I've got an Inspiron 8000 doing the same! It appears that it is a possible hardware failure of the keyboard pointing stick and/or touchpad. A quick fix is to turn OFF the touchpad in the BIOS and use an external mouse. As evidenced by the FAQ, I would expect tha this issue has been quite troublesome for a large number of laptop owners.
Thanks much Kojak (Incidentally my most favorite TV guy) - I have been using an external mouse, but I haven't turned off the Touchpad, etc. Could you give me a clue as to how I can go to BIOS to perform the surgery? By the way, do you know why my question has a 5-star rating??? - Dom Gabriele
Thanks fanoblack, changing the bios setting to disable the touchpad when a ps-2 mouse was present was EXACTLY what I was looking for. I think that's what a lot of people are searching for when their cursor is skipping around while typing.
As a better explanation of what Bob is trying to say: Not sure if this works with your version of Windows, but it works for 95, 98, ME and Win2K. Click on the Start menu at the lower left of the screen, then scroll up to "Settings." Move the cursor to "Control Panel." Click it and it will open a window. Click on the Mouse icon. Either in the babs or on that first page you'll see a section labeled "Double click speed."
I have the same problem on my Inspiron 2500. And no, playing with the mouse settings doesn't work for this computer. One day I started the computer and lost functions on the whole keyboard, although the mouse worked. I had to reset the system defaults to get the keyboard back, and that's when my mouse problem started. Now I have to continually move the mouse cursor to keep it below my line of text. Typing any word with the letters "ou" in it seems to "activate" the mouse, making the cursor jump from the text line to wherever the mouse cursor is sitting. Heaven forbid I leave the mouse cursor sitting over the "Send" button while trying to write an email. Imagine going along at 90 words per minute, then having to come to a complete stop and carefully click out every word with "ou" in it as you type? Yeah, great fun. No, it's not my palm hitting the touchpad or buttons. Already tested that.
Not exactly a cure but an experiment. Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the input drivers? You might, just to see if that cures anything. I don't know if the I2500 have dual inputs (a touch pad and an stick mouse on keyboard), but if they do, can you disable one and see if that helps. Try disabling each one. After that you might just need to turn down the sensitivity of the touchpad. I am out of ideas.
I just tried to find a new driver. Windows elected to install a driver 2 years older than the existing one (go figure). Good news: In stripping it out, I reinstalled the synaptic driver from the Dell software bundle. The problem hasn't repeated since. *crossing fingers*
The HARDWARE problem(s) was RESOLVED by Dell under Part Only Warranty as follows:
"The WANDERING OFF BY ITSELF mouse POINTING ARROW problem":
Replacing my apparently faulty palm rest assembly (part number 9C938 A00) with the latest part number 06G500 rev A05 in June 2003 solved the cursor racing over the screen all the way to e.g. the corner of the screen problem.
(I think part 06G500 is for both the i8000 and the i8100.)
"cursor jumping around when typing" aka "erratic mouse self clicking" aka "random cursor jumps" problem:
A few months later,
replacing my apparently faulty keyboard (part number 03609Y rev A00) with the latest part number 03609Y rev A03 in December 2003 solved the unintentional jumping of the active cursor to other parts of the word processor whilst typing problem (aka "ghost clicks" or "cursor jumping" problem).
Cursor works fine now.
IN GENERAL:
-Run the Dell diagnostics and see if a hardware problem is located.
-The pointing stick nub between the g and h keys may be stuck - wiggle it a couple times
-Adjust the sensitivity of the mouse in the Mouse entry in the Device Manager. Drag the Touch Sensitivity towards Heavy Touch and the Palm Check towards Maximum.
-Disable the pointing stick for a few days, if the problem is gone the keyboard may need replacing or cables are not properly connected.
If the problem is not gone the palm rest unit may need replacing or cables are not properly connected.
Contact Dell Tech Support.
I think Dell gives great service.
Hereby 2 links on the "cursor jumping around when typing" aka "erratic mouse self clicking" aka "random cursor jumps" subject that may be related:
Kojak
10 Posts
0
October 11th, 2003 12:00
I've got an Inspiron 8000 doing the same! It appears that it is a possible hardware failure of the keyboard pointing stick and/or touchpad. A quick fix is to turn OFF the touchpad in the BIOS and use an external mouse. As evidenced by the FAQ, I would expect tha this issue has been quite troublesome for a large number of laptop owners.
