KiCad 5.1.2
How to enter pad properties in Modern Toolset?
When I switch to Legacy then ‘E’ at pad opens pad properties but in Modern Toolset ‘E’ opens always fooprint properties.
I think that I had that problem half or one year ago but don’t remember if there is other solution then switching to Legacy.
Single click on a pad, then ‘e’ for edit.
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Currently at my PCB I have only 4 mounting holes (PTH). I wonted to check if I will be able to connect their pads to GND net (I prefere to not have them at schematic).
I can’t repeat your method 
I opened other PCB. There it works for SMD elements, but I can’t get that way into properties of terminal block pads. When I click its pad the whole terminal block is selected and ‘e’ opens footprint properties.
Sometimes KiCad is a bit stubborn in selecting the wrong things and that may persist untill it has a direct brain interface.
You can disable layes such as silkscreen & Fab to make your selection less ambiguous.
About the other issue.
KiCad has mounting holes with, and without a pin attached.
It also is pretty silly to want to make your PCB different from the schematic.
Just get over your “preferences” and put the mounting holes in the schematic. You’re just making it harder for yourself.
I’ve checked, but not helps in that situation. Assuming Modern Toolset I didn’t found any way to click a pad of terminal block and not to have terminal block selected with the effect that ‘e’ opens a footprint parameters box and not pad box. What is the difference betwean terminal block and SMD diode (for diode it works). It looks that source of problem is the through-hole pad. I will not check it now - the PCB I am trying is the old one I have done as experiment with 4.0.7 with old footprints.
That suggest that it is not the time yet to delete Legacy toolset
I supposed hole is a part of pad definition. I will look through libraries to find mounting holes without pad - how they are defined without pad. The holes and fiducials are the last things to decide how to work with them before I will be able to start my first V5 PCB, I hope.
I am at the stage of changing the tool I use. Since 30 years the hole was for me always nothing more than a hole. If I wonted to put some holes or vias at my PCB I just put them without the need to go with it through schematic. I have also not have a PCB border at my schematic.
Sometimes I don’t know how many holes I will put at PCB - I put them close to end of PCB design to help air go out during flooding the device with wepuran fluid.
I can change my habits but don’t wont if not really needed - so I am looking for arguments pro and anti.
I see that may be if I wont holes to connect at once top and bottom GNDs I should put them at schematic. At previous version of PCB I am designing now I had 3 holes at GND and one at so called Bob-Smith GND just because in the place it had to be there was that GND. I really don’t see the arguments to have to go with it to schematic.
You are probably right that in KiCad it is harder. So I will define the symbols for all hole sizes I use to put the right ones at schematic.
I am working with symbol=exact element (no footprint assignment stage). I am used to make hole decisions (positions and sizes) being in PCB window with my box, screws, mechanica driving, slide calliper in my hand. Now I see - positions decisions at PCB, sizes decisions at schematic
If the locking property of the footprint is “Lock footprint” you can’t select a pad, only the whole footprint. Try changing it to “Lock pads” if it’s “Lock footprint”.
And it is the solution I found myself half or one year ago when got into that problem first time and totally forgot it. The terminal blocks and holes I typically lock to be sure that they will not change a position if by inattention will be part of selected block to move.
So as in Modern toolset I can reach a pad settings then I have to think once more to have holes at schematic or not
Are you shure? I thought the option “free” is what enables pads to be handled separately from the footprint. “Lock pads” should disable this while “lock footprint” disables any changes to the footprint including removal on update and changes to its position.
Lock pads means pads can’t be moved with Move command (M). But they can be selected individually and properties can be changed. Locking the footprint seems to disable individual pad selection.
This is certainly not the optimal solution. In my opinion the simple “Lock” option should be ditched and different aspects of selecting, access and movement should be handled differently.
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