As software packages evolved beyond simple menus and began to make use of the powerful graphics systems coming into popular use during the mid-1980s (i.e. EGA and VGA graphics), ever-larger amounts of information were presented in the display. Simple, multi-layered text menus were aggressively replaced with striking graphic user interfaces (GUIs). System options and selections were soon represented with symbols (graphic "buttons" or "icons") instead of plain text. Using a keyboard to maneuver through such visual software soon became a cumbersome (if not impossible) chore.

Peripherals designers responded to this situation by developing a family of pointing devices (Fig. 31-1). Pointing devices use a combination of hardware and software to produce and control a graphical screen cursor. A software device driver generates the cursor and reports its position. As the pointing device is moved around, hardware signals from the pointing device are interpreted by the device driver which moves the cursor in a like manner. By positioning the cursor over a graphic symbol and activating one, two, or three of the buttons on the pointing device, it is now possible to select (i.e. "click" or "double-click") and manipulate (i.e. "drag") options in the application program instead of using a keyboard.

There are three factors needed to make pointing devices work; the physical signal-generating hardware itself, a software driver (the "device driver"), and the application program MUST be written to make use of the device driver. If any of these three items are missing, the pointing device will not work. This chapter looks at the technology, maintenance, and troubleshooting of two popular pointing devices; the mouse, and the trackball.

Although the development of computer pointing devices has been ongoing since the early 1970s, the first commercial pointing devices for IBM-compatible systems was widely introduced in the early 1980s. The device was small enough to be held under your palm, and your fingertips rested on its button(s). A small, thin cord connects the device to its host computer. The device's small size, long tail-like cord, and quick scurrying movements immediately earned it the label of mouse.

Every mouse needs at least one button. By pressing the button, you indicate that a selection is being made at the current cursor location. Many mouse-compatible software packages only make use of a single mouse button even to this day. A two-button mouse is more popular (reflecting the endurance of the mouse design) because a second button can add more flexibility to the mouse. For example, one button can work to "select" an item, while the second button can be used to "deselect" that item again, or activate other menus and options. A few mouse designs use three buttons, but the third button is rarely supported by application programs other than CAD or high-end art applications.

The first mouse "gesture" is called clicking, which is little more than a single momentary press of the left mouse button (on a two-button mouse). Clicking is the primary means of making a selection in the particular application program. The second common gesture is double-clicking, which is simply two single clicks in immediate succession. A double click also represents selection, but its exact use depends upon the application program. The third type of mouse gesture is the drag, where a graphical item can literally be moved around the display. Dragging is almost always accomplished by pressing the left mouse button over the desired item, then (without releasing the button) moving the item to its new location. When the item moved to its new position, releasing the left mouse button will "drop" the item in that location.

It is interesting to note that pen gestures are interpreted by the computer's operating system, but mouse movements and button conditions are handled by the actual application program (such as a word processor or game). Thus, the same mouse gestures can be made to represent different actions depending on which program is executing.

A mouse is a relatively straightforward device consisting of four major parts; the plastic housing, the mouse ball, the electronics PC board, and the signal cable. Figure 31-2 illustrates a typical mouse assembly. The housing assembly will vary a little depending on the manufacturer and vintage of your particular mouse (just walk through a computer store and look at the variety of mouse styles available), but the overall scheme is almost always identical. The mouse ball is a hard rubber ball situated up inside the mouse body just below a small PC board. When the mouse is positioned on a desktop, the ball contacts two actuators that register the mouse ball’s movement in the X (left-to-right) and Y (up-to-down) directions. Both sensors generate a series of pulses which represent movement in both axis. Pulses equate to mouse movement - more pulses mean more movement. The pulses from both axis are amplified by the PC board and sent back to the computer along with information on the condition of each mouse button. Figure 31-3 shows a Suncom Crystal mouse which allows you to see the internal mouse construction.

