Microsoft BallPoint 8.1 Update Kit README.TXT (81662)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Mouse Driver for Windows 8.1
This article was previously published under Q81662 SUMMARY
The following text is the README.TXT from the Microsoft Mouse Driver
8.1 Update Kit. You can view this by running the README.EXE file.
MORE INFORMATIONMICROSOFT BALLPOINT MOUSE RELEASE NOTES
(software version 8.10)
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1991
This document contains information that supplements the
"Microsoft BallPoint Mouse User's Guide" and accompanying
software.
CONTENTS
I. Notes on Setup for DOS and Windows 3.0
The APPEND Command
PATH Modifications
Single-drive PCs
Network Installations
Loading the DOS Mouse Driver under Windows
II. New LCD Screen Pointer Options
Improving pointer visibility in DOS
Improving pointer visibility in Windows
Pointer settings in MOUSE.INI
Using pointer options with included menu software
III. Using the BallPoint Mouse with OS/2
Installing an OS/2 Mouse Driver
Setting Orientation and Buttons for OS/2
IV. Miscellaneous Items
New Single-Button Clicklock Release
Using high or expanded memory with DOS 5.0
Loading MOUSE.INI Settings
Acceleration Profiles
Tutorial Notes
Using the mouse with Desqview
Mechanical Tips
________________________________________________________
I. NOTES ON SETUP FOR DOS AND WINDOWS
The APPEND Command
------------------
SETUP may not work properly if you have used the MS-DOS
APPEND command. If APPEND is in effect, then remove it
before running Setup by typing
APPEND;
at the DOS command line (include the semicolon).
PATH Modifications
------------------
If you have a long PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file,
you may want to tell Setup not to add the BallPoint files to
your PATH. If you exceed the DOS limit of 127 characters,
you will have to switch to (or specify) the directory
containing the mouse file you want to load or run.
Note that some systems may not start properly if the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file being used contains a PATH statement that
is too long. If this occurs with your system, restart the
computer using a floppy system disk (DOS boot disk) and edit
the PATH statement so that it contains fewer than 127
characters.
If you have an older version of the mouse software on your
system and the directory that includes the older version is
included in your PATH, you should delete this directory from
the PATH statement. Leaving the directory in the PATH may
cause the older files to be found when you enter mouse
commands at the DOS command line.
Older versions of the mouse software do not include all the
features of version 8.0+, including BallPoint Mouse support.
Delete older versions of the mouse software from your system
and use a text editor to remove the older directory from the
PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Single-drive PCs
----------------
If you have a single-drive PC without a hard disk, you will
not be able to use the Setup program to install the
BallPoint mouse software. For more information, see
"Installing the BallPoint Mouse for Additional
Configurations" in the BallPoint Mouse User's Guide.
Network Installations
---------------------
If you have a network, the Setup program should install the
mouse software correctly. If you experience problems getting
the mouse to work with network software on your computer,
you may need to make sure that the network software loads
before the mouse software. After running the BallPoint Mouse
Setup program, check the order in which the files load in
your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and change it if necessary.
Loading the DOS Mouse Driver under Windows
------------------------------------------
You cannot load the DOS mouse driver from the DOS Prompt in
Windows. To load the DOS mouse driver so that it is
available when you go to the DOS Prompt from Windows:
1. Exit Windows
2. Type MOUSE at the command line
3. Restart Windows
__________________________________________________________
II. NEW LCD SCREEN POINTER OPTIONS
To improve mouse pointer visibility on computers with
liquid-crystal (LCD) displays, version 8.10 of the mouse
software introduces several features. Pointer visibility
can be improved by altering the size and color of the
pointer. The pointer can also be made to grow in size when
the mouse is moved, returning to its normal size when mouse
movement slows. This "growth" capability helps you keep
track of the pointer when it is in motion, yet still do
detail work with the pointer at its normal size--without
obstructing vision of an object or control on the screen.
Pointer settings are kept in the MOUSE.INI file.
