A Flakey, Erratic Mouse

[Galleherjazz]

I have a wireless mouse that has a mind of its own. It is a Logitech Performance MX mouse. The mouse acts normally for a few minutes and then jumps all over the place, and it is frustrating and hard to control. Sometimes it even gets temporarily stuck in position. Then it seems to "snap to" and act normally. I replaced the mouse with a wireless Microsoft mouse, and exactly the same symptoms prevailed. I changed ports for the antenna. I reinstalled the Logitech mouse software and I brainstormed the issue via Google.

But the problem persists. It definitely appears to be an "internal" problem. Is there a system setting that could be affecting it, some interfering software, what? I had a similar problem a few years ago and it seemed to correct itself by itself and I never discovered what was causing the jumping and lagging.

Has anyone else experienced this mysterious erratic behavior? I would appreciate any suggestions to fix the issue.








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Tech Support Guy System Info Utility version 1.0.0.2
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1, 64 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 930 @ 2.80GHz, Intel64 Family 6 Model 26 Stepping 5
Processor Count: 8
RAM: 16384 Mb
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 5450, 1024 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 941768 MB, Free - 669003 MB; D: Total - 11997 MB, Free - 1462 MB; L: Total - 1430795 MB, Free - 1418573 MB; M: Total - 2861584 MB, Free - 2336794 MB; N: Total - 1907726 MB, Free - 341230 MB; O: Total - 1907726 MB, Free - 918002 MB;
Motherboard: PEGATRON CORPORATION, 2A86
Antivirus: Norton Internet Security, Updated and Enabled

 

[2twenty2]

Do you have a cell phone next or near to your computer? If so could be the problem.

 

[captainron276]

Good advice from knucklehead. Also, what had happened to me was having other USB devices connected and interfering with the antenna to mouse. I finally moved the antenna to the upper slot to the outside and that corrected my problem. Sure sounds like something messing with your signal. You could try an extension USB cable to get a better signal.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1725984&CatId=77

 

[Galleherjazz]

I will try with a longer extension cable. Meantime, the phone is not the issue. When the phone is away from the computer, the mouse is still jumpy and erratic. Yes, I agree that it seems to be a signal problem, but oddly the issue only developed recently and I know of nothing changed from my previous setup. But I'll keep exploring the issue of the antenna.

 

[Galleherjazz]

Captainron,
I will try the extension cable, so that the antenna will be within inches of my mouse. I will report on progress once I have installed the extension cable. Thanks for the tip!

 

[airbrushguy]

usualy when this happens its one of two things ether there's dust debris or small scratchs on thecover of the optical lens on the mouse causing the light from the led in the inside to bounce or the mouse is gone and needs replacing clean it with an alco wipe out of a med kit or fast food joint, or something like that making sure it dosn't leave any trace behind if the problem continues and you are positive its clean replace the mouse.
oh one obvious thing is change the batterys but i don't need to tell you that but must be said.

 

[captainron276]

Airbrushguy,

In post #1 he mentions replacing the mouse with the same results.

 

[Galleherjazz]

Yes, I have tried what you suggested as well as a compressed air can on both the port and the inside of the mouse. But the thing is that it happens with several mouses. So this would seem to eliminate the problem of the particular mouse.

 

[airbrushguy]

might be an idea to take the controller driver out and let windows reinstall it..

 

[Simba7]

He tried it with a different mouse.. Same results.

I'm suspecting radio interference. What model is that mouse?

 

[Galleherjazz]

Simba7, I believe you are correct that there is some (unknown, unfound) interference. I bought the extension cable and it only improved the reception slightly. I then (again, but this time with the extension USB cable) plugged the antenna+cable into a USB port in the rear of the PC, and it seems to be working fine now. So, with the shift of USB port and the extension cable, I am (finally) getting ok movement of the mouse.

Thank you, guys, very much for your suggestions. This thread is solved.

 

[captainron276]

Sounds good, glad it worked out for you Galleherjazz

 

[Jonatt]

I have an H-P desktop running W 7 (64) which is a little over a year old. As of today my Microsoft optical mouse has gone all flaky on me. It moves jerkily and if I happen to get it to a place I want it and click, nothing happens. I can't get the Start menu to open. I have
1. changed the batteries
2. changed the USB port
3. unplugged it and installed a wired mouse
4. rebooted
5. hit the reset button on the optical receiver

and nothing has changed. I have read all the previous questions and answers on this topic and I don't know where to go from here. It doesn't seem to me that a new mouse is the answer or the wired mouse should have worked. If it is a software problem, I don't know how to get to anything. I surely would appreciate some help on this.

 

[Galleherjazz]

Jonatt: I am so glad you wrote, for I have reopened this thread and declared the issue unsolved. I have exactly the same problem; I have done all of the things you have. It is definitely not a mouse problem, since the issue obtains whether it is wired or wireless! So, as far as I am concerned, the issue is still open.

A friend suggested two things. First, to uninstall all the USB ports and reboot and let the reboot reinstall the drivers for the USB ports. I haven't done this yet, but plan to do so sometime this week.

The second thing he suggested is to unplug everything from the back of the tower, and open the back of the computer and, using an air can, clean the cards and insides as best I can. I have even thought of removing the RAM cards and reputting them back in. Look around, my friend suggests, for something that might be causing a short. The erratic mouse might be jumping as a result of some interference from a short.

Anyway, Jonatt, let's stick together on this issue. I have researched in through Google and have found no solution.

Interestingly, I am having another problem that MAY BE RELATED. My audio sound is staticy and erratic, giving me a humming, jarring sound (intermittently) and even, when with a video, slowing down the video so that it looks like slow motion! The fact that both of these issues came on at roughly the same time makes me think that they may be related (as to a short somewhere, or some kind of interference).

 

[Galleherjazz]

I too have an HP Pavilion, Windows 7, 64-bit. Intel Core [email protected] GHz.