The mouse device driver already running in your computer (most systems load the mouse's device driver such as Microsoft's MOUSE.COM during computer initialization) interprets the pulses generated by the mouse, and translates them into X and Y screen locations where the visible mouse cursor is positioned. As the mouse moves left and right or up and down, pulses are added or subtracted from the cursor's X and Y screen coordinates by the device driver. The application program can then call for the X and Y coordinates, as well as button states. The key to a working mouse is its sensor devices. Sensors (or actuators) must be responsive enough to detect minute shifts in mouse position and generate pulses accordingly, yet be reliable enough to withstand wear, abuse, and environmental effects. There are two general types of sensors; mechanical and opto-mechanical.

The greatest challenge in mouse design (and the largest cause of failures) is the reliable and repeatable conversion of mouse movement into serial electrical pulses. Early mouse versions used purely mechanical sensors to encode the mouse ball's movements. As the mouse ball turned against a roller (or shaft), copper contacts on the shaft would sweep across contacts on the mouse PC board -- much like commutating rings and brushes on a DC motor. Each time a roller contact touches a corresponding contact in the mouse, an electrical pulse is generated. Since a mouse must typically generate hundreds of pulses for every linear inch of mouse movement, there are several sets of contacts for each axis.

It is important to note that mouse pulses can be positive or negative depending on the relative direction of the mouse in an axis. For example, moving the mouse right may produce positive pulses, while moving the mouse left may produce negative pulses. Similarly, moving the mouse down along its Y axis may produce positive pulses, while moving the mouse up may produce negative pulses. All pulses are then interpreted and tracked by the host computer.

Although mechanical sensors are simple, straightforward, and very inexpensive to produce, there are some significant problems that can plague the mechanical mouse. Mechanical mouse designs are not terribly reliable. The metal-on-metal contact sets used to generate pulses are prone to wear and breakage. Dust, dirt, hair, and any other foreign matter carried into the mouse by the ball can also interfere with contacts. Any contact interference prevents pulses from being generated. This condition results in a frustratingly intermittent "skip" or "stall" of the cursor while you move the mouse. Fortunately, it is often a simple matter to disassemble and clean the contacts.

The next generation of mouse designs replaced the mechanical contacts with an optoisolator arrangement as illustrated in Fig. 31-4. A hard rubber mouse ball still rests against two perpendicularly opposed metal actuator rollers, but instead of each roller driving an array of contacts, the rollers rotate slotted wheels which are inserted into optoisolators. An optoisolator shines LED light across an air gap where it is detected by a photodiode or phototransistor. When a roller (and slotted wheel) spins, the light path between LED and detector is alternated or "chopped". This causes the detector's output signal to oscillate - thus, pulses are generated. The pulse frequency is dependent upon mouse speed. As with the mechanical mouse, the opto-mechanical mouse produces both positive and negative serial pulses depending on the direction of mouse movement.

The opto-mechanical mouse is a great improvement over the plain mechanical approach. By eliminating mechanical contacts, wear and tear on the mouse is significantly reduced, resulting in much longer life and higher reliability. However, the mouse is still subject to the interference of dust and other foreign matter that invariably finds its way into the mouse housing. Regular cleaning and internal dusting can prevent or correct instances of cursor skip or stall. Most mouse models in production today use opto-mechanical sensors.

The trackball is basically an inverted mouse. Instead of using your hand to move a mouse body around on a desk surface, a trackball remains stationary. Your hand or fingertips move the ball itself which is mounted through the top of the device. The advantage to a trackball is that it does not move. As a result, trackballs can be incorporated into desktop keyboards, or added to your work area with a minimum of required space. Such characteristics have made trackballs extremely popular with laptop and notebook computers. Today, most notebook computers incorporate pointing devices directly.

In spite of their advantages, however, a trackball is not quite as easy to use as a mouse. The successful use of a mouse is largely a matter of hand-eye coordination - a flick of the wrist and a click or two can maneuver you through a program at an impressive rate. Since you can move the mouse and manipulate its buttons simultaneously, dragging is a very intuitive gesture. Trackballs are usually turned with only your thumb. This positions the rest of your hand such that you can only reach one trackball button. That is a fine arrangement as long as you are only clicking a single button, but you often have to move your hand around completely to get to the second button (or you must at least let go of the ball). Dragging is also typically a cumbersome effort. Even a clumsy trackball is better than none at all, so you should be as familiar with trackballs as with a mouse.

