[RESOLVED] selecting a menu item with 1 click rather than 2

I have two forms form1 and form 2.
form2 has a menu strip with an item -- tools and a subitem item1

form1 is loaded first and in form1.load form2 is shown

now select form 1 by clicking on it.

now form1 has the focus and form2 does not.

move the mouse over the form2 menu item tools and click on it. -- nothing happens except form 2 now has the focus. now click
again on tools and the dropdown appears.

is this the way it is supposed to work. no other windows application seems to work in this way. for example open two
notepads. then clicking on an item of one of them regardless of whether it has the focus will display the dropdown.

hopefully there is something I can do to overcome this awkward and not very useful behavior

thanks,

follys