# Computer question. Need help. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597 "2001-09-25T00:37:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/1 "2001-09-25T00:37:49Z")
OK, besides this Pentium computer I also own a 486. Today I received a VLB duel IDE controller to replace my ISA IDE controller because I have 2 hard drives and a CD ROM and the ISA card couldn’t support all three. I installed the card, and both hard drives, the CD ROM, and my 3 1/2 floppy drives work OK, but I can’t move my mouse. Not in DOS or in Windows 3.11. The computer knows it’s there and the mouse pointer can be displayed, but not moved. Does this sound like conflicting IRQ’s, or does it sound like a problem with the IDE card? If it’s an IRQ problem, I guess I’ll need to have a pro look at it because I have no clue which jumpers to change. If anybody has any suggestions I’d really appreciate it. If it is an IRQ problem, I guess I could try to describe my motherboard layout and the video card if anybody thinks that they can help me change jumpers. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/2 "2001-09-25T01:09:21Z")
You are gonna have to install a mouse driver for windows and dos to recognize the mouse, unlike win 9x the older programs didn’t need a mouse so they didn’t bother installing any software to control it. Keith ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/3 "2001-09-25T01:13:01Z")
Also: Replacing the ISA card with a VLB card is akin to removing the 350 from a Corvette and dropping a Turbocharged Four Cylnder in there. Sure, it’ll do the job, but not well. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/4 "2001-09-25T02:41:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Odieman \* > \*\*You are gonna have to install a mouse driver for windows and dos to recognize the mouse, unlike win 9x the older programs didn’t need a mouse so they didn’t bother installing any software to control it. > > Keith \*\* Well I do have a mouse driver. The mouse worked with the ISA card. I’ll try a new driver and see if that works. ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/5 "2001-09-25T04:32:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saint Zero \* > \*\*Replacing the ISA card with a VLB card is akin to removing the 350 from a Corvette and dropping a Turbocharged Four Cylnder in there. Sure, it’ll do the job, but not well. \*\* I’m not sure what you mean by this. A VL bus is 32 bits wide and runs at 33MHz. An ISA bus is 16 bits wide and runs at 8MHz. I don’t see how swapping an ISA card for a VLB card is downgrading. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/6 "2001-09-25T18:31:39Z")
Vandal is right. The VLB slot is an ISA with an extension on it that allows for the 32 bit operation. You can put an ISA card in it if you want, it just is physically shorter. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/7 "2001-09-25T18:48:07Z")
Are you using a serial mouse? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/8 "2001-09-26T01:37:15Z")
Yes, it’s a serial mouse. I e-mailed the guy I bought the card from. He want’s me to check to see if the serial port is streight wired or crossed. I wish I knew why. Ugh, I’ve gotta learn more about hardware. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/9 "2001-09-26T02:00:02Z")
If I recall, you have to load a different driver or use a switch for a serial mouse, like in autoexec.bat: MOUSE /S or something. Depends on the driver, of course. You migh check a DOS book. It’s been a while. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/10 "2001-09-26T02:21:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*If I recall, you have to load a different driver or use a switch for a serial mouse, like in autoexec.bat: > > MOUSE /S > > or something. Depends on the driver, of course. You migh check a DOS book. It’s been a while. > > 🙂 \*\* The mouse I’m using is the same I used on the ISA serial port. Everything should be the same. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/11 "2001-09-26T02:37:07Z")
Have you tried switching COM ports? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/12 "2001-09-26T03:30:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Have you tried switching COM ports? \*\* I only have one right now, so no. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/13 "2001-09-26T03:34:25Z")
Out of curiosity, I can’t have more than one IDE card. But if I want to add serial and parallel ports (I can’t add USB because I don’t have any PCI slots) it would be ok to get something like these, right? [http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1277442679](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1277442679) [http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1278327571](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1278327571) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/14 "2001-09-26T13:17:36Z")
**Joel** , one of those should be no problem. I even have an old VLB parallel card around somewhere that I don’t need anymore. I also have an I/O card with IDE and parallel/serial; IIRC, the IDE can be disabled. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/15 "2001-09-26T13:54:34Z")
Sounds like an IRQ conflict. Depending on how the card is configuring itself your mouse port will typically be COM 1 IRQ4 and the IDE IO will occupy IRQ’s 14 and 15 for IDE channel 1 and 2 respectively with each channel having a dual drive master/slave connection option. Normally the IDE card IRQ will not step on the mouse IRQ . 1: Check the mouse in your hardware setup section and see what com port and IRQ it’s set for. 2: Double check the new IDE card to make sure it does not have a serial port connection on it (some IDE combo cards do) and remember I’m not talking about the 9 or 25 pin serial port connector, I’m talking about the board pins that these connectors would plug into on the IDE card. It would normally look like a small rectangular box of 2 rows of pins with 10-12 pins total on the surface of the card. If it’s there you will need to defeat this port or defeat the one you are currently using. 3: You did not say if your COM port is on the MB or on a card. Either way try changing jumpers or BIOS settings and switch your current mouse definition to COM 2/3/4 and/or removing the modem (if present) and seeing if this frees up the mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Damhna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Damhna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damhna)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/16 "2001-09-26T14:00:51Z")
Your booting to DOS ? Have you got a path for [Mouse.com](http://Mouse.com) ? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/17 "2001-09-27T05:46:51Z")
I sent a picture of the com cable to the guy I bought the computer from and he thinks that there might be a bad connection. So he’s sending me a new cable. I’m bring my computer into a computer shop for other reasons, so if the cable doesn’t work I’ll have them check it out. I wasn’t going to bring it in just for the bad serial connection, but since I’m bringing it in anyway, I’ll just have them check it out if I still have the problem. It’s not the driver or the mouse, so it has to be either a bad connection, or an IRQ conflict. Either way, it looks like it’ll get sorted out soon enough. I tried hooking up my old ISA IDE I/O controller and just use that for the com port and nothing else, but when I ran my computer, it told me that I had no com ports at all. Strange. But anyway, thanks for all your help and advice. I really appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![aramis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aramis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aramis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/18 "2001-09-27T06:04:46Z")
There is no inherent limit that says a computer can’t have two IDE cards, but not more than two. One of mine has two IDE ports on the motherboard and a PCI add-in IDE controller. Together they control four hard drives and two CD-ROMs with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-need-help/83597/19 "2001-09-27T12:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aramis \* > \*\*There is no inherent limit that says a computer can’t have two IDE cards, but not more than two. One of mine has two IDE ports on the motherboard and a PCI add-in IDE controller. Together they control four hard drives and two CD-ROMs with no problems. \*\* Actually there is a limitation to some degree on a non-PCI based 486. Your add on PCI card can plug it’s IO requirements into any available IRQ. When using ISA (or VLB) cards the ability of the system and the card to do on the fly IRQ re-assigning in a primarily ISA based system is fairly limited.