USB Mouse in Windows XP Safe Mode

Do you have another USB mouse you can try? Did you try a different rear USB port? Not all USB ports may be active in Safe Mode.

When you pick Safe Mode from the F8 menu, there are probably several choices, eg Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, etc. Try one of the other Safe Mode options.

Also reboot and press F2 to open BIOS Setup. Look for a USB option to "Enable legacy USB support" or something like that. If it exists, enable that option. Be sure to save the change before exiting BIOS setup.

If you boot in Safe Mode without the mouse connected, will it see it and work if you connect it after you get to the desktop?

Could be something wrong with the generic USB mouse driver, because it should load when you boot in Safe Mode and the mouse should work.

Yes, I have tried all USB ports, and still get the same results...

:emotion-6:

Thanks ROHE, I will try the F2 and legacy USB support option in BIOS. I will also try the safe mode without the mouse plugged in, and plug it in after going into safe mode...

I use a low-end Logitech M100 wired optical mouse. It doesn't come with proprietary drivers, but uses the default HID Compliant Optical Mouse settings...

My PC issue is an online game that I play. It's a standalone game but uses a launcher that connects to an outside server to allow for online play against others. It was working for a good while, but suddenly without reason I get a "unable to connect to remote server" msg when I click on the "PLAY" button. So I was advised to try to load the launcher while in safe mode. But because my mouse doesn't work then, I can tab-key to the dialog boxes of the launcher to input my account data, but the "PLAY" button is like a flash game button or something, and the tab key doesn't highlight it for activating. So I can't try to start the launcher to see if it will connect via safe mode. It probably won't work once I find out how to do it, but I'm at a loss at why I can no longer connect to their servers while at same time I'm able to connect to internet, msg boards, youtube, etc. etc. It's frustrating me....

And try a different mouse, if you have one available or can borrow one from a friend...

Not an expert on online gaming, but do you have the latest version of Flash and/or Java, if that's what's the game needs?  Ask the game site people if they use either of those and what versions of Flash and/or Java the site is compatibile with.

Have you installed any recent software that might be interfering? Is your anti-malware software and/or firewall blocking the game site? Not advisable to disable anti-malware or firewall, but that software may alllow you to give the game site "permission".

Scanned thoroughly for malware recently?

BTW: Can you try a different browser? eg, if you use IE now, install and test Firefox or Chrome...

OK, an update to my situation: I tried again to access safe mode, and go into the BIOS as you suggested above. Turns out by reading the BIOS information, my settings are [ON] by default to allow all USB devices with exception of external storage devices. This makes sense as besides the plugs for power supply, my monitor, and jacks for speakers and microphone, all port connections are USB. So I access Safe Mode With Networking again, and this again switch my mouse plug around - this time switching with the Keybord...

This time a msg bubble pops up at bottom right saying "Found New Hardware: USB Optical Mouse". OK, great! That means that my mouse was recognized as actually being a mouse while using Safe Mode! It still wouldn't work, however...

Then a wizard dialog box pops up saying, "Found New Hardware Wizard - Cannot install this hardware - There was a problem installing this hardware: USB Optical Mouse - An error occurred during installation of the device - Click FINISH to close Wizard"

So I guess this points back to the mouse? It works fine in regular Windows mode. Maybe the driver is not quite compatible? I guess I may need to buy a better mouse....

And as for the "try a different browser" suggestion: the issue is at the launcher point. It's a downloaded standalone program that connects with a remote - third party - server and allows you to play on that server against others from around the world. The game - Quake Live - used to be browser-based, but they just recently switched it to a standalone that bypasses browser platform due to all the browser providers discontinuing plug-in support for the game. So when I input my account info in the launcher's dialog box, and click on the PLAY button, that's when I get the "unable to connect to remote server" msg. I'm also working with the game developers - ID - support on this, and they suggested to try to open the game in Safe Mode. Which has led me to my mouse issue and here with you guys, lol....

I also recently scanned my PC with my AVG anti-virus prog, malwarebytes, and Spybot search & destroy, and while those found a slew of red flags and eliminated them, the issue remains. I also disabled my Windows firewall as advised by ID support, and it didn't help anything. Don't know of anything else that would put up a firewall: I couldn't find any info on AVG if it has one....don't think it does....

Did you do those malware scans before or after this game problem started?

I wonder if one of the scans removed the generic mouse driver that's supposed to load when you boot in Safe Mode. Maybe you need to run a few Windows checks. What version of Windows is this? You can try this to restore/replace missing files:

1. Click start>run
2. Type in: sfc /scannow   (NOTE: Be sure to put one space between sfc and /scannow)
3. Click OK

Insert Dell Windows Reinstallation disk if it's requested. NOTE, the disk needs to be exactly the same version of Windows (eg, Home, Pro, Premium) and exactly the same Service Pack (SP) in order for sfc (system file check) to run.  Otherwise it'll just abort. Sfc may take ~30-40 min depending on the version of Windows and how many things it has to fix, so be patient. There are no messages when it's done, either good or bad. It just puts you back at the desktop. Reboot when it's done and try safe mode again.

 EDITED

I did the scans before AND after the game problem started.....I regularly - at least every 2 weeks - do virus scans on my PC to stay on top of anything that gets on it. I didn't do any scan immediately before: ID released the standalone for all it's customers on Dec. 17th, and everyone was required to download it then if they wanted to play. I did and played on it for about a week with no issues, then took a 2-3 day break around Christmas (23rd, 24th, 25th). When I returned to the game on the 25th or 26th and logged into the launcher like I had before, I all of a sudden got the issue...

