The Microsoft mouse pointer moves erratically or does not respond when you use a Microsoft mouse or an IntelliMouse pointing device (185663)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft EasyBall
  • Microsoft IntelliMouse 1.0
  • Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer
  • Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth 2.0
  • Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical
  • Microsoft Intellimouse Optical Wheel Mouse
  • Microsoft IntelliMouse TrackBall
  • Microsoft Intellimouse Trackball Explorer
  • Microsoft Intellimouse Trackball Optical
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint Software version 4.1
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 1.0
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 1.1
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 2.0
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 2.1
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 2.2
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 3.0
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 3.1
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 3.2
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint software 4.0
  • Microsoft IntelliPoint Software 5.1
  • Microsoft Mouse 1.0
  • Microsoft Mouse 2.0
  • Wireless Optical Desktop 3000
  • Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth 2.0
  • Microsoft Optical Mouse Blue
  • Microsoft Optical Mouse by Starck
  • Microsoft Wireless Desktop Version 1.0
  • Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer USB
  • Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000
  • Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 v2.0
  • Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000
  • Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 5000
  • Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 5000
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Comfort Edition
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Pro
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse Blue
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2000
  • Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 1000

This article was previously published under Q185663
Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry


Warning The steps that are provided in this article may disable the internal pointing device in a laptop computer.

SYMPTOMS

When you use a Microsoft mouse or a Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
  • The pointer may move erratically.
  • The pointer may not respond when you move the pointing device.
  • Button clicks may have no effect.
  • The pointing device may stop working after a few minutes of use.
  • Some options or tabs may be unavailable in the Mouse tool in Control Panel.
  • If you connect a Microsoft Plug and Play Serial Mouse, Microsoft EasyBall, or Microsoft IntelliMouse to the computer, the new pointing device may not be detected by Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98. When you run the Add New Hardware Wizard, the issue is not resolved.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur if files from a previous installation of a pointing device remain on the computer. Files may remain even after the pointing device has been removed.

RESOLUTION

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
Warning Do not try the following steps on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer or on a Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

321122 You experience issues when you use a Microsoft pointing device on a Windows-based computer

  1. Restart the computer in Safe mode. To do this, use the appropriate method for your version of Microsoft Windows.

    If you are using Microsoft Windows 95, follow these steps:
    1. Restart the computer.
    2. When you receive the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key
    3. on the Startup menu, select Safe Mode.
    If you are using Microsoft Windows 98, follow these steps:
    1. Restart the computer.
    2. Press and hold down the CTRL key after the computer completes the Power On Self Test (POST).
    3. On the Startup menu, click Safe Mode.
  2. Click Start, click Run, type sysedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
  3. In the Autoexec.bat window, type rem, and then press the SPACEBAR at the beginning of each line that contains the word "mouse."
  4. On the File menu, click Save, and then close the Autoexec.bat window.
  5. In the Config.sys window, type rem, and then press the SPACEBAR at the beginning of each line that contains the word "mouse."
  6. On the File menu, click Save, and then close the Config.sys window.
  7. In the System.ini window, verify that the mouse.drv= line in the [boot] section and the mouse= line in the [386enh] section match the following lines:
    [boot]
    mouse.drv=mouse.drv
    						

    [386enh]
    mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
    						
    If one of lines does not match, type a SEMICOLON (;) at the beginning of the line, press the END key, press ENTER, and then type the line exactly as it appears above.

