[Lutz]

I have a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer that I've been using for months now without a problem. Well, lately it would just stop working and the light on the bottom would go out, and if I lift it or move it around enough, it will work again. Every now and then, though, it shuts off completely and the light stays out and the mouse refuses to work. Restarting the computer seems to get it going again, but sure enough, after an hour or so, it starts doing this turning on and off stuff again.

It's becoming very annoying. I checked the connection, and it is fine. It plugs into the USB, and has an adapter for the regular mouse port. I have always used the mouse port for it because all my USB slots are used up already. I use Windows XP and everytime I check it's status, it says the mouse is working properly.

Please help.

 

[Mental_Myopia]

I highly recommend buying a self-powered USB hub so that you're able to plug the mouse into USB. I bet that would solve your problems, and a USB hub on your desk (or wherever you decide to keep it) will greatly help in organizing cords.

In the meantime, you can try the newest Intellimouse drivers in case you haven't gotten them already:
Intellimouse Drivers Page

The USB hub is the way to go, in my opinion. Another advantage to it is having a couple extra USB ports after plugging everything in. A good 1.1 hub runs for $10 on sale, and I've seen 2.0 hubs running for $20 after rebate.

 

[Lutz]

Thank you for the response. I think I will look into the hub. That will definitely help with all the cords and USB connections and such.

That page doesn't load for me. It goes to the site, but it doesn't have the downloads on it.

 

[Mental_Myopia]

That pages has little selectors to choose your mouse model, your operating system, and your language. I can't grab a direct link to the drivers themselves, but selecting the three options and clicking the download button should be easy enough.
:winking:

 

[Lutz]

Okay, I plugged it into the USB and installed the new driver (which I needed to use IE to get), and it is still giving me a hard time.

Any other ideas?

I wonder if it has something to do with Windows XP, because the DVD burner I had in months ago would never be listed in Explorer and I would have to search for it everytime I started my PC. Then it just stopped working and every other CD burner I've installed in here has done about the same thing.

 

[Mental_Myopia]

You installed additional devices, such as DVD and CD burners? This has shed some new light on everything! If you've added new hardware in your computer and things aren't functioning or being detected properly, it's most likely that the power supply to the computer simply can't power everything.

Is your computer store-bought, or did you build it yourself? Store-bought systems often have a power supply that's kept to a minimum wattage for what comes standard on it. Open the case and look at the power supply, which is probably in a housing in the top rear of the tower. A sticker on the outside should list the wattage. For example, my power supply sticker says 430W on it. What does yours say, and what all is hooked up in your computer? Do you know the motherboard and processor in it, and what speed the processor is at?

Try unhooking all CD/DVD drives from the computer and see if the mouse works after doing that.

Another way to save power is to disable onboard items in the BIOS that you don't use. For example, I don't use my parallel and serial ports or my LAN, so I've disabled those in my BIOS.

Before doing all of this, check for a device conflict first. Right click My Computer, select Properties, Hardware, Device Manager. Does anything have a yellow question mark on it? Click on the mouse in there and see if there are any messages listed in its properties.

 

[Lutz]

I'll have to check on all this.

I don't see any yellow question marks. One yellow exclaimation mark next to USB Controller.

And every now and then I get a "Virtual Memory Low" notice.

 

[Lutz]

Okay, the power supply is a 400w. The computer is not store bought.

AMD Athlon XP 1900+
1.60 GHz
512 MB of RAM

The DVD burner stopped working awhile ago and I took it out. Then started having the mouse problems. Put in a CD burner a couple weeks ago just to be able to at least make CDs until I get a new DVD burner.

I plugged it into the USB, and updated the driver and am still having problems.

There really isn't much I don't use on this PC.

Does any of this maybe narrow it down? I'm so lost and frustrated.

 

[Volt-Schwibe]

400 should be fine for that machine, unless you have a few dozen fans in it....

~BoB~

 

[Mental_Myopia]

The virtual memory thing is odd. What is yours set at? Perhaps something in the system settings is messed up...

 

[Lutz]

400 should be fine for that machine, unless you have a few dozen fans in it....

~BoB~

I only have two fans, and one was just added after this mouse stuff started happening.

The virtual memory thing is odd. What is yours set at? Perhaps something in the system settings is messed up...

I'm not sure, how do I check?

 

[Lutz]

New revelation.

I got a USB hub, plugged it in, and plugged in all my usb stuff, and the computer shut itself off after a couple minutes. Did this twice, then unplugged it and went back to the old setup. Now the computer is back on track...but I wonder, what the hell happened?

BTW, I still have the mouse problem.

 

[Mental_Myopia]

For virtual memory:
Right click on My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced.

Was the USB hub self-powered?

Are there any USB conflicts in the Device Manager?
Right click on My Computer, Properties, Hardware, Device Manager.

 

[Lutz]

For virtual memory:
Right click on My Computer, Properties, Advanced, Performance Settings, Advanced.

Was the USB hub self-powered?

Are there any USB conflicts in the Device Manager?
Right click on My Computer, Properties, Hardware, Device Manager.

The virtual memory is at 50MB.

The USB hub has an AC adapter (I think that's what it's called that's plugged in).

There is a yellow exclaimation point on the VIA USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller.

 

[Mental_Myopia]

Your virtual memory is terribly low. Set it to 1024 on the high and low ends.

What does the USB 2.0 device say in the device manager?
Is it no drivers installed? If so, check this out:
VIA USB 2.0 Drivers

I'm pretty sure the virtual memory is what's wrong. I've got 2GB of RAM in my system, and XP still needs nearly 200MB of virtual memory.

 

[Lutz]

Okay, I set it to 766 and max 1024. The mouse is still having the same problems but at least now the usb hub isn't shutting the PC down. So I have that plugged back in. Although it says that there isn't enough power in the hub for the webcam.

This is becoming so frustrating. Nothing seems to work properly.

 

[Mental_Myopia]

Setting it to 1024 on both ends would help it so it doesn't have to resize it at all. Fixed pagefile is the best.

The not enough power for the webcam is common. Happened to me on my old system. All I had to do was juggle some of the USB devices around. Moved the optical mouse to the PC USB, kept the printer on the PC USB, and left my keyboard, cam, and scanner on the USB hub.

If the mouse won't work on any USB port, and if you have the newest USB drivers with legacy support shut off, I assume something is physically wrong with the mouse.

Did that download fix the yellow thing on the USB 2.0 controller?

 

[Lutz]

Okay, I set the min and max to 1024 now.

The webcam says that it can't install properly (even though it was installed already) and no matter where I plug it in, I keep getting the "not enough power". The printer and my game controller work fine on the hub. The webcam doesn't. And the mouse is plugged into the PC Usb and is still giving me the same problems. Moreso now then before.

I have the newest drivers, but what is "legacy support shut off"?

It said there wasn't a download available for XP. Unless I'm just missing something on that page. This is what it says for XP on the link you gave me:

"Due to licensing agreements, USB 2.0 drivers are not available for download. USB 2.0 drivers are supplied on CD with new mainboards or new cards. If you have misplaced the driver CD or have questions about the USB 2.0 driver, please contact your motherboard manufacturer, the manufacturer of the USB 2.0 PCI card, or Microsoft."

 

[Lutz]

Just to let anyone know who might have a problem like this, just buy a new mouse. That's what it boiled down to for me.

Thank you for all the help. I appreciate all the time and knowledge you gave me. Thank you.