Mouse pointer moves to side and stays there

[Bob Delaney]

Back in the days I had time to be a Windows MVP, there were a lot of
questions I knew how to answer, but this wasn't one of them. Let's see if
anybody can help me out.
We have a Vista machine running Vista Ultimate. It is a Toshiba Tecra.
Within a few minutes of booting up, even in safe mode, the mouse pointer
drifts to one side, usually the right, and stays there. If you leave the
machine alone for a while, the issue goes away, but the moment a user starts
doing anything, the mouse becomes unusable in this way. I have tried exiting
all applications, and meticulously exiting every service whose function I
know is not a core Windows function, without avail. Windows Defender has not
found an issue. Any suggestions?

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Tried disabling the onboard mouse/trackpad/whatever?

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Bob.

(Long time no see.)

Sit up straight! I've never had a laptop, but maybe your lap is just tilted
to the right a little. :^}

More seriously, I suppose you've already checked out the settings for mouse
sensitivity in Control Panel. Since each mouse is different, I won't try to
outline the steps for your hardware. Are you using the mouse that came with
the computer, or did you add it on? Could it be a driver issue?

Sorry I don't have any solid advice, but I couldn't miss a chance to say Hi.
;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8064.0206) in Win7 Ultimate x64 RC 7100

 

[Eric]

That would be the simplest solution to try, assuming you have an external
mouse to use instead. I hate trackpads, so I bought a laptop for the first
time this year and the first thing I did with it was plug in a trackball and
set it to disable the trackpad whenever an external mouse is detected.

I prefer the trackball but I also have a wireless USB laser mouse which
works great. In the old days a "wireless" mouse was just a mouse with a
laser which had to point directly at a laser reader which was a real pain.
Now you can point the mouse anywhere from anywhere in the room and it works.
Of course I didn't buy my mouse for the mouse (since I prefer the
trackball). It came with the wireless USB keyboard I bought since the
laptop doesn't have a full keyboard with numpad, and I use the numpad for
gaming. The external keyboard is also nice if you want to sit the laptop on
a table and sit the keyboard on your lap (or a desk keyboard tray).

If your mouse pointer drifts with an external mouse attached and the
trackpad disabled, you've got one screwy laptop (or maybe you need your lazy
eye checked).

 

[Gordon's Psychiatrist]

I remember behavior like this in the old days when I occasionally used
Windows 98. as I recall, it was due to contention with the interrupts.

I am not using Vista so I am not in a good position to troubleshoot but I
would suggest deinstalling the driver and reinstalling it. whether my
theory applies or not, this might be a good measure.

Felmon

You are not using Vista and you are in the Vista group? Are you friends
with Alias?

 

[Alias]

You are not using Vista and you are in the Vista group?

Not a requirement. Having a computer and Internet access is the only
requirement.

Are you friends

with Alias?

What is your solution to the OP's problem, hot shot?

Alias

 

[Gordon's Psychiatrist]

Not a requirement. Having a computer and Internet access is the only
requirement.

Are you friends

What is your solution to the OP's problem, hot shot?

Alias

Gotta be the same as yours!! Oops.

 

[Alias]

Gotta be the same as yours!! Oops.

My solution, of course, would be to nuke Vista and install Ubuntu.

Alias

 

[Gordon's Psychiatrist]

My solution, of course, would be to nuke Vista and install Ubuntu.

Alias

That isn't a solution you idiot. If you install that INFERIOR Ubuntu
then his Windows based programs won't work. What a 'TARD you are.

 

[Alias]

That isn't a solution you idiot. If you install that INFERIOR Ubuntu
then his Windows based programs won't work. What a 'TARD you are.

You're the one who said your solution would be same as mine. Har, har, har!

Alias

 

[Gordon's Psychiatrist]

You're the one who said your solution would be same as mine. Har, har, har!

Alias

The original solution you IDIOT. We both had NONE. Since then you came
up with something really STUPID as usual.

 

[mazorj]

Back in the days I had time to be a Windows MVP, there were a lot of
questions I knew how to answer, but this wasn't one of them. Let's
see if anybody can help me out.
We have a Vista machine running Vista Ultimate. It is a Toshiba
Tecra. Within a few minutes of booting up, even in safe mode, the
mouse pointer drifts to one side, usually the right, and stays
there. If you leave the machine alone for a while, the issue goes
away, but the moment a user starts doing anything, the mouse becomes
unusable in this way. I have tried exiting all applications, and
meticulously exiting every service whose function I know is not a
core Windows function, without avail. Windows Defender has not found
an issue. Any suggestions?

If yours is a laser mouse this wouldn't apply, but since you didn't
specify any details: Back in the old days, any irregular pointer
movement meant it probably was time to get out the Exacto and gently
scrape the two interior metal rollers where the mouse ball would
deposit gunk and lint at the contact point. Roller ball mice and even
those big roller track balls will build up gunk and/or lint that has
to be cleaned off.

Second, try fresh batteries if it's a wireless. I've had erratic
pointer action on a wireless laser mouse go away after putting in a
fresh set. No rhyme or reason to it, I had run out of things to check
and it was one of those "What have I got to lose?" steps that just
happened to work.

 

[Bob Delaney]

Setting aside the tangential theories on something this machine won't be
running, my newsgroup friends have suggested replacing the drivers and asked
whether buildup on the mouse might be an issue.
I have de-installed the drivers, with no joy.
The external mouse works fine on all other machines. However, this
machine has a touchpad as well. There are no moving parts to clean. I have
first de-activated, then uninstalled one, then the other, then both mouse
drivers. The suggestions were what I had thought of, and I have been
rummaging through both the Knowledge Base, and the Win XP books I have for
something that describes this. The virus scan also reports a clean bill of
health.
Bob

 

[Bob Delaney]

It is the built-in touchpad on a Toshiba Tecra. I plugged in a
known-to-be-good Microsoft notebook mouse, but have since unplugged it and
uninstalled it. Every now and then, a "tapping-in-the-dark" idea works out,
you know. Thank for following up.
Bob