Virtually all trackballs use the same opto-mechanical sensor technology that is used with mice. Instead of the mouse PC board resting over the ball, a trackball sits on top of a PC board. The hard rubber ball sits at the intersection of a set of small plastic rails (or tracks) - thus, the term "track-ball". This positions the ball between two perpendicularly oriented metal rollers. Each roller drives a slotted wheel which, in turn, runs between the LED and detector of an optoisolator. As the ball and rollers are made to turn, the slotted wheels cause the respective optoisolator's light path to alternate and generate signal pulses. Pulse frequency is dependent on the relative movements of each roller. Pulses are read and interpreted just like a mouse.

During initialization, your computer must load a device driver designed to read the proper port, interpret any signals generated by the trackball, and make switch and roller information available to whatever program calls for it. Given the similarities of mice and trackballs, many mouse-compatible applications are capable of accessing trackball data and responding just like a mouse - even the trackball device driver is virtually identical to a mouse driver (trackball drivers are usually "adopted" mouse drivers that simply compensate for the inversion of the ball). Since the technologies and construction techniques of mice and trackballs are essentially the same, the remainder of this chapter will treat a mouse and trackball as interchangeable devices.

Pointing devices are perhaps the simplest peripheral available for your computer. While they are reasonably forgiving to wear and tear, trackballs and mice can easily be fouled by dust, debris, and foreign matter introduced from the ball. Contamination of this sort is almost never damaging, but it can cause some maddening problems when using the pointing device. A regimen of routine cleaning will help to prevent contamination problems. You can use pre-fabricated mouse cleaning kits (Fig. 31-5) to speed the cleaning process. Turn your small-computer off before performing any cleaning procedures:

• Remove the ball. A ball is held in place by a retaining ring. For a mouse, the retaining ring is on the bottom. For a trackball, the ring is in the top. Rotate the ring and remove it gently - the ball will fall out. Place the retaining ring in a safe place.
• Clean the ball. Wash the ball in warm, soapy water, then dry it thoroughly with a clean, lint-free towel. Place the ball in a safe place.
• Blow out the dust. Use a can of photography-grade compressed air to blow out any dust or debris that has accumulated inside the pointing device. You may want to do this in an open or outdoor area.
• Clean the rollers. Notice that there are three rollers in the mouse; an X roller, a Y roller, and a small pressure roller the keeps the ball pressed against the X and Y rollers. Use a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to clean off any layer of gunk that may have accumulated on the rollers.
• Reassemble and test. Allow everything to dry completely, then replace the ball and retaining ring. You should then test the pointing device to be sure that it is performing as expected.

NOTE: Do NOT use harsh solvents, wood alcohol, or chemicals inside the pointing device or on the ball. Chemicals can easily melt the plastic and result in permanent damage to the pointing device.

The weakest link in a pointing system is the peripheral pointing device itself. Few peripheral devices are subjected to the wear and general abuse seen by trackballs or mice. They are dropped, yanked, and moved constantly from place to place. Damage to the device's PC board, cabling, and connector is extremely common due to abuse. Accumulations of dust and debris can easily work into the housing and create havoc with the rubber ball, tracks, and rollers. Hardware conflicts and driver configuration issues can also result in limitless problems. This part of the chapter guides you through some simple troubleshooting techniques for your trackball and mouse.

From time to time, you may need to check the physical interface on a mouse or trackball. At its core, the mouse uses a simple serial device - that is, it can pass serial data back and forth with the host computer using communication protocols managed by the mouse driver. There are three types of mouse interfaces commonly found in the field; serial mice, bus mice, and PS/2 mice. This part of the chapter highlights the pinouts for each interface type.

