NOMOUSE.DRV Is Required when No Mouse Is Installed (81523)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft Windows 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows 3.11
This article was previously published under Q81523

SUMMARY

When a mouse driver is removed from Microsoft Windows, Windows requires that the NOMOUSE.DRV driver be installed. This driver tells Windows that a mouse is not present. This is necessary because Windows requires a driver to be associated with the "Mouse.drv=" line in the [boot] section of the SYSTEM.INI file. During startup, Windows takes the following actions depending on what it finds in the "Mouse.drv=" line:
  • If the Mouse.drv= line does not have an entry after the equal (=) sign, Windows exits to an MS-DOS command prompt.
  • If the Mouse.drv= line is missing from the SYSTEM.INI file, Windows looks in the Windows and system directories and the path. If there is a MOUSE.DRV file there, then it uses it, regardless of file date or size.
  • If there is no MOUSE.DRV file, then Windows exits to an MS-DOS command prompt.
Windows does not search for the following mouse drivers:

NOMOUSE.DRV
LMOUSE.DRV
MSMOUSE.DRV
MSMOUSE2.DRV

MORE INFORMATION

To properly remove a mouse:
  1. Double-click the Windows Setup icon from the Main program group.
  2. From the Options menu, choose Change System Settings.
  3. Click the Down Arrow button at the end of the Mouse box.
  4. From the list of available mice, select:

    No mouse or other pointing device

  5. Choose OK.
  6. Windows prompts for the appropriate disk.
It is also possible to perform this function by exiting to MS-DOS and running Windows SETUP.EXE (located in the Windows directory) from the command line.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/19/2005
Keywords:KB81523
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.