Improving pointer visibility in DOS
-----------------------------------
For non-Windows applications, pointer visibility options
must be set from the DOS command line. The new POINTER
command is provided for this purpose and uses the following
format:
POINTER [size,color,growth,threshold,delay]
where size = 1, 1.5, or 2
(normal/small, medium, large)
color = normal, reverse, or transparent
growth = 1 or 0 (on or off)
threshold = 1-100
delay = 1-100
In DOS text mode, the normal pointer, often referred to as a
cursor, has the shape of a square box. To improve visibility
on LCD screens in text mode, the medium pointer takes the
shape of a cross, while the large pointer is shaped like a
large box with a hole in the middle.
Text mode pointer shapes:
X XXX
Normal X Medium XXX Large X X
X XXX
Note that in DOS graphics mode, specifying medium or large
does not change the arrow pointer size. Instead, the pointer
is surrounded by a rounded box to improve its visibility.
The normal (white) pointer can be made reverse (black) in
color. The actual colors may differ depending on the type of
screen you are using. A third color choice is transparent,
which makes the pointer opposite in color to whatever is
beneath it at any given time. This gives it a transparent
effect as it is moved over text and objects on the screen.
The growth option is specified as either 1 or 0 (on or off).
When growth is on, the setting for threshold is used to
determine the speed at which the mouse must be moving before
the pointer will be "grown" to either medium or large
(depending on which was specified with the size parameter).
Both threshold speed and delay are relative numbers in the
range 1 to 100, representing minimum to maximum settings. A
maximum delay of 100 corresponds to a delay of approximately
ten seconds before the pointer returns to small size on the
screen. Note that threshold and delay settings have no
visible effect when the growth parameter is off.
Pointer parameters must be entered in the order shown above,
separated by commas. However, parameters may be skipped by
leaving out their numeric values.Spaces are ignored. Values
that are not being changed, but follow those you are
changing, may be omitted. Parameters that are skipped or
omitted result in no change to those settings in mouse-
driver memory.
Example DOS pointer commands:
POINTER 2
POINTER 2,reverse
POINTER 2,reverse,1,30,10
POINTER 1.5,,0
POINTER,transparent,1
POINTER,,,30,10
POINTER (displays brief command-line help)
Improving pointer visibility in Windows
---------------------------------------
Pointer settings are now available using the Pointer option
button in the Windows Mouse Control Panel version 8.10. You
can customize your Windows pointer by selecting the Size and
Color icons that make it easiest to view on your LCD screen.
Note that your choices take effect immediately, so that you
can quickly determine which combination of settings is best
for you.
The pointer growth feature is available when you choose
either a Medium or Large pointer size. To turn on growth,
click the On button. When you move the mouse quickly, and
with growth on, the pointer will "grow" to the pointer size
you have selected. Once mouse movement slows, the pointer
will return to its Normal (or smallest) size again. You can
set the mouse speed required to cause the pointer to grow by
moving the Threshold slider bar. The amount of time that
the pointer remains larger, before it returns to Normal
size, is set using the Delay control.
Note that the growth feature works only with the normal
system pointers used in Windows. Many Windows applications
include additional pointers for specific tasks. These
additional, or application-specific, pointers are not
affected by the growth option. The size and color options
do, however, take effect with application-specific pointers.
The Restore button at the bottom of the Pointer Options
dialog box allows you to return all pointer settings to
their default values for Windows. When you choose Restore,
the Size and Color options will indicate that nothing is
currently selected, and the Growth feature is turned off.
You may notice that the shapes of some of the Small pointers
differ slightly from the default (restored) Windows shapes.
The Small pointer shapes have been adjusted to improve
visibility on LCD screens.
You keep pointer settings in effect in Windows and in your
Windows applications, by choosing the OK button. To discard
the changes you have made, choose Cancel. When you choose
OK, the Pointer Options dialog closes and you are returned
to the Mouse Control Panel where you can choose other mouse
settings. Note that settings changes are recorded
permanently from the Control Panel only when you choose OK.
