ARCHIVED: In Mac OS, what are sticky menus, and how do I use them?

In older versions of Mac OS, to select a menu item, you move your mouse over a menu's header, and then click and hold the button until you've selected the item you want. When you release the button, the menu disappears, whether or not you've selected an item. Because you are required to have the mouse button depressed throughout the selection process, this method is often unsatisfactory for PowerBook users or users with disabilities. To address this issue, Apple introduced the Easy Access control panel and (in PowerBooks) mechanisms that allow you to lock the mouse button in the down position.

In Mac OS 8, Apple introduced a new method of menu selection similar to other user interfaces (e.g., Microsoft Windows) called sticky menus. If you single-click (i.e., click and release the mouse button) a menu header, the menu will appear and remain on the screen, even though you are not holding down the mouse button. You can make selections by single-clicking a menu or submenu item.

To obtain sticky menu functionality in older versions of the operating system, use StickyClick. StickyClick is a freeware program and is available from many Mac OS software archives. For more information, see ARCHIVED: For Mac OS X, where can I download freeware, shareware, commercial software, and software updates? To install it, drag the StickyClick icon to the closed System Folder, click the OK button that appears, then restart your computer.