Strange Behavior with Mouse and Keyboard

[jmmijo 1]

Hello, I just signed up to this board, very nice and lots of good info I must say

 

Anyways here is the issue at hand, I also apologize for the size of this post:

 

After a certain period of time, this can vary from a couple of hours to a couple of days actually, I'll be browsing a web page or two and when I go to click on a link the a new browser window will open instead of opening in the same window. Thinking that I have the Open in a new window option enabled I check this and now it's not. Also note that this behavior was not occuring before this problem occurs! The other two things I've noted when this bahvior occurs is that the scroll wheel on the mouse will act like it's in History mode and go to other web pages that I've already visited, like the back/forward buttons had been pressed and also the keyboard is in CAPS lock mode when the indicator light is not even on

 

So, the problem has followed me to the new machine that I use as my main workstation, although I recycled many of the older parts to the new machine, I did however do a brand new install of XP Pro and all the updates.

 

Other things I've tried to no avail, installed the latest Logitech Mouseware, v9.60 and still it occurs. Okay, I then got a cheap generic two button mouse with the wheel and tried it both with and without the Mouseware installed, it still happens. I then purchased a new Microsoft Intellimouse Wireless, well you guessed it, happens again I tried using Microsofts latest Intellipoint software and it makes no difference at all. I've tried different USB and PS/2 mice with all the same results.

 

I don't recall this happening in Windows 98/98-SE/ME/2k as they were my previous workstation OS's. Since I leave my machine on 24/7 to check email and other things, it gets a lot of use. I can correct the problem by simply logging off and logging back on, I don't need to reboot the machine at all, I was first doing this to correct the problem btw. So, what is the logon process doing to re-initiallize device drivers or what not to correct the problem until of course the next time it happens?

 

Any insite on this behavior and how to correct it would be much appreciated, thanks

[Xiven 0]

Perhaps the issue is with the keyboard, potentially one of the Shift keys could be getting stuck down which would probably cause the symptoms you are describing.

 

Try a different keyboard if possible and see if the problem continues.

[jmmijo 1]

Hmm, nice idea, I haven't actually thought of that yet. Seems strange however as it's a pretty new M$ Natural Pro, about 2 or 3 months old. It does seem strange that the previous OS's I was using didn't behave this way.

 

I've looked into this on the M$ newgroups and there appears to be a few others with very similar problems to mine, so I'm thinking this is not specifically related to the keyboard but perhaps the device driver in XP.

 

Again thanks for the tip, I'll dig up another keyboard and see what happens with it, but I'm gonna miss my Natural

[Bursar 0]

With the wheel thing, I have found this once or twice as well. What tends to happen is that when you visit a web page, the focus moves from the page itself back to the Address Bar in IE. This can happen because the site has popped up an ad window for instance.

 

Scrolling the wheel when the focus is in the Address Bar will cause the address bar to scroll through the sites you have visited, and will send IE to the page that you stop on. If you click on the web page before scrolling, you should find the wheel operates as it is meant to.

[jmmijo 1]

Bursar, thanks for the tip, no that's not the problem however. I've tried what you have suggested to no avail either, let me detail another annoying symptom when this occurs.

 

If I click on the web page itself to regain focus like you say, well it ends up selecting/highlighting a bunch of text on the page as well. So again I think this is really something to do with the OS and/or device drivers and not anything else, but I'm gonna try the keyboard suggestion just to make sure. This occurs on any web page that is open at the time. Closing all apps and/or killing via the Task Manager and relaunching them does not resolve the problem either

[Sampson 0]

Since this is happening mostly in web browsing, it may be that there are some scripts or java programs that are causing your video drivers fits. Make sure that you have sun's java virtual machine installed. XP supposedly didn't want to support it. You didn't mention what kind of video card you are using. It may be that in up[censored] the drivers for your video, you might not have some of these problems.

[ThC 129 0]

it might be a problem with the Nat'l Keyboard pro. A friend of mine is having problems with the keyboard keys cutting in an out. So it might be an issue with the keyboard in XP.

[jmmijo 1]

These are all good suggestions, I have however already d/l the latest Java Runtime from jave.sun.com so I don't think it's that.

 

As for the video card, it's a Leadtek GeForce 2 GTS. I have the latest WHQL drivers v28.32 d/l from nVidia's site.

 

As for the Keybaord, yes this could be a problem as it seems the keybaord and mouse drivers seem to be tied together

[jmmijo 1]

I want to thank everyone that responded to my request for help, it's been a while I know, but I had to make sure the problem was gone.

 

The problem is with the keyboard, a M$ Natural Pro so I'm gonna get an RMA from M$ to get it replaced. My original M$ Natural works just fine without any problems and so does a generic keyboard. The problem only comes back when I plug in the new keyboard again Since the old keyboard has worked for many weeks now I'd have to say the new one has some kind of defect or problem

 

Thanks again...

[jdulmage 0]

Notice how he puts $ instead of S in all of the mentions of MS, even thuogh he is obviously using a Microsoft OS and a Keyboard from them as well.

 

Go figure

[jmmijo 1]

Well, just used to that is all, no dsirespect intended at all

 

Also note that I love both their Natural Keyboards and the Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer, both very fine products indeed. Perhaps the only con is that the mouse eats thru batteries but this is expected with a wireless device that gets used constantly

 

As for not liking or disliking Microsoft, well I'm a hardware hack from way back, I still have running MAC's, C64/128's and Amiga's ;)I just happen to like a lot of stuff, both hardware and software...