Tech: Creeping mouse pointer

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,Bill
Date: 01 Jun 12 - 08:38 AM

My creeping mouse was caused by my backup wired mouse , moved to A new spot and proublem solved , CAT proubly moved it , realy!

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Andrez
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 09:23 PM

Ah well that explains the problem. Get a smaller cat!

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 09:16 PM

But not without the cat hitting something.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 08:07 AM

so your room is large enough to swing a cat?

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 07:30 AM

Actually I'll have to admit that much of the computer damage related to THE CAT involve THE CAT bouncing off of something when I slap the sh*t out of the d****d little beast when he tries to steal my supper. A certain _sheperson has conditioned him to understand he can eat out of her plate and he assumes it's okay to slobber in mine the same way. We disagree.

Fortunately only one of our three has the "habit," since he was "trained" that way before we got the others; but since he turned 17 years old I'm noticing that he doesn't bounce nearly as well as before so I now have the additional burden of making sure he lands on something soft when I throw him 'cross the room (a little more gently than before of course).

The middle one is just a grey furball with only rumors of a cat inside, so she's the one that clogs the cooling vents and blows power supplies - but that happens quietly, and unobtrusively except in the instant when the smoke comes out.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 06:25 AM

I blame lots of computer problems on the cat, too - and I'm usually right.
Damn cat.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 06:14 AM

When it happens here, either the batteries need replacing or the receiver is obstructed somehow (eg. cat has knocked it off the desk and behind the PC).

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 05:58 AM

On nearly all wireless pointing devices, there is a reset button on the device, and a separate reset button on the USB plugin (dongle).

It doesn't usually make a lot of difference which one you reset first, but for one of my mouses the instruction was to plug in the USB plug and reset it before putting the battery in the mouse and resetting the mouse.

The reset buttons typically are quite small, and the tip of a ballpoint pen is about the only thing commonly available to poke them with. They frequently have no identifying markings, at least on the cheapo ones I see.

The wandering cursor can be caused by a weak battery in the mouse - the most common problem, that prevents the mouse from sending an adequate signal, or can happen when the dongle loses track of the mouse and is looking for it and gets too busy to keep track of where it was while it searches for the right "frequency channel."

In the extreme case when nothing else works, Microsoft advises that you go into Control Panel and delete all the USB Connections, disconnect all the USB devices, and then reboot and plug them back in one at a time to let the PNP rediscover them and reinstall drivers. I intend to try that someday as soon as I figure out how, with only a USB mouse and a USB keyboard they expect me to do a safe reboot after I delete all the USB connections. (I haven't been able to find a local seller that has one of those "old-fashioned other" (Serial Port) keyboards or a serial mouse for at least a couple of years.)

Cleaning the ball in a mouse or trackball sometimes helps. Blowing (or sucking) the lint (and in our case the cat fur) out of the device sometimes helps. On an optical mouse, sometimes cleaning the "window" will help. Note that some trackballs are "optical on the inside" but few of them make it easy to get to the window that most likely needs cleaning. Some "standard mouses" that still use a rolling ball also use an optical sensor inside the moust that's almost impossible to get to. For a mouse, a clean surface works best, and most user manuals recommend a "non-textured" surface. Specialized pointers, e.g. for CADD use, may prefer something with a "grid" or may require special pads, but most consumer mouses aren't usually all that fussy, although "plainer is better" than some of the fancier pads.

It may also be worth noting that there haven't been many "radio mice" (RF ones) around for a decade or more, and nearly all of the ones now in existence use an Infrared (IR) wireless connection like your TV remote. It's best to have a clear "line of sight" between mouse and dongle, although the IR frequencies used are high enough that it's unusual for anything to cast enough of a shadow to block the signal. With a weak connection though, anything that casts a strong IR reflection and is in motion (like the ceiling fan?) can theoretically send a stronger signal than the direct one from the mouse, and theoretically could make the cursor creep. If there's a good optical path to the wall behind the computer, even the reflected signal from the computer fan might propose going for a random walk, and since the IR is not visible, finding that kind of leakage path can be a real trick.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,Mike Best
Date: 03 Nov 11 - 03:49 AM

