Vague problem gets vague answers... Problem with mice!

Turn the USB Power management off on the ports.

I did as you suggested but to no avail. I replaced his new ball mouse with an optical mouse (not the same mouse he had before). I then turned off the power management to each of the USB Root Hubs. Then I instructed the client to notify me if the problem arises again. With in the next 20 minutes the client e-mailed me telling me that the mouse was again malfunctioning in the same manner as before. I rushed over but the client had already reset the mouse, he was in the middle of a call with a customer and could not wait for me.

Your theory is interesting though. It would make sense that if Windows were shutting power down to the mouse then the light would not be on, which in turn would not allow the mouse the ability to detect movement. So it brings up the question if windows is still shutting off the mouse why and how is it still doing it?

Note: The box that is giving us the most problems is a SX280. I am taking down the GX280 test station I had set up and am setting up a new one with a SX280. Perhaps this will allow me to diagnose the problem further…

What happens if you use a Powered Usb Hub?

The kind that comes with a wall transformer for power to the ports vs fromt the PC?

"true" spyware not malicious???   If something can obtain ANY personal information, it can be used maliciously.   This is not limited to pin numbers, credit card numbers, SSN, and the like.  People who steal from mailboxes routinely use information that most people don't even worry about.  These people can use a name and an address to get credit cards, or lines of revolving credit, or worse.

And the definition of a virus is something that tries to replicate itself, and spread.  Just because something is malicious, that doesn't make it a virus.  Most antivirus vendors have a good definition of virus.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that spyware is not malicious, or if it was malicious it needs to be called a virus.

Alright I see where you are coming from but for some weird reason that doesn't seem to help with my mouse problem... unless your almost completely off topic post had some kind of cryptic secret message in it that I was un able to decipher. Though I highly doubt this is the case.

By the way when I use the term "malicious" in regards to the software I mean literally the software its self does not do damage to the system, OS, or other applications. It simply runs in the background and collects information. You your self said "it can be used maliciously." This means spy-ware it's self does not default to malicious software yet the people using it can or can not use the information the spy-ware gathers to do malicious acts. Further more your classification of a virus could easily classify much spy-ware also because spy-ware is notorious for replicating itself and spreading itself around. In the same regard I understand that not necessarily all viruses are malicious. Hence there is always an exception to the rules.

Though I obviously see that my definitions of spy-ware and viruses were in the utmost loosest interoperations, I could indeed be wrong to those viewing this post in an attempt to find a text book definition of either. Though I don’t seem to see were my slightly skewed view toward the definition of spy-ware, regardless of if it is correct or not, has any impact what so ever on the fact that some of my mice are not working properly. Not to mention that I can almost guarantee you that if I ever post a thread about my actual opinion and or question about viruses / spy-ware I will more accurate on my descriptions.

I must ask that if anyone is to replay to this thread to please keep your reply with in the context of my mice problem.

Thank you.

I fixed the problem by loading a new image on one pc.  The other pc I started from scratch (reloading the image for that model produced the same results) and loaded the os and apps manually.  Both problematic computers are now functioning.   I'm sure there is a simpler fix, but both of these users did not want to keep unplugging and plugging in their USB mouse in order to work.   Rather than search and try more fixes ( I already tried all that I can find, and none worked ) I decided to just start over, and it worked.  I'm sorry I couldn't post some magic fix, but I found none so I didn't bother posting that I had to reload.  Nobody wanted to hear that anyway.

By the way, spyware can be malicious in that it can hog system resouces, hijack browsers, modify the hosts file, and any number of malicious tasks, which I assumed you already knew about.  These problems are not from a virus, because a virus tries to spread, and virus scanning software can't find most spyware related problems, unlesss they have a module for spyware.  I thought you were speaking of the more "friendly" spyware that just observes in the background, which can also be used maliciously as I mentioned.   Yes, this is off topic, as was your comment while describing your mouse problem, but all of use have as much right to our opinions as you do, so please spare me the righteous rhetoric.   Either way, spyware is ALWAYS bad and should be removed, if not prevented from being on any system.  It compromises the integrity of any computer.  Saying it is not malicious is misleading and performing a mis-service to all who read your post, so I wanted to offer an opposing opinion to counter any thoughts someone might have after reading your post and thinking that maybe spyware isn't that bad after all.  IT IS !!!

We create a ghost image for each model of pc we deploy.  Ghost is a product from Symantec.  We use Ghostcast Server, but they have several different versions available.  

Basically it creates a snapshot of the entire system.  So we manually load the O.S. and all applications, then create an image from that.  Then, instead of having to load the Operating System, and all of the applications etc, we just load the image to any new computers.  It saves a lot of work.  After we load the image we use a program called ghostwalker to change the SID.

I highly recommend using this tool.  If you ever run into problems that are too time consuming to rememdy, simply backup the data if needed, and reload the image.  That way you only need to create an image for each model being used.  Sometimes you can use a basic image for several types, but I don't like doing it.

Yes, it solved the mouse problem, at least so far.  Before, every time it was booted up, the mouse would not work until it was unplugged and plugged back in.   After reloading the image on one machine, and reloading all software from scratch on the other, both of them now have a USB mouse that is fully operational every time they boot up.

Having a good image can fix all sorts of problems, so I highly recommend it.

I hope this is enough detail for you.  I have no explanation of why it stopped working in the first place, or why it was fixed by reinstalling, but all I can say is that I fixed it by doing that.  I tried every fix I could find on the internet and on the Dell forums, but none of them worked.

unfortunately, an image is not a possiblity in my environment.

but your advice rocks. good to know maybe for others. thanks.

Unfortunately we are using the form factor pc's which don't have PS2 connections.  I think this blows because PS2 works very reliably, and not having PS2 connectors is simply a mistake in my opinion.

I've never had a PS2 mouse stop responding, or a keyboard for that matter, which required unplugging it and plugging it back in (which is impossible for a PS2 mouse anyway, but at least they work).

It's too bad that manufacturer's haven't isolated and remedied this problem.  I know other brands have similar problems, because we have Gateway computers that also sometimes have this problem, and some of them are very consistently having this problem.

Macintosh do not have this problem.