Erratic Cursor

Dbailey2 · 07-11-2008, 02:54 PM

I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop that is in a docking stations w/ external keyboard, 19" LED monitor and digital USB wireless mouse. Running WXP/ with SP3. Last week before leaving on vacation everything was great. I returned to work on Monday and I am just going through emails and the mouse cursor starts floating and then sinking like a rock to the bottom of the screen. I rebooted, same problem about 5 minutes into work again. I change batteries in mouse, same problem pursists. I change to a USB wired mouse and it works for about 45 minutes and starts floating off and sinking, never to return again. I find a 3rd mouse and plug it into the PS2 mouse 'port' on the back of the docking station. It works for about 3 hours and floats off. I then have no mouse plugged in and a cursor appears on my screen and again floats off slowly.

I have gone into devices and REMOVED the touch pad driver, but that did not seem to help.
I have McAfee asap anti virus and disabled System Restore on Windows, rebooted and ran a full scan and rebooted. The digital mouse worked today for about 4 hours before it floated away. I have unplugged and replugged in alll cords, power sources etc. It is on a UPS backup/surge protector. No one had access to my computer while I was gone and no storms or power outages are known to have happened.
I am about to pull my hair out because I can't get any work completed. I am working from our "data cave' computer just to try and get some help. I am ready to toss it all!

It can not be a mouse or mouse driver as each mouse has had its drivers reinstalled. I was thinking docking station gone bad, but I am using the USB ports on my monitor too and cursor still floats.
I am out of ideas, could it be a different piece of hardware or driver gone bad? Like the AC/DC power adaptor or video driver?

wrench97 · 07-11-2008, 05:53 PM

Have you tried unhooking it from the docking station and using the laptop on it's own to see if it still does it?
Do you have bluetooth on this unit? If so
Does anyone else near you have a bluetooth mouse?

Dbailey2 · 07-13-2008, 12:54 PM

I did undock and worked on it at home Saturday morning w/ touch pad [having reinstalled the drivers and set-up] went into BIOS and changed the pointer setting to touchpad/PS2 mouse option. Plugged in old mouse to back of laptop and no problems. Took it back to office and redocked it, plugged in the Logitech V320 cordless Optical Mouse and worked for about 5 hours and then it floated off again.
This Sunday afternoon I rebooted into BIOS and changed back pointer to PS2 Mouse ONLY.
Went online and looked for current drivers for Alps touch pad (2004 was latest update from DELL for XP) and just downloaded new drivers for the Logitech Mouse (May15, 2008) So far mouse is behaving and no touchpad floaters. I did read on troubleshooting at Logitech that if I am running a wireless mouse through a replicator/docking station it might not work. I have been using a wireless mouse for the past 3+ years and just recently(6 months ago) installed the V320) So maybe the problem is the docking station? I have spent way too much time with mice and hope that I've solved the problem.

wrench97 · 07-13-2008, 12:59 PM

It may be the way the docking station passes data through the ports that causing the problem combined with either a software update or install that created the problem
Hope you have it worked out!

Dbailey2 · 07-14-2008, 04:25 PM

Back to the drawing board. All mouse activity has gone bonkers again. Last night I thought it might be the docking station, but undocking did not solve the issue, Then I thought maybe the battery backup/surge protector had gone bad, and unplugged everything from that and into a regular surge outlet strip. Still bad mouse whether it was docked or undocked. My next attempt will be the changing of a monitor (what else is left to change?)
Today I am using a wired mouse - no wheel and it is behaving, although earlier this AM it tried to act out, but I kept forcing it around and it straightened up.

Is there ANYWAY to DISABLE the Alps touch/pointer? When I go into Ctrl Pnl/mouse it only shows the 'Alps Touch Pad' and says its connected to the PS2 mouse port! Where there normally is the drop down box to disable in this configuration etc, is grayed out/unavailable. Dare I break down and try and call Dell Tech support?

wrench97 · 07-14-2008, 04:39 PM

Try going into the setup utility(Bios) by pressing F2 on boot see if there is an option to turn off the touch pad.

Dbailey2 · 07-14-2008, 04:57 PM

In BIOS I already have it set for PS2 Mouse ONLY, other options are Touchpad /PS2 Mouse or Seriel Mouse. I keep switching between PS2 ONLY and the Tourchpad/PS2 options. It's like the system isn't really paying any attention to what was selected, because it still acts up. Thanks!

