USB Optical mouse fails to install in Vista

Question

I recently bought an Inspiron 6400 with Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed. I cannot use either of my USB optical mice because Vista will not install the drivers. One is a Kensington PocketMouse LE, the other a Dell/Logitec Optical mouse. Both devices worked perfectly with Windows XP. The following message pops up during plug & play driver installation: 'Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it. USB Browser Mouse An error occurred during the installation of this device: The driver installation file for this device is missing a necessary entry. This may be because the INF was written for Windows 95 or later. Contact your hardware vendor.' Has anyone else encountered this problem? Are there updated drivers? I have checked manufacturers' websites as well as dell.com and microsoft.com. Thanks!

gdwrnch3 · Answer

MishVeep, try this Download the drivers for your mouse to your desktop. open the compatibility wizard, find the driver in the list, and set it to run in XPSP2 compatibility mode.

MishVeep · Answer

Thanks for your reply. I'm not blaming anyone - I'm just surprised that Microsoft wouldn't include devices that work on their existing O/S in Vista. I was led to believe that most would... especially a mouse (and neither of these mice are old either - the Kensington was bought not even a month before Vista was released.)

Monguse · Answer

Not every bit of hardware will work with Vista, the fault is with the device maker if the co. does not make driver that work with Vista you will have to buy a new one or wait and see if they make new drivers. If people took the time to read the HCL list Microsoft has , they might not have as many problems. Don't get me I think more hardware items should be supported, but you cannot blame M/S for other vender's not making drivers.

Message Edited by Monguse on 03-04-2007 09:18 AM

gdwrnch3 · Answer

MishVeep, you are welcome, I'm glad I could help. jd

MishVeep · Answer

gdwrnch3, I did a little more digging and found that last month there was a Windows Update that included a USB Browser Mouse driver from a manufacturer called 'Chic' Apparently this was device specific and may have caused other manufacturers' devices to not work properly. I rolled back the driver and per your recommendation installed the latest one from Kensington, and lo and behold - the mouse works! Thanks for your help!

Monguse · Answer

I understand that, but as I said it is not Microsoft that is the problem, the hardware co. is responsible for making drivers to work with the software, M/S only gives out the needed info and each co. has to decide if the cost to write drivers is worth it to them and remember it takes time to write the code and debug it. All I can say is check on the co. web site and see if they have current vista drivers and or ask them if they are going to make them for you hardware.

Message Edited by Monguse on 03-04-2007 09:39 AM

Windows General

USB Optical mouse fails to install in Vista

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