    Note Do not type a SEMICOLON (;) at the beginning of a section header line.
  8. On the File menu, click Save, and then click Exit.
  9. Use Registry Editor to remove the registry entries for your previous pointing device. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Use Registry Editor to remove the following keys from the Windows registry:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Mouse\nnnn

      In this example, nnnn is an incremental four-digit number that starts at 0000.
    2. Remove the following registry key, if it exists:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\Root\Mouse\nnnn

      In this example, nnnn is an incremental four-digit number that starts at 0000.
    3. Remove any of the following registry keys that contain a "mouse" value data setting in the right pane

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\Root\*PNPnnnn\####

      In this example, nnnn is a four-character alphanumeric string, and #### is an incremental four-digit number that starts at 0000.
    4. Remove all the registry keys under the following registry key, if they exist:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\Serenum

    5. Remove the following registry keys, if they exist:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Logitech\Mouseware
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Microsoft Input Devices\Mouse
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse

    6. Quit Registry Editor.
  10. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
  11. Click the Device Manager tab.
  12. Expand Mouse.
  13. Under Mouse, click a pointing device, and then click Remove.

    Repeat this step to remove each pointing device under Mouse.
  14. Click OK.
  15. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  16. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
  17. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft IntelliPoint, and then click Add/Remove. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to remove the IntelliPoint software.
  18. When you are prompted to restart the computer, do so.

    Note Repeat steps 18 and 19 to remove any third-party pointing device software that is listed in the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
  19. Click Start, click Run, type C:\Program Files\Microsoft Hardware in the Open box.
  20. Click OK.
  21. Remove any files that reference the IntelliPoint mouse.
  22. Close the Microsoft Hardware dialog box.
When you restart the computer, the attached pointing device is detected by Microsoft Windows and the appropriate drivers are installed. To re-enable the IntelliPoint features, reinstall the Microsoft IntelliPoint software.

Perform a clean boot procedure on the computer

To perform a clean boot procedure on the computer, use the appropriate method for your version of Windows.

Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

  1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
  2. On the General tab, click Selective startup.
  3. Click to clear all the check boxes under Selective startup.
  4. On the Startup tab, click to select the *StateMgr check box.
  5. Click OK.
  6. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.
  7. After the computer restarts, click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.

    Important Look closely at the General tab to make sure that the check boxes that you cleared are still cleared. Go to step 6 if none of the check boxes are selected. If you see a disabled or gray check box, the computer is not truly "clean-booted." You may require assistance from the manufacturer of the program to select the Msconfig check box.
  8. After you verify that the computer is clean-booted in step 7, you can isolate the issue. If the original issue does not reoccur after the clean boot procedure, select each item under Selective startup. Restart the computer to see if the additional entry reproduces the original issue.

Windows 98

  1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
  2. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear the following check boxes:
    • Process Config.sys File
    • Process Autoexec.bat File
    • Process Winstart.bat File (if available)
    • Load Startup Group Items
  3. On the Win.ini tab, click to clear the following check boxes:
    • Load=
    • Run=
  4. Click OK. When you are prompted to restart the computer, do so.
For more information about how to perform a clean boot procedure on a Windows 98-based computer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

192926 How to perform clean-boot troubleshooting for Windows 98

Note To restore your original Startup options, click Normal Startup on the General tab in the System Configuration Utility.

Windows 95

  1. Restart the computer.
  2. When you receive the "Starting Windows 95" message, press F8, and then select Command Prompt Only on the Startup menu.
  3. At the command prompt, type win, and then press ENTER.
  4. Press and hold down SHIFT until the Windows startup sequence is completed.
  5. Turn off any antivirus or disk tool programs that are installed on the computer. For information about how to turn off these programs, see the printed or online documentation for the program.
  6. Close all the programs that are running except Explorer and Systray.

    To do this, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click the program that you want to close, and then click End Task. If you receive a message that states that the program is busy or not responding, click End Task again. Repeat this step to close all the programs except Explorer and Systray.
For more information about how to perform a clean boot procedure on a Windows 95-based computer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

177604 Multimedia: Troubleshooting using clean boot of Windows 95

Note To restore your original Startup options, restart the computer, and then turn on any antivirus or disk tool programs that are installed on the computer. For information about how to turn on these programs, see the printed or online documentation for the program.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/9/2006
Keywords:kbenv kbHardware kbhw kbimu kbprb KB185663