Windows 11 Contextual Menus Abruptly Missing

J

JD_4

Bit poster
I abruptly lost ability to trigger Windows context aka contextual menus using Control-Shift-Click (was what I used previously) or Control-Click.

The menus trigger successfully using the online Windows keyboard utility (context menu key on that in lower right of keyboard).

Any suggestions for getting this back? It is a significant productivity issue. Is Parallels implicated in this? It is difficult/impossible to get Microsoft O365 Business desk to support troubleshooting a VM!

Thanks!

Attempts so far (all with VM and Parallels restarts):
  1. Windows updated (Win 11 Pro 10.0.22621 Build 22621)
  2. Restart VM, relaunch Parallels with VM shutdown, restart Mac
  3. Update Parallels to latest (Version 19.1.1 (54734)
  4. Run Windows DISM restorehealth and SFC scannow (SFC said it fixed some corrupted files, but that didn't fix keyboard behavior)
  5. In Parallels Desktop Preferences, I added Mac-to-VM key mappings for Control and Control-Shift to make sure this wasn't the problem
  6. Reinstall Parallels Toolbox
 
I still would appreciate advice on the keyboard, but I found workaround that two-finger (Mac) touchpad tap functions like a Control-Click to bring up Contextual menu.
 
Answering my own question which displayed my ignorance about what is default contextual menu behavior enabled on Mac OS versus Windows. Here is an explanation and instructions for anyone else who gets tripped up by this (Yes. I spent a couple of hours trying to drive this to solution).

The issue was that my Parallels Mouse Shortcut settings somehow abruptly changed to turn off a previous shortcut setting I was [unknowingly] using. In general, Control-Click activates contextual menus in Mac apps and OS. This is a mouse/trackpad "right-click" activation in Windows (e.g. not involving keyboard). To keep things intuitive for people accustomed to OSX, Parallels allows mapping this "Secondary" aka right click to Control-Shift-Click. This is what I was accustomed to use for bringing up contextual menus in my Windows VM (unaware that the two-finger trackpad tap performs this as a mouse action).

To turn on the Control-Shift-Shortcut for Windows Right-Click, go to Parallels Desktop Preferences / Shortcuts / Mouse Shortcuts and turn on the Secondary Click checkbox with Control-Click as the specified command.
 
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