Serial mice - a "serial" mouse connects to an existing RS232 serial port at the PC (usually COM1 or COM2) using a standard DB-9F (9-pin female) or DB-25F (25-pin female) connector. Table 31-1 lists the pinout for a Logitech Type M, V, or W serial mouse connector.

Bus mice - there are many circumstances when it is not possible to use a serial mouse on an open COM port, and the PC is not fitted with a PS/2 port. In this case, it may be necessary to use a "bus mouse" - which basically involves using a stand-alone mouse controller board (a bus mouse controller) and mouse fitted with a bus mouse connector - usually a male sub-miniature "D"-type connector or a miniature male DIN (circular) connector. Careful not to mistake the 9-pin DIN connector of a bus mouse for the 6-pin circular connector of a PS/2 mouse. Table 31-2 lists the pinout for a Logitech bus mouse.

PS/2 mice - Most current computers are fitted with one or two PS/2 ports (these are often called PIX ports because the motherboard’s PIX controller(s) can manage the ports directly. PS/2 ports are basic serial interfaces which are ideal for keyboards and mice. PS/2 mice use a 6-pin DIN (barrel) connector as shown in Table 31-3. Bi-directional data transmission is controlled by the CLK and DATA lines - both are fed by an "open collector" device which lets either the host or mouse control the lines. During non-transmission, CLK is at logic "1", and DATA is at logic "0" or "1". The PC can inhibit mouse transmission by forcing CLK to logic "0".

Device drivers are often underrated when it comes to mouse/trackball troubleshooting. The driver plays a vital role in mouse performance, and any driver bugs or incompatibilities will have direct consequences on mouse operation. Mouse drivers are also surprisingly versatile programs which can be extensively configured through the use of command line switches. Table 31-4 lists the command line switches for Microsoft’s Mouse driver 9.0x. When dealing with any kind of mouse issue, always start by checking that the correct driver is installed, that the driver is the latest version, and that it is using any necessary command line switches to adapt itself to the particular PC (default settings are not always adequate).

Windows 95 traditionally relies on a mouse for clicking and dragging, but there is a little-known feature of Windows 95 called MouseKeys, which allows you to use the numeric keypad to move the mouse around the screen, click, double-click, and drag. MouseKeys can be helpful if you’re caught without a mouse (or troubleshooting a defective mouse system), and you need to navigate the Windows 95 environment.

The MouseKeys feature is activated through the Accessibility properties under the Control Panel. Click on Start, select Settings, then open the Control Panel. Double-click on the Accessibility icon and select the Mouse tab (Fig. 31-6). You can enable or disable MouseKeys by checking or clearing the check box. Once MouseKeys is enabled, you can further optimize its settings by clicking the Settings button (Fig. 31-7). If you check the "Use Shortcut" box, you can turn MouseKeys on and off by toggling the <Left Alt>+<Left Shift>+<Num Lock> keys.

Once the MouseKeys feature is turned on, move the cursor by pressing the arrow keys on the numeric keypad. Use the <Home>, <End>, <PageUp>, and <PageDown> keys to move the mouse cursor diagonally.

You can "left click" by pressing the <5> key on the numeric keypad. To "left double-click", press the <+> key on the numeric keypad. To "right click", press the <-> button on the numeric keypad first, then press <5> to "click" or <+> to "double-click". To click as if you were using both mouse buttons at once, press the <*> key on your numeric keypad, and then press <5> "click" or <+> to "double-click". If you want to switch back to standard clicking, press </> on your numeric keypad.

You’ll also need to be able to drag using MouseKeys. Make sure that the MouseKeys feature is turned on, then move the mouse pointer over the desired object. Press <Ins> on the numeric keypad to "hold down" the mouse button and "grab" the object. Move the mouse pointer over the new desired area, then press <Del> on the numeric keypad to "drop" the object.

