I have a Microsoft "Wheel Mouse Optical" mouse.  My operating system
is Windows XP professional.  I am using the standard Microsoft
Intellipoint software.  (driver version 5.0.174.0 dated 5/15/2003). 
Whenever I try to middle-click (with the "wheel button"), instead of
sending a middle-click event, it performs a window switch (similar to
hitting alt-tab).  I looked in the control panel mouse applet, and the
choices for the behavior of the button are:

Right-click
Next Window (default)
Back
Forward
AutoScroll
Disable
Close
Copy (Ctrl+C)
Cut (Ctrl+X)
Double-click
Enter
Maximize
Minimize
New
Open
Paste (Ctrl-V)
Redo
Show/Hide Desktop
Undo (Ctrl+Z)

As you can see, there is no "Middle-click" option.

thanks.

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Request for Question Clarification by hummer-ga on 23 Jul 2004 06:58 PDT

Hi slatfatf,

Try selecting AutoScroll for the middle button and see if you get the
desired results.

Please let me know how it goes so I'll know to either post this as an
answer or continue to look for a solution.

Thank you,
hummer

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Clarification of Question by slatfatf-ga on 28 Jul 2004 08:08 PDT

hummer, you are correct, setting it to Auto-scroll sent the middle-click event.

thanks.

Hi slatfatf,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to post this as an answer, I
appreciate it, and I'm very glad to hear that the AutoScroll worked
for you.

Here it is again to make it official:

Try selecting AutoScroll for the middle button and see if you get the
desired results.

Thanks again,
hummer

Setting it to AutoScroll does the trick.

There's no default action for middle button because most of mouse are
only have 2 buttons. So there's no middle click action for middle
button.
Instead, you can use your middle button to perform one of the
behaviour you've listed above.
Usually I use middle button of my mouse to do "Back" command. It makes
easier to surf the web without the need to click on back button if i
want to go back to previous page.

regards
tinx78

a wheel mouse almost always has 3 buttons.  Before wheel mice, there
were still 3 button mice.  As for middle click action, it is not used
very much by Windows, but it does exist.

Here are a few examples that require or can take advantage of a middle click:

Minesweeper (can be substituted by clicking left + right simultaneously)
using any Windows based X server (reflection, cygwin, etc.)
PuTTY
Mozilla and similar browsers (to open a link in a new tab).  As for
back, etc, I usually use the keyboard, but I've been meaning to try
gestures.  I have heard that they are incredibly convenient once one
is used to them.

strange 
i've tried to assing "middle button" function to my logitech middle button mouse.
but it didn't do anything in mozilla :D
and because i didn't install games here i can't try it on minisweeper as well.
now i'm curious what else i can do with this middle button function :)
should've google it :P

and about mouse gesture, yup that's a great tool :)

tinx78, if you middle-click on a link in mozilla it should open in a new tab.

Thank you for the nice note and rating, slatfatf, I'm glad it worked
for you. Sincerely, hummer

I have also chosen to use the middle-click button for "BACK" ...
however, whenever I reboot the system, the function reverts to
auto-scroll EVEN THOUGH, when I get back into the mouse control, it
SAYS "Back" is still selected. Neither Microsoft nor Dell has been
able to provide a solution to this. Sure, it's no big deal to get into
the mouse controls, click "Back" and hit APPLY ... but it's a real
nuisance. Anybody else having this problem? Better yet, anybody have a
clue how to make this annoyance go away?

Best regards..............