[hlcepeda]

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I'm running Windows 95 Plus. Just lately and after normal startup, my optical mouse cursor does not show on the screen. Rebooting and restoring the registry does not help. Rebooting with the mouse that originally came with my PC results in the same problem. No cursor. BUT the cursor (using the old mouse and the optical mouse) does appear and operates normally when the PC is in SAFE MODE. Also, just to experiment, I've shut down and restarted the PC in NORMAL MODE with no mouse connected to see if the PC recognized that the mouse was missing; it didn't indicate that the mouse was disconnected. Does anyone have any ideas on a possible fix for this? Thanks in advance!

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Let us take a closer look at what is running on your PC. We'll need you to use a free diagnostic tool (HiJackThis) and post a log back here with the results.

Click the HijackThis Guide in my signature, download it and follow the instructions in the guide.

Most of what it lists will be harmless or even essential, DO NOT delete or modify anything yet! Someone will be along to tell you what steps to take after you post the contents of the scan results.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Let us take a closer look at what is running on your PC. We'll need you to use a free diagnostic tool (HiJackThis) and post a log back here with the results.

Click the HijackThis Guide in my signature, download it and follow the instructions in the guide.

Most of what it lists will be harmless or even essential, DO NOT delete or modify anything yet! Someone will be along to tell you what steps to take after you post the contents of the scan results.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

Let us take a closer look at what is running on your PC. We'll need you to use a free diagnostic tool (HiJackThis) and post a log back here with the results.

Click the HijackThis Guide in my signature, download it and follow the instructions in the guide.

Most of what it lists will be harmless or even essential, DO NOT delete or modify anything yet! Someone will be along to tell you what steps to take after you post the contents of the scan results.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

Hello, Jonnyrotten. Thanks for the quick response! Please note that the stated problem plagues my standalone desktop PC; it's not connected to the internet. (I'm corresponding with you now on my laptop.) Does HijackThis check for spyware and such? If so -- given my desktop's no-internet status -- would you still recommend the check/scan as suggested? If I should run the check anyway, I'd have to download to a disk on my laptop (runs Windows XP) and pop that into my desktop. Does that sound kosher to you? Thanks.

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

You can definitely download to disk and move it to your pc. As for the spyware part, have you ever connected to the internet with your laptop? If you have you may be dealing with a virus that is messing with your mouse if not then try to download the newest drivers for your mouse. The main thing that makes me think it sounds virus related is the fact that you can use the mouse in safe mode (maybe cuz the virus isn't starting up in safe mode to disable the mouse...maybe not). Also in device manager does it have any alerts next to your mouse or anything, or does it say it's working properly?

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

I think you meant to ask if I've ever used my desktop to connect to the internet. Good point. The answer is yes. But I've been disconnected for several months now. At one point, I had Spybot and similar utility/scanning software loaded on. (FYI: I have Viruscan and it always checks on startup.) Immediately after bowing out of the internet (as far as my desktop), I checked up and down for any lingering nasties. (I wanted a safe, solitary desktop with no connection to anything else.) I found a couple of problems, but addressed them then and there. A few weeks ago, I decided to load in some new CAD/CAM software (from CD's, not from off the internet). No problems were encountered, but, to make room, I needed to remove programs I had no further use for, such as Spybot and related items. That was about 8 weeks ago and with no problems encountered until the cursor problem popped up 2 days ago. Note that I do get error messages popping up on startup, (been that way for over a year now!), but I just close those as they come up and move on fat and happy. Anyway, that's my story. I'll download HijackThis today and go from there. Thanks, again!

You can definitely download to disk and move it to your pc.  As for the spyware part, have you ever connected to the internet with your laptop?  If you have you may be dealing with a virus that is messing with your mouse if not then try to download the newest drivers for your mouse.  The main thing that makes me think it sounds virus related is the fact that you can use the mouse in safe mode (maybe cuz the virus isn't starting up in safe mode to disable the mouse...maybe not).  Also in device manager does it have any alerts next to your mouse or anything, or does it say it's working properly?

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

Whoa! Forgot. I'll check to see what device manager says, but, otherwise, nothing (while in SAFE MODE) reports anything regarding mouse status.

I think you meant to ask if I've ever used my desktop to connect to the internet. Good point. The answer is yes. But I've been disconnected for several months now. At one point, I had Spybot and similar utility/scanning software loaded on. (FYI: I have Viruscan and it always checks on startup.) Immediately after bowing out of the internet (as far as my desktop), I checked up and down for any lingering nasties. (I wanted a safe, solitary desktop with no connection to anything else.) I found a couple of problems, but addressed them then and there. A few weeks ago, I decided to load in some new CAD/CAM software (from CD's, not from off the internet). No problems were encountered, but, to make room, I needed to remove programs I had no further use for, such as Spybot and related items. That was about 8 weeks ago and with no problems encountered until the cursor problem popped up 2 days ago. Note that I do get error messages popping up on startup, (been that way for over a year now!), but I just close those as they come up and move on fat and happy. Anyway, that's my story. I'll download HijackThis today and go from there. Thanks, again!

