I have a Garmin GPS that I connect to my IBM ThinkPad running Windows
XP. Because the ThinkPad has no serial ports, I connect the GPS through a
USB-to-Serial adapter.

Whenever I connect the GPS, it is recognized as a "Serial Ballpoint
Mouse" and XP installs the driver. Then XP starts seeing the GPS data,
interprets it as mouse activity, and the cursor and screen go "crazy", with
the mouse bouncing all over the screen and windows popping up and shutting
down in fairly fast sequence. All of this screen and mouse activity happens
so quickly that I can't get control of the mouse and use it in any way.

Garmin recognizes that this problem can occur and they recommend that
you go to "manage devices" and disable the "Serial Ballpoint Mouse", which
then leaves the GPS data available to my navigation program.

Unfortunately, I can't get control of the mouse for long enough to open
manage devices and disable the "serial ballpoint mouse".
- Is there a way to permanently block the installation of the "serial
ballpoint mouse" driver?
- Is there a way to permanently disable the driver? Even if I can get it
disabled, it reinstalls every time I plug in the GPS.
- Is there a way to automate something that I can run by a keystroke or
will run automatically to programmatically disable the driver?
Of course, I don't want to totally shut down the USB port or I won't be able
to get the GPS data to my software.

Thanks for your help!

-Clint Marshall

how about under safe mode
"Clint Marshall" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:XHGef.3654$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a Garmin GPS that I connect to my IBM ThinkPad running Windows
> XP. Because the ThinkPad has no serial ports, I connect the GPS through a
> USB-to-Serial adapter.
>
> Whenever I connect the GPS, it is recognized as a "Serial Ballpoint
> Mouse" and XP installs the driver. Then XP starts seeing the GPS data,
> interprets it as mouse activity, and the cursor and screen go "crazy",
> with the mouse bouncing all over the screen and windows popping up and
> shutting down in fairly fast sequence. All of this screen and mouse
> activity happens so quickly that I can't get control of the mouse and use
> it in any way.
>
> Garmin recognizes that this problem can occur and they recommend that
> you go to "manage devices" and disable the "Serial Ballpoint Mouse", which
> then leaves the GPS data available to my navigation program.
>
> Unfortunately, I can't get control of the mouse for long enough to open
> manage devices and disable the "serial ballpoint mouse".
> - Is there a way to permanently block the installation of the "serial
> ballpoint mouse" driver?
> - Is there a way to permanently disable the driver? Even if I can get
> it disabled, it reinstalls every time I plug in the GPS.
> - Is there a way to automate something that I can run by a keystroke or
> will run automatically to programmatically disable the driver?
> Of course, I don't want to totally shut down the USB port or I won't be
> able to get the GPS data to my software.
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> -Clint Marshall
>

I'm sorry, but what do you mean by "how about under safe mode"?
Is there a way to disable this under safe mode or are you suggesting that I
should try running under safe mode to get some different behavior?
Forgive my ignorance, and thank you for clarifying.

-Clint

"BigJIm" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> how about under safe mode
> "Clint Marshall" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:XHGef.3654$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have a Garmin GPS that I connect to my IBM ThinkPad running Windows
>> XP. Because the ThinkPad has no serial ports, I connect the GPS through
>> a USB-to-Serial adapter.
>>
>> Whenever I connect the GPS, it is recognized as a "Serial Ballpoint
>> Mouse" and XP installs the driver. Then XP starts seeing the GPS data,
>> interprets it as mouse activity, and the cursor and screen go "crazy",
>> with the mouse bouncing all over the screen and windows popping up and
>> shutting down in fairly fast sequence. All of this screen and mouse
>> activity happens so quickly that I can't get control of the mouse and use
>> it in any way.
>>
>> Garmin recognizes that this problem can occur and they recommend that
>> you go to "manage devices" and disable the "Serial Ballpoint Mouse",
>> which then leaves the GPS data available to my navigation program.
>>
>> Unfortunately, I can't get control of the mouse for long enough to
>> open manage devices and disable the "serial ballpoint mouse".
>> - Is there a way to permanently block the installation of the "serial
>> ballpoint mouse" driver?
>> - Is there a way to permanently disable the driver? Even if I can get
>> it disabled, it reinstalls every time I plug in the GPS.
>> - Is there a way to automate something that I can run by a keystroke
>> or will run automatically to programmatically disable the driver?
>> Of course, I don't want to totally shut down the USB port or I won't be
>> able to get the GPS data to my software.
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>>
>> -Clint Marshall
>>
>
>

"Clint Marshall" wrote:
> I have a Garmin GPS that I connect to my IBM ThinkPad running Windows
> XP. Because the ThinkPad has no serial ports, I connect the GPS through a
> USB-to-Serial adapter.
>
> Whenever I connect the GPS, it is recognized as a "Serial Ballpoint
> Mouse" and XP installs the driver.

Have you tried a different usb to serial adapter? Did Garmin support
advice some models?

............
> Unfortunately, I can't get control of the mouse for long enough to open
> manage devices and disable the "serial ballpoint mouse".

Just disonnect the GPS while you're at device manager?

--PA