07-11-2008, 02:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
Dbailey2 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP SP3	Erratic Cursor I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop that is in a docking stations w/ external keyboard, 19" LED monitor and digital USB wireless mouse. Running WXP/ with SP3. Last week before leaving on vacation everything was great. I returned to work on Monday and I am just going through emails and the mouse cursor starts floating and then sinking like a rock to the bottom of the screen. I rebooted, same problem about 5 minutes into work again. I change batteries in mouse, same problem pursists. I change to a USB wired mouse and it works for about 45 minutes and starts floating off and sinking, never to return again. I find a 3rd mouse and plug it into the PS2 mouse 'port' on the back of the docking station. It works for about 3 hours and floats off. I then have no mouse plugged in and a cursor appears on my screen and again floats off slowly. I have gone into devices and REMOVED the touch pad driver, but that did not seem to help. I have McAfee asap anti virus and disabled System Restore on Windows, rebooted and ran a full scan and rebooted. The digital mouse worked today for about 4 hours before it floated away. I have unplugged and replugged in alll cords, power sources etc. It is on a UPS backup/surge protector. No one had access to my computer while I was gone and no storms or power outages are known to have happened. I am about to pull my hair out because I can't get any work completed. I am working from our "data cave' computer just to try and get some help. I am ready to toss it all! It can not be a mouse or mouse driver as each mouse has had its drivers reinstalled. I was thinking docking station gone bad, but I am using the USB ports on my monitor too and cursor still floats. I am out of ideas, could it be a different piece of hardware or driver gone bad? Like the AC/DC power adaptor or video driver?

07-11-2008, 05:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
wrench97 Tech Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3,444 OS: XPSP2	Re: Erratic Cursor Have you tried unhooking it from the docking station and using the laptop on it's own to see if it still does it? Do you have bluetooth on this unit? If so Does anyone else near you have a bluetooth mouse? __________________

07-13-2008, 12:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dbailey2 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP SP3	Re: Erratic Cursor I did undock and worked on it at home Saturday morning w/ touch pad [having reinstalled the drivers and set-up] went into BIOS and changed the pointer setting to touchpad/PS2 mouse option. Plugged in old mouse to back of laptop and no problems. Took it back to office and redocked it, plugged in the Logitech V320 cordless Optical Mouse and worked for about 5 hours and then it floated off again. This Sunday afternoon I rebooted into BIOS and changed back pointer to PS2 Mouse ONLY. Went online and looked for current drivers for Alps touch pad (2004 was latest update from DELL for XP) and just downloaded new drivers for the Logitech Mouse (May15, 2008) So far mouse is behaving and no touchpad floaters. I did read on troubleshooting at Logitech that if I am running a wireless mouse through a replicator/docking station it might not work. I have been using a wireless mouse for the past 3+ years and just recently(6 months ago) installed the V320) So maybe the problem is the docking station? I have spent way too much time with mice and hope that I've solved the problem.

07-13-2008, 12:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
wrench97 Tech Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3,444 OS: XPSP2	Re: Erratic Cursor It may be the way the docking station passes data through the ports that causing the problem combined with either a software update or install that created the problem Hope you have it worked out! __________________

07-14-2008, 04:25 PM	#5 (permalink)
Dbailey2 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP SP3	Re: Erratic Cursor Back to the drawing board. All mouse activity has gone bonkers again. Last night I thought it might be the docking station, but undocking did not solve the issue, Then I thought maybe the battery backup/surge protector had gone bad, and unplugged everything from that and into a regular surge outlet strip. Still bad mouse whether it was docked or undocked. My next attempt will be the changing of a monitor (what else is left to change?) Today I am using a wired mouse - no wheel and it is behaving, although earlier this AM it tried to act out, but I kept forcing it around and it straightened up. Is there ANYWAY to DISABLE the Alps touch/pointer? When I go into Ctrl Pnl/mouse it only shows the 'Alps Touch Pad' and says its connected to the PS2 mouse port! Where there normally is the drop down box to disable in this configuration etc, is grayed out/unavailable. Dare I break down and try and call Dell Tech support?

07-14-2008, 04:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
wrench97 Tech Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3,444 OS: XPSP2	Re: Erratic Cursor Try going into the setup utility(Bios) by pressing F2 on boot see if there is an option to turn off the touch pad. __________________

07-14-2008, 04:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dbailey2 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP SP3	Re: Erratic Cursor In BIOS I already have it set for PS2 Mouse ONLY, other options are Touchpad /PS2 Mouse or Seriel Mouse. I keep switching between PS2 ONLY and the Tourchpad/PS2 options. It's like the system isn't really paying any attention to what was selected, because it still acts up. Thanks!