Symptom 31-1. The mouse cursor appears, but it only moves erratically as the ball moves (if at all). This symptom may occur in either the horizontal or vertical axis. This symptom suggests that there is an intermittent condition occurring somewhere in the pointing device. You should not have to disassemble your computer at all during this procedure. Start your investigation by powering down the computer. Check the device's cable connector at the computer. Make sure the connector is tight and inserted properly. If you are in the habit of continually plugging and unplugging the mouse/trackball, excessive wear can develop in the connector pins over time. If the connector does not seem to fit tightly in the computer, try a new pointing device.

A more likely problem is that the device's rollers are not turning, or turning only intermittently. In most cases, roller stall is due to a dirty or damaged ball, or an accumulation of dirt blocking one or both sensors. Clean the ball and blow out any dust or debris that may have settled into the mouse/trackball housing. Refer to the preceding section on cleaning and attempt to clean the device thoroughly. NEVER use harsh solvents or chemicals to clean the housings or ball.

If you have the mouse connected to a standard serial communication port (a COM port), you should check that there are no other devices using the same interrupt (IRQ). For example, COM1 and COM3 use the same IRQ, while COM2 and COM4 share another IRQ. If you have a mouse on COM1 and a modem on COM3, there will almost invariably be a hardware conflict. If possible, switch the mouse (or conflicting device) to another port and try the system again.

If there is no hardware conflict, and cleaning does not correct an intermittent condition, remove the device's upper housing to expose the PC board, and use your multimeter to check continuity across each wire in the connecting cable. Since you probably will not know which connector pins correspond to which wires at the sensor PC board, place one meter probe on a device's wire and "ring-out" each connector pin until you find continuity. Make a wiring chart as you go. Each time you find a wire path, wiggle the cable to stimulate any possible intermittent wiring. Repair any intermittent wiring if possible. If you can not find continuity or repair faulty wiring, simply replace the pointing device.

Symptom 31-2. One or both buttons function erratically (if at all). Buttons are prone to problems from dust accumulation and general contact corrosion. Your first step should be power down your computer and disconnect the pointing device. Remove the ball and upper housing to expose the PC board and switches. Spray a small amount of electronics-grade contact cleaner into each switch, then work each switch to circulate the cleaner.

If cleaning does not improve intermittent switch contacts, you may wish to check continuity across the connecting cable. With the ball and housing cover removed, use your multimeter to check continuity across each wire in the connecting cable. Since you probably do not know which connector pins correspond to which wires at the device, place one meter lead on a device wire and "ring-out" each connector pin until you find continuity. Once you find continuity, wiggle the cable to stimulate any possible intermittent wiring. Repair any intermittent wiring if you can, or simply replace the pointing device.

Symptom 31-3. The screen cursor appears on the display, but is does not move. If the cursor appears, the device driver has loaded correctly and the application program is communicating with the driver. Your first step should be to suspect the serial connection. If there is no serial connection, however, there will be no pulses to modify the cursor’s position. If you find a bad connection, power down your computer before reattaching the device's serial connector, then restore power and allow the system to reinitialize.

If the device is attached correctly to its proper serial port, the problem probably exists in the pointing device's wiring. Remove the ball and upper housing to expose the PC board, then use your multimeter to check continuity across each wire in the connecting cable. Since you probably do not know which connector pins correspond to which wires in the device, place one meter lead on a device wire and "ring out" each connector pin until you find continuity. Once you find continuity, wiggle the cable to stimulate any possible intermittent wiring. Repair any intermittent or open wiring if you can, or simply replace the pointing device.

Symptom 31-4. The mouse/trackball device driver fails to load. The device driver is a short program that allows an application program to access information from a pointing device. Most computer users prefer to load their device drivers during system initialization by invoking the drivers in the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Most drivers are written to check for the presence of their respective device first - if the expected device does not respond, the driver will not be loaded into memory. Other drivers load blindly regardless of whether the expected device is present or not.

