# Windows 10: Disabling default behavior of side/thumb buttons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077 "2021-12-14T23:53:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/1 "2021-12-14T23:53:44Z")
Is there an easy, straightforward way, under Windows 10, to disable a specific mouse button function? Specifically, when web browsers detect these particular “extra” buttons on a mouse (in the case of my particular mouse, these are two thumb buttons on the side), they all seem to automatically assign “Back” and “Forward” functions to those buttons, and I haven’t found any way to turn that off. I can see how that would be useful, but unfortunately, it is something of a liability when viewing a modern “feed”-type of web site - for example, [Quora.com](http://Quora.com), or my Facebook feed. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve moved to click on an entry to expand it, and in the process inadvertently tapped one of the side buttons, sending me back to a previous page. Because of the “feed” functionality, when I then try to return to where I was before accidentally going “back”, the “feed” refreshes and now the item I was trying to read is gone, replaced by new items. I don’t want to completely disable the buttons, because I make use of them when gaming. I just want to disable this specific back/forward functionality in web browsers, and the browsers don’t seem to have settings for this. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/2 "2021-12-15T00:09:59Z")
I don’t know specifically but, in case it helps your research, these are called mouse gestures. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/3 "2021-12-15T00:46:49Z")
Depending on the brand of the mouse, you may be able to find software from the manufacturer to control the various buttons. Logitech, for instance, offers software for its mice. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/4 "2021-12-15T01:46:52Z")
I could have sworn there was an option to do this in your web browser, but it seems it only applies to media keys, which I disabled in `chrome://flags`. I agree with @Dewey_Finn to check you mouse driver options first. Many mice have the ability to handle this themselves. But, if you don’t find that, there are always third party tools. A highly recommended one is: > [Mouse Manager – realityripple.com](https://realityripple.com/Software/Applications/Mouse-Manager/) > Since the middle of 2010, Mouse Manager has been making mice more useful. How? By letting you control what the extra buttons on your mouse do. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/5 "2021-12-15T04:50:19Z")
Hmm. My mouse is just the one that came with my CyberPowerPC gaming computer, and I can’t find any special setting controls for it. I’ll check out that Mouse Manager thing 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/6 "2021-12-15T20:54:06Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > … these are called mouse gestures. On reread of the OP, I missed that these are extra buttons and **not** mouse gestures. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/7 "2021-12-15T20:55:35Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Hmm. My mouse is just the one that came with my CyberPowerPC gaming computer, and I can’t find any special setting controls for it. I’ll check out that Mouse Manager thing 🙂 No branding on the mouse? Is there perhaps a mouse driver CD in the box? Or have you looked at the CyberPowerPC website for drivers? You could, of course, switch to another mouse without those buttons. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/8 "2021-12-16T03:59:38Z")
Same brand as my computer. Checked the site, but couldn’t find any special drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/9 "2021-12-16T04:11:32Z")
Nothing on [this page](http://www.cyberpowerinc.com/drivers/?dir=Mouse), perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/10 "2021-12-16T19:04:49Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Same brand as my computer. Checked the site, but couldn’t find any special drivers. Figure out the make and model of your computer: look for a tag at the back of the case or at the bottom if it’s a laptop, with some information about the model, the serial number and so on. Google for the make and model with a search term like “Toshiba Satellite XY-56789 drivers” (I made that up, but it should look something like this). This should lead you to the product page of your machine. There should be a section called “software”, “downloads” or “drivers”. Look there for mouse controlling software or mouse drivers, respectively. Or post the machine’s make and model here, and I or some other doper will look for it. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-disabling-default-behavior-of-side-thumb-buttons/956077/11 "2021-12-16T19:24:20Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Checked the site, but couldn’t find any special drivers. Dang, I missed that sentence. So you already have been on the model page, so strike the post above.