Troubleshooting Mouse Problems

Problems with your mouse can be caused by various things:

• Newly added hardware may be conflicting with the mouse port or mouse drivers.
• Mouse drivers may be corrupt or not installed.
• The mouse connection may be loose or not plugged in.
• The mouse may not be enabled in Windows Setup.
• The mouse port in CMOS may be disabled.

This document is designed to assist you in the basics of troubleshooting problems with your mouse.

Basic Troubleshooting Procedures:

These basic steps can resolve or more accurately resolve most mouse problems.

Mouse connection loose or disconnected -- Make sure that the mouse is properly connected to the computer system. While the system is powered down, unplug the mouse from the computer. Look down into the plug end of the mouse. Insure that none of the pins are bent or pushed further back into the plug than any of the others. Plug the mouse back into the system and power the system back on.

Mouse connected to the proper place on the computer -- Make sure the mouse is plugged into the correct place on the back of the system. If you have a PS/2 mouse, the mouse connection and the keyboard connection look identical from the back. Check your User's Guide for the proper port to plug the mouse into. If you have a serial mouse, make sure that the cable is connected to the correct COM port.

Resolving Mouse Problems:

Mouse identification in CMOS -- If the connection on the system is secure and the pins are correctly aligned, the mouse port may not be correctly identified in CMOS. Reference your Userís Manual on how to enter the CMOS setup program. Make sure that the mouse port is enabled if the mouse is a PS/2 mouse. If you have a serial mouse, make sure that the comport that corresponds to your mouse is identified with the correct settings (i.e., COM1 is 3F8h and COM2 is 2F8h).

Software conflict -- If the mouse works correctly in Windows and MS-DOS screens but not in other applications, make sure that the mouse driver is installed in that application. Contact the manufacturer or vendor of that application for further instructions.

If the mouse does not work in any application except Windows, the mouse driver may not be correctly installed or may not be installed at all.

Mouse driver installation -- Once you are sure that the mouse is connected securely to the computer and that CMOS is identifying the mouse, the drivers are the next thing to check. You can reinstall the mouse drivers over themselves without problems as long as the driver versions are the same. From the Program Manager, click on File and the Run. If you have Windows diskettes, insert the last diskette that says Microsoft OEM Mouse drivers and Utilities. At the Command Line type:

a: setup

press the Enter key or click on the OK button to begin the installation. If you have a Gateway 2000 System CD, insert the CD into the CD-ROM and on the command line type:

d:\mouse\setup

and press the Enter key or click on the OK button to begin the installation. When the installation screens ask you a question, click on the Continue button or press Enter to take the default answers. Once the installation is complete, a screen will appear asking you if you want to reboot the system or return to Windows. Click on the Reboot Computer button for the mouse drivers to load and take effect. Do not press the reset button on the front of the computer to restart. This will corrupt the mouse drivers and possibly corrupt Windows. Once the computer has restarted, the mouse drivers are now installed.

NOTE: If you have the Gateway 2000 System CD version 4.1 or newer, the preceeding instructions for loading the mouse drivers do not apply. FaxBack^® document 1940 contains the installation procedure for the newer version of Microsoft IntelliPoint Mouse drivers.

Newly added hardware -- If you recently added a new hardware device to the system such as a modem, scanner, etc., remove the new device to see if the mouse functionality returns. If the mouse starts working correctly, the new device is conflicting with the mouse. Contact the manufacturer for assistance configuring the device. Mouse identification in Windows Setup -- If the mouse drivers are not identified correctly in the Windows Setup, the mouse may not function correctly and may produce errors entering Windows. Exit Windows completely. At the C:\Windows> prompt, type:

setup

and press Enter. The screen will give you system information. On the line that says Mouse:, it should say Microsoft, or IBM/PS2 Mouse or if you have the newer driver it should say Microsoft Mouse VER. 9.01. If you have installed the Microsoft IntelliPoint Mouse drivers, this line should reflect the Microsoft IntelliPoint driver. If it does not say this, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight the mouse line and press Enter. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the proper setting and press Enter to select it. Press the Enter key again to accept the configuration and press Enter one more time to use the current driver. Once this is completed, you are back in DOS at the C:\:> prompt. Type:

win

and press Enter to restart Windows. The mouse should be functioning correctly now.

Error Messages:

"This pointer device requires a newer version...." -- This error message can appear if you have an invalid type of mouse, such as Logitech or Genius series, selected in Windows Setup when you have a Microsoft Mouse on the system. Changing the mouse to Microsoft or IBM PS/2 mouse will remedy the problem.

"Mouse port disabled or mouse not present" -- This error message usually appears as the system boots up. Check the mouse connection on the computer and check that the mouse is identified in CMOS.

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