If the device driver fails to load during initialization, your pointing device may not have been detected. Power down your computer and check the connection of your pointing device. Ensure the device is securely plugged into the proper serial port (or other mouse port). If the device is missing or incorrectly inserted, install or re-secure the pointing device and allow the system to re-initialize. If you see a "File Not Found" error message displayed at the point your device driver was supposed to load, the driver may have been accidentally erased, may be corrupted, or may be located in a sub-directory where the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT files are not looking. Try re-installing a valid copy of your mouse device driver and ensure that the driver is located where your calling batch file can access it. Reboot your system.

Most well-designed application programs check for the presence of a pointing device through the device driver during initial program execution. If the application program aborts or fails to execute because of a "No Mouse Found" or "No Mouse Driver" error, return to the paragraphs above and recheck the device and driver installation.

Symptom 31-5. You see a "General Protection Fault" after installing a new mouse and driver under Windows. First, this is probably not a hardware fault (although it would be helpful to check any mouse driver command line switches in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT). It is more likely that the new mouse driver is conflicting with one or more applications. Try several different applications - most will probably work just fine. Check with the mouse manufacturer to see if there are any other reported problems, and find if any patches are planned. If you have an older version of the mouse driver available, try replacing that one. An older driver may not work as well as a newer one, but it may not suffer from this kind of compatibility problem. If there are no older drivers available, and no patches that you can use, you may be forced to change the mouse and mouse driver to something completely different in order to eliminate the problem.

Symptom 31-6. You see an error; "This pointer device requires a newer version". In virtually all cases, you have the wrong driver installed on the system for your driver. Check the driver and make sure that the driver you are using is appropriate for the particular mouse. For example, a Logitech or Genius mouse selected in Windows setup can cause this kind of problem if you have a Microsoft mouse on the system. Change the mouse type under Windows. Under Windows 95, you’ll need to remove the old mouse reference from the Device Manager, then use the Add New Hardware wizard to install the new mouse manually.

Symptom 31-7. You see an error; "Mouse port disabled or mouse not present". This is almost always a connection problem, or a setup problem. Check the signal connector first - make sure the mouse cable is not cut or damaged anywhere, and see that it is attached securely to the serial or PS/2 port. Many newer system BIOS versions now provide an option in the CMOS Setup for a mouse port. Check the CMOS Setup and see that any entries for your mouse are enabled properly.

Symptom 31-8. The mouse works for a few minutes, then stops. When the computer is rebooted, the mouse starts working again. This is a problem which often plagues cut-price mice, and is almost always due to buildups of static in the mouse. The static charges are interfering with the mouse circuitry, and causing the mouse to stop responding (though charges are not enough to actually damage the mouse). There are generally three ways to resolve the problem; (1) spray the surrounding carpet and upholstery with very dilute fabric softener to dissipate static buildup, (2) hire an electrician to ensure that the computer and house wiring are grounded properly, or (3) replace the mouse with a more static-resistant model.

Symptom 31-9. You attempt a double-click but get quadruple-click, or you attempt a single-click and get a double-click. This is a phenomenon called "button bounce", and is the result of a hardware defect (broken or poorly buffered mouse buttons). You may be able to clean the mouse buttons by spraying in some good-quality electronic-grade contact cleaner. Otherwise, you’ll need to replace the mouse outright.

Symptom 31-10. A single mouse click works, but double-click doesn't. When this problem occurs, it is almost always because the "double-click speed" is set too high in the Windows 95 mouse control panel. Try setting it lower. Click Start, select Settings, then open the Control Panel. Double-click the Mouse icon and adjust the "Double-click speed" slider under the Buttons tab.

Symptom 31-11. A PS/2 mouse is not detected by a notebook PC under Windows 95. There is a known problem with PS/2 mouse detection on a Toshiba portable computer under Windows 95. You can usually correct the problem by taking the following steps:

1. Shut down the computer entirely and physically disconnect the PS/2 mouse from the PS/2 port.
1. Restart the PC to the DOS mode and create backup copies of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
1. Restart Windows 95 (reboot the PC if necessary).
1. Click Start, select Settings, open the Control Panel, and double-click on the System icon.
1. Select the Device Manager tab and double-click the Mouse entry.
1. Select the mouse entry which is not being detected (i.e. "Toshiba AccuPoint"), and click Remove.
1. Select and remove any other mouse entries.
1. Shut down the computer and reconnect the mouse, then turn the PC back on.
1. When the system reboots, it should detect the mouse and attempt to reinstall the appropriate drivers.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, a hardware issue could exist. Try a different PS/2 mouse (preferably from a manufacturer different than the current one). If a different make and model PS/2 mouse does not work, the PS/2 port may require service.