Message Edited by Kojak on 10-11-2003 09:31 AM
domgab
11 Posts
0
October 13th, 2003 02:00
fanoblack
10 Posts
0
October 13th, 2003 04:00
Upon boot-up hit F2 key, (when the dell splash screen appears, but before the windows splash screen). At least thats how one enters BIOS on an I8000.
fanoblack
Kojak
10 Posts
0
October 13th, 2003 12:00
Probably a five star rating because of a such a widespread and premature failure of hardware.
kyzer
1 Message
0
October 15th, 2003 04:00
fanoblack
10 Posts
0
October 15th, 2003 12:00
Anytime. Glad it worked for you, I have heard of that option not curing the problem in some instances.
fanoblack
lemmesee
10 Posts
0
October 16th, 2003 15:00
As a better explanation of what Bob is trying to say: Not sure if this works with your version of Windows, but it works for 95, 98, ME and Win2K. Click on the Start menu at the lower left of the screen, then scroll up to "Settings." Move the cursor to "Control Panel." Click it and it will open a window. Click on the Mouse icon. Either in the babs or on that first page you'll see a section labeled "Double click speed."
I have the same problem on my Inspiron 2500. And no, playing with the mouse settings doesn't work for this computer. One day I started the computer and lost functions on the whole keyboard, although the mouse worked. I had to reset the system defaults to get the keyboard back, and that's when my mouse problem started. Now I have to continually move the mouse cursor to keep it below my line of text. Typing any word with the letters "ou" in it seems to "activate" the mouse, making the cursor jump from the text line to wherever the mouse cursor is sitting. Heaven forbid I leave the mouse cursor sitting over the "Send" button while trying to write an email. Imagine going along at 90 words per minute, then having to come to a complete stop and carefully click out every word with "ou" in it as you type? Yeah, great fun. No, it's not my palm hitting the touchpad or buttons. Already tested that.
Ideas, Bob?
fanoblack
10 Posts
0
October 16th, 2003 15:00
Not exactly a cure but an experiment. Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the input drivers? You might, just to see if that cures anything. I don't know if the I2500 have dual inputs (a touch pad and an stick mouse on keyboard), but if they do, can you disable one and see if that helps. Try disabling each one. After that you might just need to turn down the sensitivity of the touchpad. I am out of ideas.
fanoblack
domgab
11 Posts
0
October 17th, 2003 01:00
lemmesee
10 Posts
0
October 17th, 2003 12:00
I just tried to find a new driver. Windows elected to install a driver 2 years older than the existing one (go figure). Good news: In stripping it out, I reinstalled the synaptic driver from the Dell software bundle. The problem hasn't repeated since. *crossing fingers*
blackblackhamme
65 Posts
0
March 9th, 2004 09:00
B.t.w. rather strange that this weak thread has a 3 star rating, anyway for you non 8500 owners, here you go...
**************************************************
Hi, I have an inspiron 8000.
This notebook has a pointing stick + touchpad.
I WAS experiencing eratic cursor behaviour.
The HARDWARE problem(s) was RESOLVED by Dell under Part Only Warranty as follows:
"The WANDERING OFF BY ITSELF mouse POINTING ARROW problem":
Replacing my apparently faulty palm rest assembly (part number 9C938 A00) with the latest part number 06G500 rev A05 in June 2003 solved the cursor racing over the screen all the way to e.g. the corner of the screen problem.
(I think part 06G500 is for both the i8000 and the i8100.)
"cursor jumping around when typing" aka "erratic mouse self clicking" aka "random cursor jumps" problem:
A few months later,
replacing my apparently faulty keyboard (part number 03609Y rev A00) with the latest part number 03609Y rev A03 in December 2003 solved the unintentional jumping of the active cursor to other parts of the word processor whilst typing problem (aka "ghost clicks" or "cursor jumping" problem).
Cursor works fine now.
IN GENERAL:
-Run the Dell diagnostics and see if a hardware problem is located.
-The pointing stick nub between the g and h keys may be stuck - wiggle it a couple times
-Adjust the sensitivity of the mouse in the Mouse entry in the Device Manager. Drag the Touch Sensitivity towards Heavy Touch and the Palm Check towards Maximum.
-Disable the pointing stick for a few days, if the problem is gone the keyboard may need replacing or cables are not properly connected.
If the problem is not gone the palm rest unit may need replacing or cables are not properly connected.
Contact Dell Tech Support.
I think Dell gives great service.
Hereby 2 links on the "cursor jumping around when typing" aka "erratic mouse self clicking" aka "random cursor jumps" subject that may be related:
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=16253.
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=16425.
For those interested in a link on "The WANDERING OFF BY ITSELF mouse POINTING ARROW problem" see:
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=12447.
See also the following 6 urls:
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=11052.
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=7068.
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=16361.
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=7362.
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_upgrade&message.id=16000.
LINK: http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=16577.
_
Message Edited by blackblackhammer on 03-09-2004 09:56 PM