In order to keep the growth feature running when you choose
OK, the following filename in added to your WIN.INI file:
load=c:\ballpt\pointer.exe
Please note that help is available from the Pointer Options
dialog box by choosing the Help button or simply pressing
F1.
Pointer settings in MOUSE.INI
-----------------------------
Pointer settings are stored in two new sections in the
MOUSE.INI file. This file is located in the directory you
specify when you run the Setup program. Following are the
settings in MOUSE.INI that are installed when you tell Setup
you want to improve pointer visibility for your LCD screen.
These are the default settings, which will change when you
use either the POINTER command from DOS or the Pointer
Options button in Windows.
[DOSPointer] [WindowsPointer]
PointerSize=Large PointerSize=Large
PointerColor=Normal PointerColor=Normal
Growth=OFF Growth=OFF
Threshold=20 Threshold=20
Delay=3 Delay=3
Note: Pointer settings can be made different in DOS than in
Windows. This is so that you can optimize pointer visibility
to account for the different color schemes used in the two
operating environments.
Using Pointer Options with Included Menu Software
-------------------------------------------------
Pointer visibility options are not compatible with the menu
programs that are included with the mouse software. Loading
a DOS-application mouse menu will disable any pointer
options which may have been in effect. The mouse menu will
load and function properly, however. Similarly, if you have
a mouse menu loaded and attempt to also load pointer options
(using POINTER.EXE from the command line), the menu will
cease to function, and the pointer options will take effect.
__________________________________________________________
III. USING THE BALLPOINT MOUSE WITH OS/2
Installing an OS/2 Mouse Driver
-------------------------------
This release includes two Microsoft OS/2 Mouse drivers:
OS2MOUSE.V11 for OS/2 version 1.1
OS2MOUSE.V13 for OS/2 versions 1.2 and 1.3
These drivers work with the following pointing devices:
MS Serial-PS/2 Mouse
MS Bus(Inport) Mouse
MS BallPoint Mouse
You do not need a separate driver for each type of mouse.
Installation of the OS/2 mouse drivers must be done
manually.
To install an OS/2 mouse driver:
(Assume your device drivers are in the directory C:\OS2.)
1. Copy OS2MOUSE.V11 (or OS2MOUSE.V13) to C:\OS2.
2. Edit your CONFIG.SYS file to remove the line that
points to your current mouse driver. This line will
vary according to the type of mouse installed.
Example line to be removed:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\IBMMOU1.SYS (remove this line)
3. If you are using OS/2 version 1.2, you must also
remove the line that includes MOUSE.SYS. Example
line to be removed:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS TYPE=MSSER$
(remove this line)
4. Insert one of the following lines in the CONFIG.SYS
file:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V11 (insert for OS/2 ver.1.1)
or
DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13 (for OS/2 1.2 or 1.3)
5. Save these changes and restart your computer.
Setting Orientation and Buttons for OS/2
----------------------------------------
Because there is no Mouse Control Panel supplied for OS/2,
you must set BallPoint mouse orientation and make button
assignments at startup through settings on the DEVICE= line
in your CONFIG.SYS file.
To set orientation, use the ROTATE= option to specify the
number of degrees of rotation from the default (right-hand
side) BallPoint position.
To set buttons, use the BUTTONS= option. The BUTTONS= option
specifies button assignments for all four BallPoint mouse
buttons. The letter P designates the primary button, S
designates the secondary button, and zero (0) indicates an
unassigned button.
When you use the BUTTONS= option, a value must be given for
each of the four BallPoint mouse buttons, and only one
button at a time can be either primary or secondary. The two
unassigned buttons become the clicklock pair if this feature
is used (see below).
Note: For more information on rotation angles and button
numbering 1-4, see Appendix A in the BallPoint Mouse User's
Guide.
Example: The default (right-hand side) configuration for the
BallPoint mouse would be represented by the following line
in CONFIG.SYS:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13 ROTATE=0 BUTTONS=P0S0
Note that button numbers 1 and 3 are primary and secondary,
respectively.