Symptom 31-12. Mouse pointer options are not saved. This is a known problem when you use the "extra points" features in the Mouse Manager program included with the Microsoft Mouse driver. The pointer options are not saved or written to the MOUSE.INI file when you are running a virus-protection program such as Microsoft Anti-Virus (MSAV) or Norton Anti-Virus (NAV). To correct this problem, remove the CHKLIST.MS or CHKLIST.CPS file in the directory which contains the mouse files. To determine the location of that directory, type "set" at the MS-DOS command prompt - it will return a list of locations of various files and memory strings. Look for the MOUSE= line, then go to that directory and delete the CHKLIST.MS or CHKLIST.CPS file. Reboot the system and try saving options again.

Symptom 31-13. Clicking the right mouse button doesn’t start the default context menus of Windows 95. If the mouse manager software you’re running is using an assignment set for the right button, this assignment will override the Windows 95 default setting of "context menus". Open the mouse management software utility and change the assignment for the right button to "Unassigned". Save your changes. The right mouse button will now access the default context menus.

Symptom 31-14. The modem won’t start after installing new mouse management software. For example, this is a known problem when installing Logitech’s MouseWare 6.60 or later under Windows 95. Sometimes the mouse drivers may detect the modem as a second mouse and try to initialize it. This can cause the modem to go into a busy state. However, you can prevent the mouse drivers from searching the serial port which the modem is using:

1. Download the current mouse driver for Windows 95.
1. Edit the Windows 95 registry by clicking on the Start menu and selecting Run.
1. Type "C:\WINDOWS\REGEDIT.EXE" on the Open line.
1. Click OK. The Registry Editor program will start.
1. Double-click on the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder.
1. Double-click on the "SOFTWARE" folder.
1. Double-click on the manufacturer’s folder (i.e. Logitech).
1. Double-click on the manufacturer’s driver folder (i.e. MouseWare).
1. Double-click on the "CurrentVersion" folder.
1. Click on the "Global" folder.
1. Let’s assume the mouse is on COM1 and the modem is on COM2. On the right side of the screen, there will be a list of value data strings. Double-click on the "PortSearchOrder" string. An Edit String dialogue box will appear. The Value Data line will read:

12. Remove the space, the comma and "COM2" so the line reads:

13. If you only plan to use one mouse on the system, change the "MaximumDevices" value data line to "1" using the same steps as above. This will tell the driver to stop searching for additional mice after the primary mouse has been found.

NOTE: If you are not using a serial mouse, remove "Serial" from the "SearchOrder" value data line so that no serial devices are searched for at all - in general, remove any reference to the port the modem is using.

14. Now click "OK", and the values under the data value section on the right side of the screen should change. Exit the registry editor (saving is automatic). Shut down the computer and reboot from a cold start so that your changes can take effect.

Symptom 31-15. A 2-button "First Mouse" refuses to work on a Packard Bell system. The pointer doesn’t move, but Windows 95 did not report any problem detecting the mouse. This is a known problem with some Packard Bell computers and the 2 button "First Mouse" serial version (M/N: M34). It may be possible to work-around the problem by pressing <Ctrl>+<Esc> to open the Start menu. Using the arrow keys, highlight Settings, then Control Panel, and press the <Enter> key. Select the Mouse icon with the arrow keys, and press the <Enter> key. This will open the Mouse Properties dialog box. "Tab over" to the Quick Setup tab. Then (using the right arrow key) open the Devices tab. Once on the Devices tab, "Tab over" to the Add Mouse button and press the <Enter> key. The mouse control software should now detect the 2-button serial mouse, and the pointer should now move properly. Unfortunately, you’ll need to perform this procedure each time you restart the system. Otherwise, you should try disabling the built-in serial port and install a different serial card.