Well, it seems that I am missing the Reinstallation disk. Isn't that how it always seems to go? I bought my PC in Jan. 2006 online from Dell, and it shipped to my home. I unpacked everything and put all the guides, CDs, and paperwork in a cabinet, and left it there ever since. I never had to restore or reinstall ever before as my PC was always stable and reliable. I found the drivers CDs for my all-in-one Dell printer that shipped w/the PC, and for my monitor. Even still have the CD for the little Dell Pocket DJ mp3 player that I got for free for buying the PC. Still have all the paperwork and pamphlets. But not Reinstallation Disk to be found, lol....

I tried the sfc /scannow like you advised, and sure enough it asked for the CD, so I canceled. It said It may ask for the CD later, so I guess starting the scan may have corrupted my PC?? I'm getting so frustrated and deppressed over all this: now I've been dealing with my logitech mouse settings going back to right-handed (I'm left-handed). I went to the logitech support and read where this is a common issue with their "SetPoint" managing software for their mouses. I went out and bought a wireless laser Logitech Mouse (M310 model), and it also won't switch to left-handed use. The Mouse option in control shows that both buttons are set for left-handed usage, but even hitting OK or APPLY doesn't do anything, and it stays right-handed. LOL...

I just wanted to play a stupid little game....I didn't want to destroy my PC, but it's now starting to crumble apart right in front of my eyes. I tried to download the latest HID Compliant Mouse driver from CNET's download page - because I thought the driver might be outdated or corrupt, and apparently the downloaded file has some *** Ad virus attached called Passshow that I needed to do another Malwarebytes scan today to get rid of it , and had to reset my Firefox browser settings. This whole thing is turning into a nightmare for me....

I wonder if there's some way to restore my PC's settings back to before December 17th - before I downloaded that stupid Quake Live Launcher? Perhaps that may get my PC back to it's original shape? It's always been stable and dependable for me, and I'm not in good financial shape right now to get a replacement computer....

OK, fixed my mouse issue of locking into right-handed functionality. Apparently my Logitech software for mouse settings - called SetPoint - is a very older version. I finally found the latest driver update for SetPoint and updated it. My older version didn't even have options on it for setting button control, but the latest version does. Now to see if my new mouse and new SetPoint software will help me use my mouse while in Safe Mode...

Oh, sorry...I have Windows XP Media Center Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3...

That probably won't solve the Safe Mode vs mouse problem because SetPoint isn't loaded when you boot in Safe Mode, even if it solves the game app problem when you boot normally.

If sfc was requesting the Windows Reinstall DVD, some file(s) may be missing or corrupted so you'll still want to request the disk from Dell (or download the iso from Digital River) and then run sfc again to make things right. Your PC will thank you for it! :emotion-5:

Take a deep breath...exhale...and relax... :emotion-2:

Now, tell me what version of Windows this is.

Starting sfc and canceling it should have had no adverse effects on your system. It could only restore files it found as backup copies in the i386 folder already on your hard drive, at least until it needed to look for something on the Reinstallation disk. You should be ok, but probably still missing some files that it didn't find on the hard drive.

I presume you bought the system in the US, so contact Dell starting here to request a new Reinstall disk. Since your system is likely out of warranty, Dell may refuse or they may charge you for the disk. In that case, you could download a free Windows .iso file from Digital River of the correct version and Service Pack of your OS (assuming it's prior to Win 8) and burn that to a DVD. Sfc should be able to use that disk to retrieve the files it needs,as long as the disk has the right version and SP of the OS for your system. And it's all perfectly legal too.

You could do a System Restore to a previous date, but if that date was before you removed the malware, you may reactivate the infection. So you need to think twice about that.

Personal files won't be affecfed if you do a System Restore (but always good to back up first!) but any software, windows updates and the game download that were originally installed after the date of the Restore point will be lost and you'll have to reinstall them. To run a System Restore, click Start>Help&Support. On next screen, select "Undo changes..." and follow the prompts. Pick the latest Restore point that's just prior to when you removed the malware, assuming it;s available.

If you decide to do a System Restore, I suggest you immediately go to spywarehammer.com and request their free help to get rid of any malware that's lurking on the hard drive. Many of the experts over there also help here on Dell's forum, so they're trustworthy and they know Dell PCs. Read their instructions about starting a thread about your problem, and be sure to include the PC model, version of Windows, and a link to this thread so they'll know how to help you.

Once you're sure the system is free of nasties, you should go to the Microsoft Update site and let it scan your PC for missing updates and get those installed. Then you can download and try that game app again.

Thanks for your help Ron, I really appreciate it. I will contact Dell and see if I can get the disk...

Well, my new Logitech M310 mouse worked in Safe Mode! Don't know if the new drivers for SetPoint did the trick (probably didn't like you say), or if it was the new, better-quality mouse. But either way, what I expected turned out to be true: I got the same message as always: "Unable to Connect To Remote Server"...

I'm now going to contact Mozilla support and ask them about Firefox: what is the default internet connection settings - should it be "Use System Proxy Settings", or "Auto-Detect Proxy Settings For This Network"? I just can't figure out why for most things connecting to the internet works fine, but for a few things (like my Quake Live), it doesn't, regardless of firewall or no firewall. Thanks again RoHe, and I'll update you on I find out. I'm going to have to wait on Quake Live Support and Mozilla/Firefox Support to respond to my questions....

:emotion-1:

For some reason your last post was deleted from the thread. I got the email alert to that post and I didn't see anything objectionable in it, so I don't know why it might have been removed...

Anyway, I thought you said you don't use your browser with the game app, so why do you think the Mozilla people will be able to help? Does the game app have its own network connection settings on some setup screen?

Maybe you need to contact your ISP about the settings. It's also possible they're blocking the site because it may be known to be infected with malware..??