# My cursor sticks

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383 "2005-03-26T19:10:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/1 "2005-03-26T19:10:05Z")

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My cursor sticks for 2 or 3 seconds and the window often jumps to the top. It does not seem to be a mouse problem. I keep it clean.  
Can you help, please ?

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/2 "2005-03-26T19:12:40Z")

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Has it always done it or only since what change or update?

In all applications, some, or one only?

Is there any particular action or event that triggers this?

Tell us more about the hardware, mouse, and OS please.

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/3 "2005-03-27T06:49:23Z")

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My sticker curses. It’s embarrassing. %^&\*!@#()\_#$%^& See, it did it again.

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**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/4 "2005-03-27T07:15:37Z")

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> [@Askance](#):
>
> Has it always done it or only since what change or update?

It happened only recently, perhaps after I downloaded Nero and some other music software, and a new Canon scanner

[/QUOTE]  
In all applications, some, or one only??  
[/QUOTE]

In all applications

[/QUOTE]  
Is there any particular action or event that triggers this??  
[/QUOTE]

Every time I use it. I happened several times while writing this post

[/QUOTE]  
Tell us more about the hardware, mouse, and OS please.  
[/QUOTE]

Compaq Presario 6000, Compaq mouse, Windows XP Home, 1 year old material.

Thanks for your attention

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/5 "2005-04-02T05:25:49Z")

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So it’s a standard PS2 ball mouse? See if you can swap it with one in another PC for a while as a test.

Have you tested for spyware? Run at least two apps to check this.

Hit ctl-alt-del, click on the Processes tab and the CPU heading. Is any process hogging the CPU?

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**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/6 "2005-04-04T21:28:27Z")

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Is the mouse wireless by any chance? I’ve had similar problems when batteries run low, or sometimes due to interference (maybe another wireless device.)

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**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/7 "2005-04-05T07:51:07Z")

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It’s a ball mouse. Seems to be a virus problem. Will have something done in the next two days.  
Many thanks.

(Damned virus)

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**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cursor-sticks/296383/8 "2005-04-19T08:19:24Z")

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It was the mouse after all. Stomach ache. Thanks everyone!