You might also exchange the serial version for a PS/2 version if your system has a dedicated PS/2 style mouse port (be sure to uninstall the mouse software if you plan to exchange the mouse). Go to the Windows 95 Control Panel and launch the Add/Remove Programs icon. Select the mouse product (i.e. "Logitech MouseWare") and click on the Add/Remove button. When the message "Uninstall Completed" appears, reboot the system.

Symptom 31-16. A Logitech 3-button mouse refuses to work on a Packard Bell computer. You install a Logitech 3-button mouse on a Packard Bell computer, and when you open the Enhanced Mouse Control Center, the Devices tab it states; "Pointing device on unknown port". It also shows only a 2-button mouse. In virtually all cases, you’ll need to tweak the Registry:

1. Click on the Start menu and selecting Run.
1. Type "C:\WINDOWS\REGEDIT.EXE" on the Open line.
1. Click OK. The Registry Editor program will start.
1. Open the Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Mouse\<nnnn> folder (where <nnnn> is an incremental 4-digit number starting at 0000).
1. Click on each folder under the Mouse folder and delete them until there are no 000X folders remaining.
1. Exit the Registry (saving is automatic) and reboot the system from a cold start.
1. Open the Enhanced Mouse Control Center to verify the correct detection of the pointing device.

Symptom 31-17. The mouse pointer moves only vertically. The mouse is connected to a PS/2 port under Windows 95. If the mouse works along one axis but not the other, it’s usually due to a hardware problem - either the mouse needs cleaning or repair. However, in some cases a software configuration problem can occur when the mouse driver (i.e. Mouse Power v9.5) is installed on a system with Plug-and-Play BIOS running Windows 95, and the mouse is connected to the PS/2-style mouse port. As soon as you touch the mouse, the pointer darts over the right edge of the screen, and then will move only up and down.

1. To regain control over your computer, reboot in Safe Mode.
1. Click Start, then Run, then type "REGEDIT" and press <Enter>.
1. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum folder and see if "BIOS" is listed under Enum. If it is, then you know the software configuration problem is causing the issue.
1. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\BIOS\*PNP0F13, and look for a key (usually "05" or "07") under "*PNP0F13". Click on this key to highlight it. The key under "*PNP0F13" should now be highlighted, and the corresponding values should be displayed on the right side of the window. Note that there are "string values" with an "ab" icon next to them, and "binary values" with a "011" icon next to them.
1. Compare your values to those shown below. Edit your entries until all your values shown on the screen match the values shown below:

ab Class "Mouse"

011 ConfigFlags 00 00 00 00

ab DeviceDesc "Mouse Systems v2.18"

ab Driver "Mouse\0000"

ab HardwareID "*PNP0F0C"

ab Mfg "Mouse Systems"

6. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Mouse. There should be multiple keys under Mouse (such as "0000" and "0001"). All but one are to be deleted. Carefully determine which one pertains to your current mouse (by looking at the values associated with each key), and delete all keys under Mouse except the related one.

7. Make sure the one remaining key under Mouse is labelled "0000" (rename it if necessary).

8. Click on the "X" box in the far upper-right corner of the Registry Editor to close it.

9. Reboot the computer from a cold start. The computer should reboot in normal mode, and the problem with the mouse and keyboard should be gone.

That concludes the material for Chapter 31. Be sure to review the glossary and chapter questions on the accompanying CD. If you have access to the Internet, take a look at some of the mouse and trackball resources listed below:

Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com

Logitech: http://www.logitech.com

Genius: http://www.genius-kye.com/

Mitsumi: http://www.mitsumi.com

Mouse Systems: http://www.mousesystems.com/

Mouse Trak: http://www.mousetrak.com/

No Hands Mouse: http://www.footmouse.com/