tip on properties dialog box selection button

In the "PROPERTIES" dialog box (called by the command "pr"), the
Microsoft Windows Normal Select cursor (mouse pointer) "cross.cur"
does not reliably activate the "Select Objects" button. Some times
many mouse button clicks are required in order to activate the
"Select Objects" button. The slightly thicker Microsoft cursor
"cross_il.cur", and the Microsoft Normal Select default cursor (the
large arrow that points up and to the left), work properly.

Also in the "PROPERTIES" dialog box, with the Windows "cross.cur"
cursor, the "Toggle value of PICKAD Sysvar" tool-tip (the yellow box
that contains the label of the icon) does not appear, but it does
appear properly with the larger cursors.

I prefer the Microsoft Windows cross-type cursors, rather than the
default sloping arrow, for selection. When I changed to the
cross-type cursor, it did not occur to me that another Microsoft
cursor might not work properly.

I noticed that in the Microsoft Office applications, most of the
toolbar "ScreenTips" did not work, in spite of the "Show ScreenTips
on Toolbars" being checked. One of my associates, a bright guy who
is majoring in computer science, suggested that I try a thicker
cursor. After I changed to the thicker cursor, I noticed that
suddenly the AutoCAD "Select Objects" button worked reliably, and the
"Toggle value of PICKAD Sysvar" tool-tip worked.

The AutoCAD tool bars took-tips all seem to work with all cursors
that I have tried.

I am using AutoCAD LT 2004, running on Microsoft Windows XT
Professional on a Compaq Evo computer with a Compaq 1701 17-inch
flat-screen monitor.

Dick Alvarez
alvarez at alumni dot caltech dot edu