You can definitely download to disk and move it to your pc.  As for the spyware part, have you ever connected to the internet with your laptop?  If you have you may be dealing with a virus that is messing with your mouse if not then try to download the newest drivers for your mouse.  The main thing that makes me think it sounds virus related is the fact that you can use the mouse in safe mode (maybe cuz the virus isn't starting up in safe mode to disable the mouse...maybe not).  Also in device manager does it have any alerts next to your mouse or anything, or does it say it's working properly?

-=jonnyrotten=-

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

What do the errors say that you get upon startup? Also have you tried to just uninstall the mouse and reboot and see if windows detects it and installs it's own drivers. By uninstall I don't mean disable, but actually uninstall.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

Error messages encountered after Normal startup:
Msgsrv32 > program performed illegal operation & will be shut down
Ocraware > program performed illegal operation & will be shut down
Explorer > program performed illegal operation & will be shut down
Dmistart > timed out cannot find INIT COMPLETE message from C:\program Files\LDCM\NM95.EXE
Rnaapp > program performed illegal operation & will be shut down
IA Error > A whole host of them, all having to do with being unable to locate certain devices ranging "audio devices" to "DmiBios" to "system". Nothing is mentioned about any pointing device. Again, it's been like this for about a year, but I get around them by just closing them in turn as they make their unwelcome appearances.

When the cursor was visible, I would just close the error messages out as they popped up then moved on and do what I needed to do on the PC. Lately now, with the cursor now gone, I just hit enter to delete the messages, but that's all I can do. Without the cursor, I can't get to the desktop buttons and, therefore, to anything else. It's like being in a car without a steering wheel.

Also, I'll only (maybe) be able to navigate HijackThis while in SAFE MODE since lack of a cursor in NORMAL MODE will make working it there impossible.

Note that device manager was unable to status the mouse in SAFE MODE. And I can't get to dm in NORMAL MODE without the cursor.

Regarding your suggestion about uninstalling then rebooting, I will definitely try that tonight and let you know how that turns out. Thanks!

What do the errors say that you get upon startup?  Also have you tried to just uninstall the mouse and reboot and see if windows detects it and installs it's own drivers.  By uninstall I don't mean disable, but actually uninstall. 

-=jonnyrotten=-

[-=jonnyrotten=-]

Definitely try to run a hijack this scan in safe mode even that's fine. You might have reg entries trying to load files that aren't there, that's why you are getting errors. Most likely from uninstalling software or deleting it and it has left behind some straggling entries.

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

Will do!

Definitely try to run a hijack this scan in safe mode even that's fine.  You might have reg entries trying to load files that aren't there, that's why you are getting errors.  Most likely from uninstalling software or deleting it and it has left behind some straggling entries. 

-=jonnyrotten=-

[hlcepeda]

I uninstalled the optical mouse software (while in SAFE MODE) then rebooted and let things come up in NORMAL MODE. There was no prompt or message regarding the optical mouse (which was connected). I don't believe in voodoo, but I attempted the same fix by shutting down completely and then waiting a minute(instead of rebooting). Same result. I restarted in SAFE MODE to see if the mouse software was indeed gone; it was. Nothing left to lose, so I went to Best Buy and got a $16 GE optical mouse. With the PC off, I physically replaced my old optical mouse with the new one. I turned on the PC and let it boot up to Windows. Same result as before, and with no prompt to install the driver, so I rebooted in SAFE MODE. (Funny: The new mouse was "active" and useable in SAFE MODE without my having loaded its driver. Is that because it's PS2-ready, and drivers merely allow use of special features on the mouse?) I then installed the new mouse driver and rebooted in NORMAL MODE. As things came up, I could see the new mouse icon at the bottom of the screen. No prompts or mouse-related messages, but I could hear the diskette drive running. I couldn't shove the diskette in fast enough. Note that I installed the driver (AGAIN!) and was able to since I just had to hit enter on everything I saw. I would have thought that I'd get a message asking me if I wanted to overwrite the previous installation. No message. Anyway, that didn't work either. Same result.

Also, the HijackThis disk I created on my Windows XP (laptop) doesn't run on my desktop in either SAFE or NORMAL modes. I'm starting to look at walls and wondering which one I should traverse up and down on.

I won't blame anyone if they cry "uncle" on this one. It's somethin' else!!