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This is a problem I have had for a long time, but just recently got REALLY annoying. From time to time when I am using the computer, the mouse just freezes for anywhere from a quarter-second to like five seconds during which time the cursor won't move, and then once that is over it continues like normal (the cursor doesn't jump to where it "should" have moved). Because it happens at random for such short intervals, it's hard to test what works and what doesn't, but I THINK the keyboard is freezing during these times too -- my admittedly unscientific method of this was to wait for a time when the freezes were getting frequent and just repeatedly scrolling up and down in a Firefox window, and it looked like it was freezing momentarily too. EDIT: I just had a long cursor freeze and could still scroll with the arrow keys, so it is NOT freezing out keyboard input.
The entire display is not freezing, because when I had an animated gif opened during a freeze, the animation kept going even when the mouse froze. I had Task Manager open in the corner, watching for something to spike up and take all my CPU cycles, but nothing changed during the freezes. This has happened with two different mice, one of which was wired and one of which wasn't. I run Avira 10 antivirus and Lavasoft Ad-Aware, and neither of them detect a problem. It's really, really annoying me, and nothing I do seems to solve the problem -- and since it comes and goes at random, there have been several times that I thought I fixed it (by moving the mouse to a new USB port or changing the sensitivity) but it just turned out the problem wasn't cropping up right then.
Can someone please help me with this? It's getting worse and worse: it will be fine for a while and then there will be a spurt where the mouse is frozen for 10 seconds for every 2 it's actually working, and it'll stay like that for half an hour. The mouse is almost unusable then, I had to click the text window to type in this message like twenty times before I managed to hit the button while the mouse wasn't frozen.
I've run virus and spyware scans and my computer's come up totally clean. I've tried it with the terrible SetPoint software from Logitech and without it. I'm at my wit's end here!
Go to device manager and expand Keyboards. Right-click the device driver that shows up and uninstall it. Repeat the procedure for Mice and Other Pointing Devices. If any of the devices show up in Universal Serial Bus Controllers in device manager - uninstall it. If there is any program related to any of the two - uninstall it in Add/Remove Programs. Reboot and let windows install the drivers afresh. See what happens now.
Uninstalled all keyboard and mouse drivers, unplugged them, and rebooted computer. Don't know if it worked or not, we'll have to see if the problem crops up again.
What I found odd was that the last time I deleted my old mouse driver, there was one for "HID-compliant mouse" and one for "Logitech HID-compliant cordless mouse." Then this time, when I went to uninstall the drivers, there were TWO "HID-compliant mouse" entries along with the Logitech one, and deleting them didn't interfere with my mouse at all, but deleting the Logitech one instantly disabled the mouse even with one of the other entries still there. I hadn't checked the keyboard drivers before, but there were three "HID Keyboard Device" entries, and I don't know which one actually disabled the keyboard since I didn't think to test as I deleted them. Now that I've rebooted and Windows reinstalled the drivers, there are only two "HID Keyboard Device" drivers, one "HID-compliant mouse", one "Logitech HID-compliant cordless mouse", and one "Logitech HID-compliant LS1 Laser Mouse".
The LS1 driver didn't show up until I had removed the keyboard drivers as well and rebooted. But the lack of the LS1 driver can't be the problem, since I had this problem before I had a laser mouse! Does any of this mean anything to you?
Let's wait and see. Did you uninstall related programs in Add/Remove?
Just got the mouse-freezing problem again, so it didn't work. If by "related programs" you mean something like the Logitech SetPoint software, then yes I did.
Do you have non-wireless mouse and keyboard? If yes, repeat deleting all the drivers, switch the computer off, install the mouse and keyboard, reboot and let windows install the drivers.
My preference is to use hardware with PS-2 connectors. If you find it easier to find USB keyboard and mouse then use them.
I recently overcame this freeze problem. Often it appears as a mouse freeze problem, when it is really a CPU freeze issue. I trolled the net for solutions and its overwhelming the number of infinite things that are suggested as things to try. IMHO I would recommend 3 basic things above all else...
a) check your RAM with memTest software (free version)
b) check your HDD with Tune HD software (free version)
c) check the capacitors on your motherboard
I relate my experience details below. Hope it helps.
1. My PC is generic - AMD Sempron CPU, 2G DDR2 ram, MSI motherboard.
OS is XPsp2, upgraded to sp3. It started showing mouse freeze, that
progressively became intolerable. Typically after power
up, within 2 mins it begins the intermittent freeze viz 5 sec mouse
is active then 20sec it frezzes. This repeats indefinately,
making the PC unusable. The following 'fixes' were tried, from various
suggestions on the net.
2. Clean reinstall of MS WinXP sp2, upgrade to sp3. This ensures no
virus, no registry issues.
3. Clean install as above without the sp3 (conflicts with some
programs reported on the net)
4. Was using D-Link wireless adaptor. Changed this to TP-Link on the
basis of reports that D Link had conflict issues with XPsp3.
5. One suggestion that RAM is corrupted. Use of free memTest
software (in UBCD) recommended. The RAM test was done.
6. Another suggestion was defective capacitors on the basis of
bloated / leak visual evidence. Inspection showed that all 13 units
1000 uF, 6.3 V caps were in bad shape. These were replaced.
7. Wondered if this could be a power supply issue (240W continuous,
450W peak) causing non performance of USB devices (keyboard, optical
mouse). Switched to ext powered USB hub.
8. NONE OF THE ABOVE HELPED. THE INTERMITTENT FREEZE CONTINUED.
9. Had 2 HDD (1T with WinXP & 80G for data and backup); Used 'HD Tune'
software (in UBCD) to test the IT HDD, then the 80G HDD. This was
done with only one HDD connected to the motherboard at a time. Test
result indicated the 80G failed. Disconnected 80G HDD and booted the
PC OS. Problem solved !!! NO MORE INTERMITTENT FREEZE !!!