Dead mouse

[jlay]

I'm using Windows XP home edition.

With this I'm using a MS 'Trackerball' mouse ; after about 2 hours the cursor freezes on screen and so also does the whole system , the details onscreen are still visible but they cannot be activated because the cursor won't move , also the little hourglass symbol is there but nothing happens !

Is the PC overheating or maybe I should get a new mouse, this one is about 5 years old ?

[KenB]

Hi,

 

If this is the one that has a USB adapter with it - have you tried the mouse in both USB and PS2 ports?

 

Start > Run....type in ....devmgmt.msc....hit OK

Click the + next to Mouse and other pointing devices

Right click on your Mouse

Update the driver.

 

If this fails to correct the problem...

Same location and select uninstall.

Reboot the system.

Windows will find new hardware and re-install the appropriate drivers for you.

[Tootech]

Just wondering when the system has frozen up, what happens if you press Alt, Ctrl, and Del to bring up the task manager - can you get it, or is does the system stay frozen.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

I think you'll find it is Ctrl Alt and Del Tootech.

[Tootech]

Must be my keyboard Wolfeymole....:o

 

It is indeed Ctrl Alt and Del

[Tony D]

What's the difference? You hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys and while doing so, tap the Del key.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

No one's trying to be funny here Tony, just let's be exact is all I say.

[Dalo Harkin]

lol - about CTRL ALT and DEL

as mentioned by Ken some of the MS mice use USB and PS2 ports - some poeple connect both but only one is needed - Use the PS2 one and see if its recognised when the system is booted -

failing that borrow a PS2 mouse and that should work fine - yours is probably dead as you thought.

[jlay]

Thanks All

It's connected to a USB2 port ,what's PS2 port please?

Ctrl/Alt/Delete does nothing for it , it still stays dead.

 

Thanks KenB I will do what you say & try to get a new driver & let you know what happens.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Have a read of this John.

 

PS/2 connector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jlay]

KenB : updated driver & got message that the wizard has searched & the latest driver is already installed

Tootech:ctrl/alt /delete did not respond & task manager window did not appear.

Wolfeymole :thanks for PS2 info ,back of mousse(Trackball optical) tells me that it is PS2/USB compatible although I've only got the USB connection so will have to find adaptor.

I'll have to wait & see if yesterday's update ( as per KenB) makes any difference ! so far it's behaving itself ! ! ha ha ,we'll see.

Many thanks All.

[Dalo Harkin]

John,

 

a USB to PS2 adapter will not work - you need a PS2 mouse.

[jlay]

Dead Mouse

 

OK Dalo,

Thanks for that ,I won't bother getting a PS/2 adaptor yet then.

 

Just waiting now to see if the mouse behaves itself, I've had a closer look & see that I've only got two USB2 ports + six ordinary ones :confused:

[Guest Wolfeymole]

6 ordinary ones? :confused:

 

Tell us more John.

[brundle]

Having read the thread I'm puzzled as to why there is so much focus on the mouse/trackerball/controller aspect of the problem - Jlay; does the system work perfectly well when you use an `ordinary` mouse, either PS2 or USB ?

After two hours the computer will have registered enormous numbers of mouse/controller movements, the fact that the entire system freezes is what makes your mouse cursor freeze too, not the other way round; personally I think the problem lies elsewhere...

Overheating, hard-disk problems, a buggy bit of software - can you provide more details of what you normally have running in the background (antivirus, antispyware, things with icons in the system tray), if the problem occurs when you are using a specific program or just randomly etc etc.

Given the time factor it sounds more like an overheating problem at first read...

[Guest Wolfeymole]

The forum is open to all opinions Brundle, fair points mate.

[Tootech]

Hey brundle - you read my mind.......

 

I think the mouse freezing is a symptom of another problem

 

Guess we'll have to wait for an update

[Dalo Harkin]

Especially as CTRL + ALT + DEL does nothing - 2 hours is a long time for overheating issues, I would suspect a crash of some kind, but these are normally accompanied by BSOD.

jlay - can you list any software/games that you use when the pc crashes?

[jlay]

Dead Mouse

 

Okay,

First , here's the spec:

Windows XP,with sp3 ; PC:IntelCore2Quad 2.41GHz ; Ram:2Gbs ; Graphics : Nvidia8800Ultra(768gb) ; Monitors :1digital + 1analog + the other usual bits & pieces to make it all work ( I'm no tech. as you will have gathered )+6 standard usb ports+2 USB2ports

 

The PC is used 60% of the time as a flight simmer , for this purpose I have another device called TrackIR4 (from NaturalPoint) this has a sensor which perches on top of the digital monitor & tracks all head movements, very useful for looking over the side of a virtual cockpit.

 

Before using the PC for simming I also turn on a system called 'EndItAll' , this is not suicidal ! it just closes down all systems running in the background , usually about 13 from a total of 16 , so that all resources can be focussed on flightsimming.

 

Also,to overcome any overheating I've dusted down the fan inside the casing and made sure that it is spinning freely

 

I use the TRackball mouse & have done for about 5 years now because it is the easiest to use along with a joystick.

 

Hope this helps :confused:

[Tootech]

Thanks for all the info,

 

Have you tried running without first using 'EndItAll'?

 

Does your system freeze only when running your sim?

 

I'm not familiar with that program, but I get the idea, and what you are doing. I just wonder if one of the programs or services that are stopped are actually required by some other part of the system, and that is causing the problems.

 

It may help if you can post the programs/services that are stopped by your utility.

[jlay]

Dead Mousse

 

Thanks again to all who have responded.

 

I noticed at the top of the website a small paragraph about a programme called 'Driver Detective';at first I was dubious as I've fallen for this sort of hype before,anyway I took it at face value & set it to work.

I'm now very glad to say that it has worked well and I think the problems ( plural ) are solved

Of the 46 devices on my system it turned out that 17 of them had out-of-date drivers , things like THE MOUSE,the graphics card , an audio device , chipsets ?and others ; these have all now been upgraded with great improvements all round.

 

Sometimes these ads do mean what they say ! :)

[Guest Wolfeymole]

That's good to hear John mate. :)

[Dalo Harkin]

Glad its all sorted :)