Literally, none, and I don't say that often.
Summary
An incredible piece of software, I have multiple profiles for gaming, work, browsing etc. It is one of the first things I download on a new PC. This little guy is a software partner for life.
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"Fantastic, simple, yet flexible"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
This program is great, it allows you to tweak your mouse in all sorts of ways and also allows you to save 5 profiles, which is fantastic if you also use your mouse for gaming.
Cons
I would say the only con I found is that page up and page down are not apparent in the drop down lists for mouse buttons, but you can still set them with the simulated keys option.
Summary
Great and simple to use, expanding the flexibility of your mouse.
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"Installs lots of adware"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
I hope it's worth the time it took to uninstall all the adware and hijacks.
Cons
I tried to be careful to NOT click the "OK to install software buttons," but even so it installed something called We care, Sweet packs, and Top arcade hits, as well as changing my browser search default and home page. Be warned that you will have to uninstall all of these, which took me 15-20 minutes because it kept being difficult. I hoped using CNet would make this less of a problem, but apparently they like to mess with your computer, too.
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"VERY simple, VERY useful..."
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
-Easy interface
-Works GREAT
-VERY versatile once you understand it
-Specific apps are almost endless
-Program to turn on n off, then program a control key for a specific function
-I had a fear of possible contamination, but if its on c|net its safe...Cons
-I had to find the programming code for my specific app online and it wasn't easy to find...
Summary
I am a part-time gamer who was tired of having to tap my arrow key/mouse key during heavy action sessions, this has literally saved my index finger...Its starting to grow back LOL...
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"Works perfectly on Win8"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
All I really needed was my center button to work as a back button since my Logitech software crapped out and won't reinstall properly. I just don't have time to figure out why it is not working, but now I don't need to because X-Mouse does the job.
Cons
none that I can think of.
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"Very useful"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
I downloaded this program because I had to upgrade to System 7 when I got a new computer. My older wireless keyboard and mouse from Microsoft worked but the Intellimpouse program didn't. X-mouse fills the gap and more
Cons
none that I hve found yet
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"maps buttons wonderfully"
Version: X-Mouse Button Control 2.5
Pros
if you have a multi-buttoned mouse - USE IT
Cons
i suppose it's not needed if you have button mapping soft came with your mouse
Summary
Sometimes the software that your mouse came with just not good. Use this one!
Results 1-9 of 9
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