MS Notebook Optical Mouse (USB) doesn't work

Question

I've been trying to get answers from MS, but their products support is horrible.  Maybe someone here can give me some ideas?  I'm running WinXP, which this mouse is supposed to be configured for (I'm on an Inspiron 8500--and btw, I have no clue what the keyboard problem is, mine seems to be ok), but the mouse won't work in either USB port.  Do I have to disable the touchpad to get it to work?  It's not even showing up in my device manager.  When I plug it in, the little internal light in the mouse flickers and then nothing.  Nada.  Install New Hardware doesn't detect it, but it says all my USB root hubs and ports are working correctly.  Isn't a USB mouse supposed to be a plug and play?

DumDeDum · Answer

I have the same problem although, I am running intellipoint usb intellimouse explorer on a Inspiron 5150. When I look under Device Manager there are 2 mice one is a PS/2 intellimouse(even though there is no PS/2 socket on the 5150) and the other is a USB intellimouse. If I uninstall the PS/2 mouse the other one fails and when I reboot both get installed by Windows XP automatically.

The mouse will work for 1 - 3 minutes after I reboot and then will go dead and the light will go off (red scanner light on the bottom)

PLEASE HELP! I can't stand the touchpad thing.

Thank you.

Dana Kate · Answer

I'm ok with the touchpad most of the time, which is why I don't want to disable it.  But when I'm playing games, I just need a mouse.  The touchpad is too slow for me when I have to do a lot of point and clicks, and I've been using a mouse for half a decade so my motor skills (such as they are) are looking for one.  ::sighs::

kayatai · Answer

I know it's not much of a solution, but have you tried a different mouse?

DumDeDum · Answer

Ladies and gents,

I got good news. Yesterday I uninstalled the peice of cr@p intellimouse and installed a logitech MX 500. Everything works great!!!

I have both the Synaptic touchpad and the mouse enabled, and there is absolutely no contention w/ resources. If u decide to go this route remember to download the latest drivers from the logitech website and to also download the advanced utility which basically monitors the applications that are open so that if a game is started it unbinds all the settings for the programmable buttons (theres 6 programmable buttons on this beast!!) so that you can program them for whatever game your playing.

I hope this helps. Its not much of a solution as far as making your current hardware work together but on the flipside the Logitech mouse is by far the best mouse I have ever had. I got mine at Amazon for 36.94 plus theres a $10.00 rebate which I beleive is good thru september so shop around. Bestbuy is selling them for $50 and logitech won't give you the rebate if you buy it from Bestbuy or CircuitCity (I have no idea why, maybe BestBuy has their own rebate promotion or something.)

Good luck :)

saarland · Answer

dumdedum,

I have exact the same problem with my 5150 as you do. I have Emailed 25times with Dell, but they have no Solution for it and at this point I am a little disappointed about that. I guess I have to buy a different mouse. Let me know if you come up with something else.

Good Luck.

Saarland

jteel · Answer

I have a Inspiron 5000e and also use a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer with my notebook. The other day I decided to upgrade the IntelliMouse software to the latest version. I noticed that in the ReadMe notes that it said all other mouse software needs to be removed. It would not let me install the MS software untill the touchpad software was gone. But after the MS software was installed the touchpad software went back on just fine. Oh well!!! Just another one of those strange software things.

Jeff

Dana Kate · Answer

My mouse is a USB plug and play, there's no software with it.  I don't have an intellimouse or any of those other ones, it's just a plain USB mouse for notebooks.  I guess it's just defective. ::sighs::

jteel · Answer

Mine is Plug and Play as well but there is software that has to be installed to make it function correctly (such as the buttons for Internet Explorer). I am also using WIN98SE so there may be some differences there. I don't know if WinXP has the IntelliMouse software installed on it now or not.

Jeff

laserray87 · Answer

I have a 5100 with a USB optical intellimouse. It did install everything as it was a plug and play device. It should've come with a CD when you bought it though. I have a few problems with mine as some days it won't work at all. In the mouse properties, it should show up on the hardware tab. That way you could click on the mouse name, then properties, and then see under device usage if it says use this device. If it doesn't, there is a down arrow that may allow you to enable the device. Hopefully this helps you out!

Adam

DumDeDum · Answer

At my first job, I had a generic plug n play mouse which was acting up so I downlaoded and installed the then latest MS Intellipoint drivers and it fixed it right up. Why don't u try that?

Its not that big a download from the ms website and if it doesn't work u can uninstall it.

It can't hurt, let me know if that helps.

Thank u :)

kreativ · Answer

On my Inspiron 1100, Logitech optical USB mouses work without a problem. Microsoft optical USB mouses don't work at all. Plug it into the USB port, and nothing. No light at all. Both brands work fine on my Toshiba laptop.

gbcue · Answer

I got an I8600, I have that MS Notebook mouse.  All I did was plug it in, and it worked. Nothing to install, etc.  Could it be that your OS didn't have the USB driver installed?

Dana Kate · Answer

Oh, probably.  That's what it's telling me now, anyway.  But the mouse is supposedly configured for WinXP, and I have WinXP, so I dunno why a driver for a USB plug and play mouse isn't installed, if it's supposed to have it automatically part of the stupid OS.  The mouse doesn't COME with any drivers.  No software at all.  Just a mouse and a little stupid manual saying to plug it in and eat healthy and sit up straight.  At least it didn't cost me anything; it was a gift from someone.  And I'm finally getting some sort of message one way or the other now.  Before it was just nothing.  Nada.  Grr.

weea · Answer

We just got the 1150 and I plugged in the MS Notebook Optical mouse and it doesn't work (no power, no nothing). I thought that since it's a Windows mouse and Windows makes the OS (XP Home), the OS would automatically recognize the mouse.

The mouse works fine on various desktops I've tried it on, and on my old notebook.

So I downloaded the driver from the Microsoft site (mine didn't come with a CD, either). It seems to have silently replaced the Synaptic touchpad driver b/c now the only mouse that shows up in Control Panel or in Device Manager is the MS mouse.

However, the mouse still doesn't work at all, and the touchpad does!! Dunno what's going on here.
I like my Microsoft mouse and will resent having to buy a different one.

I'm a busy person so I'm tempted not even to attempt getting support from Dell, given the reports on this board about their ineffectuality on this matter.

Hmmmmm.........

I'm tempted to try reinstalling the Synaptic driver somehow --or more accurately I guess I will try making it reappear in the UI, b/c obviously it is functioning--and then try disabling it, hoping that this will force the MS mouse to work. But I think this could be a dangerous move, since I could end up without a pointing device.

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MS Notebook Optical Mouse (USB) doesn't work

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