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Troubleshooting Mouse Problems
Troubleshooting Mouse Problems
Most problems with mice are related either to its port connection, the mouse
driver, the trackball in a trackball mouse or a trackball unit, and the operation
of the mouse buttons.
In newer systems, the mouse is typically connected to the USB port or the
dedicated PS/2 mouse port on the back of the unit. In ATX systems, the keyboard
and mouse have been given the same six-pin mini-DIN connector and,
unfortunately, they do not work interchangeably. Although plugging the
mouse into the keyboard connector should not cause any physical damage, it
does cause problems with getting the system to work. These connections
tend to be color-coded so you can check to ensure the mouse is connected to
the green connector.
For PnP-compatible mice, installation and configuration has become a fairly
routine process. Connect the mouse to the PS/2 mouse port and let the
system autodetect it and install the basic Windows mouse drivers.
However, specialty miceincluding USB-connected mice, wireless mice,
and infrared micealong with other pointing devices might require special
drivers that are supplied by the manufacturer and loaded from the disk or
disc that accompanies the device. Older serial mice used one of the PCs serial
ports as their interface. These ports had to be properly configured for the
serial mouse to work properly.
When a trackball mouse is moved across the table, the trackball picks up dirt
or lint, which can hinder the movement of the trackball, typically evident by
the cursor periodically freezing and jumping onscreen. On most mice, you
can remove the trackball from the mouse by a latching mechanism on its bottom.
Twisting the latch counterclockwise enables you to remove the trackball.
Then, you can clean dirt out of the mouse.
The other mechanical part of the mouse is its buttons. These items can wear
out under normal use. When they do, the mouse should simply be replaced.
However, before doing so, check the Properties of the mouse in the operating
system to ensure that the button functions have not been altered. It
would be a shame to throw away a perfectly good mouse because it had been
set up for left-hand use in the operating system.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.ar.dw. a.re. T.ro.ub. le. s.ho.o.tin.g. T.ec.hn. iq. u.es. 197