Turn off "Enhance Pointer Precision" in "Mouse - Pointer Options" in Control Panel.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 06:18 PM

Consider it a form of "comet cursor." You have a "script" (usually JAVA) running in the background. Very common (click me) addition from porn, music, and China based "information" sites. Yahoo has highligted (WARNED) users for years....Google has recently started the practice (since the China issues blocking Google)

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Tangledwood
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 06:10 PM

I used to get this happening with a wired optical mouse. It happened on all surfaces although some were worse than others. Since changing to a wireless optical mouse it never happens. I suspect it was related to the mouse driver but can't be certain.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 05:59 PM

Then lemonade lady, how would you explain "her" brand new laptop computer with Win7 preinstalled, that has no mouse or other external device connected to it, with a cursor that still jerks, jumps, twiggles, and drifts when nobody is even close to the computer, much less in contact with the touch pad that's the ONLY pointer control active?

An additional "feature" of Win7 appears to be that when the cursor hovers over an icon for a couple of seconds the popout menu - or the application - opens without the need to "click" so the &%^$@!! thing sits there with the pointer fluttering around opening popouts and programs at random until its little brain gets stuffed and it dies.

(I'm very impressed with this new technology. It must be intended for those who think that lots of blinking and flashing means they're "using a computer.")

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 03:09 PM

it's cos it's a shiny surface... simples!

sal

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 02:49 PM

When you clean, use alsohol, as it leaves no deposits.

In ancient times, when the mouse first appeared, the balls were polished steel, and picked up dirt fairly quickly.

In that long ago time, computer service "reps" made house calls, and would visit users with lots of computers. They would bring their bottle of alcohol, and the IBM reps (they were about the only ones there were) might arrive and announce "I've come to clean your balls."

Having clean balls created great satisfaction, and was appreciated by the customers; but it was noticed that when the balls were cleaned a few times they began to get dirty a lot quicker.

When this phenomenon became well known, it was named "drunken mouse syndrome" and IBM reps were provided with replaement new and/or "factory cleaned" balls so that they could exchange a new ball for one that had acquired the drunken mouse ailment.

Demand for the new balls was sufficient that IBM deemed it important that IBM service reps always have some balls when they visited customers, and a sign was provided, with instructions that it be posted where the reps would see it as they were leaving their own office:

       HAVE YOU GOT YOUR BALLS?

The signs are now a "collectible" in some circles, although it's generally accepted that IBM reps no longer have "balls of steel."

(just a bit of history for you youngsters.)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Gurney
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 12:58 PM

First try. Blow the dust and hairs out from the laser hole in the bottom of the mouse.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Green Man
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 10:50 AM

If the cable is tangled, it's because the electrons get confused.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 24 Nov 10 - 10:08 AM

Same problem but I have a logitech cordless mouse. If I unplug the receiver dongle, the mouse continues to creep. Mine seems to be random but it's annoying. It seems to do it most during startup and when the PC has been idle for a little while and when I load a web page.

I have tried all sorts of malware/spyware and AV scans and come up with nothing every time. I have also tried uninstalling and re-installing the drivers. The only thing left now is to do a windows re-install from what I can see.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: EBarnacle
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 10:36 AM

When you clean, use alsohol, as it leaves no deposits.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Jan 10 - 06:15 AM

The beauty of using paper for a mouse mat (I did it at work) is that:
1) it collects the dirt (and shows it has) while scrubbing it off the glide pads. Replace paper frequently. I found ball mice didn't collect as much detritus using paper.
2) And the paper is a handy notepad. replace frequently.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,Millindale
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 06:40 PM

Paul try using an A4 sheet of white card as a mouse mat, or at worst a piece of A4 paper. Works for me and serves as a jotter until it's too crowded.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:53 PM

An external interference could cause creeping mouse syndrome, although usually only if the mouse battery is on the low side.

Assuming that the "receiver" plugs into a USB slot, other USB devices could be giving you some cross-talk. USB usually is a lot better than the old serial port connections, but requires some management by the computer; and sometimes the computer gets "fuzzy" about the connections. especially if you have several devices that you connect/disconnect fairly often.

