Expert: Bill DeShawn - 8/3/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi Bill:

Not sure if this is an AutoCad question or a hardware question.  I generally use a touchpad to navigate on my laptop.  However, after several years away from AutoCad, I find myself back using it for a construction project I am working on.  I prefer to use a mouse to navigate through CAD programs.  I find there are conflicts between my touchpad control of the cursor and my mouse.  Can you give me any advice if I can set things up to use both or either depending on what program I am in.  I am stuck right now with the mouse working sometimes and being ignored at others.  Any words of advice would be appreciated.

ANSWER: Jeff:
What laptop are you using, and what mouse are you using with it and are you using USB interface or PS2?

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Bill:

The laptop is a Samsung and the optical mouse is a product from Acer.  There are three USB ports on the Samsung that I plug into at different times.  Today, the mouse worked for about 1/2 hr and then control of the cursor was only available via the touchpad.

Answer
Jeff:
Thanks for the info.
My first inclination, now knowing that you're using a USB mouse, is that you should be using the same port every time, and that the mouse port should ALWAYS be the same one, and that an external USB keyboard should always be the same USB port.  Your computer will always look for it that way, but if you change its location frequently, it's similar to a new hardware installation each time.  Be as consistent as possible with "what you plug into where".  When plugging things in, plug in the mouse and keyboard first.  If you plug something else in afterwards and the mouse becomes disabled, try updating the drivers for both devices, reboot, and run through the cycle again.  Another thing that can cause a mouse to stop working is a loose connection at the USB port where the mouse plugs in.  The problem could be in the socket or the plug.  Most often, I fear it's the socket.  When it happens, try switching ports at that time to see if the cursor control with the mouse is restored.  If it's the plug, well, that often means a new mouse.  There aren't many ways to fix the problem, the most common being mouse replacement.  If it's the socket, well, that's on a card inside the laptop.  The card will need to be replaced or with more time invested in research than its worth you can get a replacement socket, desolder the old one from the board, and solder the new one in its place (and then hope it lines up with the case when you put it all back together).  

Let me know how it goes.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn