# Why Restrict Right Click On A Computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666 "2011-10-14T20:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/1 "2011-10-14T20:19:14Z")
OK I am in the Chicago Public Library and using their computer. But the CPL restricts users from right clicking. What’s the point? What grave harm could I do by right clicking on something. I suppose their is a reason, but what is it? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/2 "2011-10-14T20:26:48Z")
This is not the first time I’ve heard of this actually. It’s prompted by people who conflate “using a computer in any vaguely out-of-the-ordinary way” with “hacking”. ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/3 "2011-10-14T20:34:17Z")
OK but how do you do this? Obviously I’m not looking for details on how to hack but a basic idea of how a right click would enable you to hack where not allowing you to right click woudl prevent it ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/4 "2011-10-14T20:34:30Z")
> [@AndyLee](#): > > OK I am in the Chicago Public Library and using their computer. But the CPL restricts users from right clicking. > > What’s the point? What grave harm could I do by right clicking on something. I suppose their is a reason, but what is it? > > Thanks Because some people are dicks. Sorry. And here’s where ‘Only on the Dope..’ applies to me: many years ago I set up a public network in a library. From the get-go, people tried to break it. Fortunately, I’d thoroughly locked it down. 🙂 The computers were there for a purpose; functionality outside that purpose was disabled. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/5 "2011-10-14T20:43:51Z")
Right-click and Save As is one of the simplest ways to snag a copy of an online image, so some people disable it in an.attempt to.prevent that. Right-clicking elsewhere enables contextenus that can often be exploited to open command line sessions, browse the filesystem, etc. Locking down right click alone isn’t a very.effective way to prevent those things, but might be part of a belt and braces policy. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/6 "2011-10-14T20:46:32Z")
Preventing right clicking also prevents you from closing things that are in the system tray, such as screen monitoring programs. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/7 "2011-10-14T21:18:40Z")
Porn. ---
**Author:** ![67java89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/aeb1de/32.png) [@67java89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/67java89)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/8 "2011-10-14T21:44:29Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Porn. Okay, now I’m lost. What does right clicking have to do with porn? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/9 "2011-10-14T22:11:18Z")
> [@67java89](#): > > Okay, now I’m lost. What does right clicking have to do with porn? Because normal clicking is left-clicks. But when you right-click it’s like someone else is clicking. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/10 "2011-10-14T23:26:18Z")
> [@67java89](#): > > Okay, now I’m lost. What does right clicking have to do with porn? It disables “Save as”. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/11 "2011-10-15T01:00:00Z")
Right clicking is the first step in saving inappropriate content to the desktop. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/12 "2011-10-15T03:23:33Z")
Right-clicking makes the baby Jesus cry. You wouldn’t want a crying baby in the library, would you? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/13 "2011-10-15T05:01:40Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Because normal clicking is left-clicks. But when you right-click it’s like someone else is clicking. You win the internet. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/14 "2011-10-15T05:14:28Z")
I’ve found a lot of default security settings have features disabled that make no sense at all. The person assigned to administrating the system knows nothing more than assign this security profile to these accounts. They never go in and fine tune the settings for the specific need. Most times these mid level security managers are nothing more than power users and they are forbidden to change anything. Later, a department manager calls me and wants to know why in the hell he can’t change his desktop wallpaper. Since he’s a dept manager I go in and tweak his account settings and the other employee accounts that work in his dept. Administering security is a pain in the butt all the way around. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/15 "2011-10-15T12:24:05Z")
Disabling right-click is one of the easier ways to prevent a lot of stupid and ill-intentioned screwing around with the settings on public computers. Even with it enabled, users in a public library will mess with the settings on everything they can access, including stuff that completely bewilders the next person using the computer. I did a lot of tech troubleshooting at the public computers when I was working in a public library, and most of it was a case of “the user before me changed settings that serve no purpose other than to dick around with the settings” rather than “the user before me changed the settings because of an actual need”. Also, due to some of the programs running on the computers, there can be situations where having the computer completely locked down is the only way to keep it running the computer reservation program that keeps the system running smoothly. Sure, some of these settings could have been tinkered with until we had an ideal, but we shared about five IT guys with the rest of the county, so it was a hassle to get them to come out for anything that wasn’t a major upgrade or an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/16 "2011-10-15T12:39:19Z")
It’s because librarians are old school Mac fans. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/17 "2011-10-17T07:17:42Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Right clicking is the first step in saving inappropriate content to the desktop. It may be the easy way, but it’s far from the only way. View Source (usually also in the menu bar somewhere), find the image, use Ctrl-C to copy the image URL. Use Ctrl-V to paste it into the address bar, and click Go. File \> Save As… and put it on the desktop. Why not just lock the Desktop folder where it can’t be written to? Heck, you can lock down everything but those folders that are absolutely necessary. Disabling right click causes a lot of inconvenience for very little security. I think it silly unless you are using the computer for a single function that just doesn’t need it, and you want to be extra safe. But most library computers are also used for going online, where copying and pasting is much more convenient by mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/18 "2011-10-17T08:29:57Z")
> [@AndyLee](#): > > OK I am in the Chicago Public Library and using their computer. But the CPL restricts users from right clicking. > > What’s the point? Public libraries are well known hotbeds of leftism. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/19 "2011-10-17T10:27:42Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It may be the easy way, but it’s far from the only way. View Source (usually also in the menu bar somewhere), find the image, use Ctrl-C to copy the image URL. Use Ctrl-V to paste it into the address bar, and click Go. File \> Save As… and put it on the desktop. > > Why not just lock the Desktop folder where it can’t be written to? Heck, you can lock down everything but those folders that are absolutely necessary. Disabling right click causes a lot of inconvenience for very little security. I think it silly unless you are using the computer for a single function that just doesn’t need it, and you want to be extra safe. But most library computers are also used for going online, where copying and pasting is much more convenient by mouse. The average library computer user does not necessarily have any knowledge of the steps taken in your first paragraph, and many library computer system lockdowns include what you’re mentioning in the second. However, in order to be more “friendly”, a lot of libraries do allow some saving to be done somewhere on the computer, as a ton of folks don’t have flash drives or other devices to save their work to, and occasionally will not sign up for email in order to have a virtual place to save their stuff before they go to print it. It’s dumb, but the average person that these security measures are written for is not terribly computer savvy and does not wish to improve on their skills. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-restrict-right-click-on-a-computer/599666/20 "2011-10-17T12:05:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve found a lot of default security settings have features disabled that make no sense at all. > > The person assigned to administrating the system knows nothing more than assign this security profile to these accounts. They never go in and fine tune the settings for the specific need. Most times these mid level security managers are nothing more than power users and they are forbidden to change anything. > > Later, a department manager calls me and wants to know why in the hell he can’t change his desktop wallpaper. Since he’s a dept manager I go in and tweak his account settings and the other employee accounts that work in his dept. Administering security is a pain in the butt all the way around. I spent a few years in charge of our desktop image. We leave ours really open (as in, administrator of your own box open). But our issue is that our desktop techs don’t have time to customize security settings - which is why they are open (we don’t have time to install software for users, users are expected to do that themselves). Customizing your desktop wallpaper is not a business need - those requests get tagged as low priority to be handled when the rest of the queue is empty - i.e. never.