I’m running windows XP on a Dell and have a Dell laser USB mouse on my work computer. The mouse pointer on the screen is often resetting itself to the corners of my screen for no reason. I have a dual monitor set-up and the corner of choice seems to be random.
It is not the mouse itself (I don’t think), as I have switched it out twice and it is still happening. I stopped using a mouse pad and instead started using a matte sheet of paper to run the mouse over so it would not reflect wildly, but that doesn’t seem to be helping either. The IT guys here don’t have any more suggestions.
Does anyone else have any other ideas? Since I do a lot of work in Indesign and Illustrator, it’s fairly important that I have fine mouse control and this is driving me crazy.
Is USB power saving mode enabled for the port your mouse is using? I’m not sure how comfortable you are with computers - you’ll find the options in your device manager. Easiest way to test this, though, is just to use a PS2 mouse and see if you get the same problem.
Secondly, are you running any programs in the background? I have a few applications that, when alt-tabbed out, regularly shunt my mouse into the upper corners to my fury and dismay.
This might be an excuse to invest in a pad and a stylus. (Whatever they’re called: A touch-sensitive pad with a pen-like stylus to do fine input. I don’t use one but I know they’re reasonably common in the webcomic world, for example.)
There might be some hidden setting in Control Panel you can frob. Beyond that I got nothing.
Interconnected Series of Tubes, I checked the device manager and there was an old touch-screen monitor setting under the Mouse options that I uninstalled, but other than that the power options appeared fine. Maybe I’ll get lucky and my old touch-screen’s ghost will be the culprit.
I glanced over all the background processes running, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Since it’s a work computer, there is a whole bunch of stuff running like f-secure and novell that I would rather not be, but I don’t have any control over it.
Derleth, I wish they would get me a tablet&stylus! But I’m really only a glorified secretary that happens to do all the design work here, so they won’t spend the cash. A girl can dream though…
Thank you all for the suggestions! I’ll continue poking around to see if I can’t find anything.