A left-hand configuration would be represented by:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13 ROTATE=180 BUTTONS=0P0S
where buttons numbers 2 and 4 are primary and secondary,
respectively.
To enable the clicklock feature for OS/2, use the CLICKLOCK=
option:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\OS2MOUSE.V13 CLICKLOCK=ON
To disable clicklock, use CLICKLOCK=OFF.
Note that the OS/2 options ROTATE=, BUTTONS= and CLICKLOCK=
can appear in any order on the DEVICE= line in CONFIG.SYS,
and that none is required.
___________________________________________________________
IV. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Loading MOUSE.INI settings
--------------------------
The settings in MOUSE.INI are read by both the DOS and
Windows mouse drivers only when they load. Similarly, the
Windows Mouse Control Panel reads the settings in MOUSE.INI
only when it is started. The DOS mouse utilities Compass and
Control Panel get their initial settings from those resident
in mouse-driver memory.
Saving changes permanently from any of the mouse utilities
updates both the settings in driver memory and the settings
in the MOUSE.INI file. However, if you edit the MOUSE.INI
file manually, your new settings will not be recognized by
either mouse driver until it is reloaded.
To make your edits to settings take effect in DOS:
1. Save the edited MOUSE.INI.
2. Restart your computer.
or,
Remove the mouse driver from memory by typing MOUSE
OFF;
then reload the mouse driver by typing MOUSE.
To make your edits to settings take effect in Windows:
1. Save the edited MOUSE.INI.
2. Exit Windows.
3. Restart Windows.
For more information on editing the settings in MOUSE.INI,
see Appendix A in the BallPoint Mouse User's Guide.
New Single-Button Click-lock Release
------------------------------------
The click-lock feature has been changed to allow you to
terminate a drag operation simply by pressing any BallPoint
mouse button. Previously, you were required to again press
the click-lock pair of buttons (simultaneously).
Using High or Expanded Memory with DOS 5.0
------------------------------------------
You may use the loadhigh or devicehigh commands in DOS 5.0
to load the mouse driver into high or expanded memory. To
load the mouse driver into one of these memory areas, use
the /U or /E mouse command-line switches provided. For more
information on mouse driver memory management, see Appendix
A in the BallPoint Mouse User's Guide.
Acceleration Profiles
---------------------
The acceleration profiles included in the MOUSE.INI file on
the BallPoint Setup disk are different from those shown in
the Appendixes in the User's Guide. (The profiles in the
User's Guide are the same as those provided with the
Microsoft Mouse.) The profiles installed by the setup
program have been designed specifically for the BallPoint
Mouse. Use the Control Panel to choose the profile that
suits you best.
Tutorial Notes
--------------
The BallPoint Mouse tutorial was created using G.R.A.S.P.
(Graphics Animation System for Professionals) Copyright (C)
Paul Mace Software, Inc. 1990
The tutorial requires a CGA-capable display. Some portable
computers or displays may not be able to switch to CGA mode.
An advisory message is displayed if CGA is not available.
Using the Mouse with Desqview
-----------------------------
When run as a TSR, or pop-up program, the DOS mouse control
panel CPANEL.COM is not fully compatible with DesqView. The
non-TSR mode of CPANEL works correctly under DesqView. To
use CPANEL with DesqView, use the /t command-line option,
select Directed Text Output, Don't Virtualize, and Uses
Serial Ports. In Advanced Setup (F1), select Close on Exit.
Mechanical Tips
---------------
If your BallPoint mouse ball doesn't roll smoothly, it may
be because of dirt on the rollers that the ball drives. To
clean the rollers, see "Cleaning Your BallPoint Mouse" in
the User's Guide.
If you are cleaning the BallPoint mouse, and the ball
retaining ring seems to stick in its housing, try tapping
the mouse gently into the palm of your hand. The inertia of
the ball should carry the retaining ring away from the
assembly and into your hand along with the ball.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 2/11/2002 |
|---|
| Keywords: | KB81662 |
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