Microsoft Mouse driver is unchanging

[Richard Roseweir]

Using Win XP SP3, with a USB wired Basic Optical Mouse and year long
screen-saver issues.

Despite previous advice to the contrary, my local techie has now advised me
to replace the mouse and update the Microsoft mouse drive in the hope that
these will rectify the year long, non-starting screen-saver.

Borrowed another USB wired MS Basic Optical Mouse from a workmate and
plugged it in but with no advantage in respect of the screen-saver.

Checked the existing mouse driver at Start > right click My Computer >
Properties > Hardware tab > Device Manager > Mice and Other Pointing Devices

right click HID-compliant mouse and reviewed General, Driver, Details,

Power Management tabs.

Driver: Microsoft
Date: July 01, 2001
Version: 5.1.2600.0
Signer: MS Windows Component Publisher

Using the Update driver tool, reveals that no better driver is available
(online, or otherwise ???)

My techie then advises me to download and install the latest MS IntelliPoint
7.0 software which I do.

Although I choose to use all default settings, the screen-saver now starts
as expected. Hooray!

(Why? Don't really care, am just very glad and will now purchase a new MS
mouse of my own.)

My question then:

When checking the mouse driver as before, as above, Windows XP shows that it
has remained unchanged despite the installation of the IntelliPoint software
which has an icon on the Desktop, an entry in the Start menu and an entry in
the Add/Remove Programs tool. Why has the previous HID-compliant MS mouse
drive remained unchanged?

Sincerely,
Richard
Surrey, BC, Canada.

 

[smlunatick]

Using Win XP SP3, with a USB wired Basic Optical Mouse and year long
screen-saver issues.

Despite previous advice to the contrary, my local techie has now advised me
to replace the mouse and update the Microsoft mouse drive in the hope that
these will rectify the year long, non-starting screen-saver.

Borrowed another USB wired MS Basic Optical Mouse from a workmate and
plugged it in but with no advantage in respect of the screen-saver.

Checked the existing mouse driver at Start > right click My Computer >
Properties > Hardware tab > Device Manager > Mice and Other Pointing Devices
 > right click HID-compliant mouse and reviewed General, Driver, Details,
Power Management tabs.

Driver: Microsoft
Date: July 01, 2001
Version: 5.1.2600.0
Signer: MS Windows Component Publisher

Using the Update driver tool, reveals that no better driver is available
(online, or otherwise ???)

My techie then advises me to download and install the latest MS IntelliPoint
7.0 software which I do.

Although I choose to use all default settings, the screen-saver now starts
as expected.  Hooray!

(Why? Don't really care, am just very glad and will now purchase a new MS
mouse of my own.)

My question then:

When checking the mouse driver as before, as above, Windows XP shows thatit
has remained unchanged despite the installation of the IntelliPoint software
which has an icon on the Desktop, an entry in the Start menu and an entryin
the Add/Remove Programs tool.  Why has the previous HID-compliant MS mouse
drive remained unchanged?

Sincerely,
Richard
Surrey, BC, Canada.

Microsoft has two versions of the mouse drivers. One is the default
mouse driver that is delivered with XP and is not normally updated.
This is a simple driver to provide mainly basic functions. The
Intellipoint drivers are the enhanced drivers for the Microsoft
branded mice. Once the Intellipoint drivers are installed, they
"override" the default XP drivers.

 

[Richard Roseweir]

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I assume then, that if I uninstall the MS IntelliPoint 7.0 software ((and
drivers), the original WinXP Mouse driver will remain providing the mouse
with basic functionality.

Likewise if I install yet another 3rd party, wired optical mouse, its driver
will also over-ride that come with Win XP. And similarly, if this 3rd party
mouse and its driver are ever uninstalled, the original Win XP mouse drivers
will continue to provide the basic functionality.

You indicate that the original Win XP mouse driver is not normally updated.
Can it however, ever be removed?

If so, how?

Thanks,
Richard


Microsoft has two versions of the mouse drivers. One is the default
mouse driver that is delivered with XP and is not normally updated.
This is a simple driver to provide mainly basic functions. The
Intellipoint drivers are the enhanced drivers for the Microsoft
branded mice. Once the Intellipoint drivers are installed, they
"override" the default XP drivers.

 

[smlunatick]

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I assume then, that if I uninstall the MS IntelliPoint 7.0 software ((and
drivers), the original WinXP Mouse driver will remain providing the mouse
with basic functionality.

Likewise if I install yet another 3rd party, wired optical mouse, its driver
will also over-ride that come with Win XP.  And similarly, if this 3rd party
mouse and its driver are ever uninstalled, the original Win XP mouse drivers
will continue to provide the basic functionality.

You indicate that the original Win XP mouse driver is not normally updated.
Can it however, ever be removed?

If so, how?

Thanks,
Richard



Microsoft has two versions of the mouse drivers.  One is the default
mouse driver that is delivered with XP and is not normally updated.
This is a simple driver to provide mainly basic functions.  The
Intellipoint drivers are the enhanced drivers for the Microsoft
branded mice.  Once the Intellipoint drivers are installed, they
"override" the default XP drivers.

I had a Microsoft mouse and installed the Intellipoint drivers for
it. I was then changing to a Razer Lachesis ™ gaming grade mouse and
the first thing the set up process was suggesting was to uninstall any
other "enhanced" mouse drivers / software packages. This was to the
fact that too many enhanced drivers software packages can interfere
with each other.

 

[Jean Rosenfeld]

Why would you want to remove it? It is there so that you will have mouse
functionality should you need to uninstall any enhanced driver, such as
intellipoint.

 

[Richard Roseweir]

Now that I know better, and that it can in fact co-exist with an additional
enhanced driver, I would not want to uninstall it.

[It does seem strange to me however that two drivers can be installed and
not conflict with each other...as per many of the video and audio codecs
that I need to contend with.]

Additionally, although I'm delighted that my screen-saver now kicks in when
it should, why did it require the newer IntelliPoint 7.0 software to do so?
The original Windows XP default mouse driver, dated 2001, was apparently
defective in this regard and it only took a year to figure this out.

Thank you one and all for teaching me a little more about drivers.

Sincerely,
Richard
Surrey, BC, Canada.