We've found that when our cell phones "ping" their connection, one computer burps in cadence with the pings. Another computer doesn't make any noise, but occasionally (rarely) the mouse takes off for a brief wander. This happens only if the phone is very close to the computer (And shouldn't happen at all, but the ones affected are all consumer grade equipment).

And as several have mentioned, the surface the mouse is walking on can make a difference.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Cool Beans
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:38 PM

I heard them at the Ark in Ann Arbor last year. Derivative, if you ask me.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: gnomad
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 04:47 PM

Ah, so, noted for future reference (should I ever find myself in possession of some graph paper, or if my printer paper stops doing the trick) Thank you beeliner.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: beeliner
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 09:45 AM

"Luckily using a sheet of plain paper under the mouse it all works fine."

A piece of graph paper will probably work even better.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: gnomad
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 09:27 AM

I have had the same problem (creeping to the left) with my wired optical mouse on a wooden desk. Using a mousemat produces a pointer that doesn't move at all, and cleaning the mouse lens seems to have no effect either way.

Luckily using a sheet of plain paper under the mouse it all works fine.

I offer no explanation, just what I have found to work.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: beeliner
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 06:00 AM

"is it a ball mouse?...is is a Radio Frequency cordless?"

Mine is a eunuch, i.e. light-and-photocell, and umbilical.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: MikeL2
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:58 AM

hi

I had similar problems with wireless mouses....mice.

I finally kicked em into touch and use a cheapo wired optical mouse and have had no trouble at all.

I have used it for over two years on all kinds of surfaces and not had one problem.

cheers

Mike

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:37 AM

I have the same problem with my wireless mouse. Sometimes if I reset it it works, other times doesn't make any difference. Very strange.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:18 AM

is it a
ball mouse? clean the rollers internally. (look inside the aperture after removing the ball, grey is bad, remove it)
is is a Radio Frequency cordless?
check your cordless phone, cordless earphones, & cordless dressing gown......... take 'em off if necessary.

If it is a ball-less mouse ?
is the camera chip clean?

Is it USB or DIN?

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Hamish
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 04:04 AM

Yep - I get this on my MS Intellimouse at work. It's wired, so it can't be a low battery! It does seem to be something to do with the surface it's on. But also - and don't laugh - I get the idea it's due to a kick in the cable. In short: dunno. But it's annoying, isn't it?

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: beeliner
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 08:36 PM

Dirt on the mouse pad will also cause that.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Nancy King
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:59 PM

My optical trackball does the same thing occasionally -- slowly creeps upward on the screen all by itself. It's sitting on solid-color mouse pad (even though it's a trackball) so it's not wood grain that's causing it. It's kinda creepy.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Paul Reade
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:52 PM

The desk does have quite a pronounced wood grain, so I've just tried it on a mouse mat and it seems OK. Thanks for your help - I was getting worried that I had the shakes or that my eyes were going!

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:46 PM

Paul, when the real computer folks get here, I'm sure you'll get excellent advice from them. I wish I could help, but I'm an idiot with these machines.

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:44 PM

I just read on a site where your exact question was asked (I googled 'creeping mouse pointer' and voila). Anyway, a fellow there said the the wood grain on his desk seemed to interfere with the mouse and it was doing what yours seems to be doing. Hang on and I go see if I can find it.

"Re: Creeping Mouse Pointer?

It also depends if you are using a mouse mat. I have had a similar experiance with a cheap mouse on my desk (wood). For some reason the grain of the wood interfears with the tracking so I use a proper mouse mat now."

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Paul Reade
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:41 PM

Varnished wood desk top usually

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:40 PM

Whta surface is the mouse being used on?

Subject: RE: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: bobad
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:38 PM

If you have a reset button on the receiver end, try pressing that.

Subject: Tech: Creeping mouse pointer
From: Paul Reade
Date: 17 Jan 10 - 07:34 PM

Why does the pointer from my optical cordless mouse sometimes creep slowly towards the left of the screen when I'm not touching the mouse, and sometimes move or even jump uncontrollably when I am using it?

Seems to get worse when the batteries in the mouse are getting low.