I have just started using a new PC It features an AMD Athlon64 CPU (3200+) and is running Win XP Pro. The mouse is a Microsoft Intellimouse--wired, optical version. When I switch off the computer via the Win XP shutdown routine the mouse stays on i.e. glows with red light. This is so even if I turn off the main power switch on the computer and is so even if I unplug the computer from the wall a/c oulet. Since there is no power coming into the computer, the mouse must be drawing its power from a capacitor in the machine that is holding a charge for a long time.

2 questions:

Does this condition matter or is it harmful to the mouse to always be on--(although I suppose it will go off when the capacitor finally loses its charge--I've never been able to wait that long to see it happen).

Is this a known condition and would there be a way to turn the mouse off when the computer is shut down?

disconnect the mouse

Gee. I don't think it will hurt the mouse to be "lit". This seems to be a normal condition with modern motherboards. I am a little surprised that it stays on when you disconnect the power from the PC. Mine goes off within a few seconds. Your capacitors must be much larger than mine.

I have the same mouse and it connects to the computer via usb. When I just turned off the computer, the mouse did turn off.
I am not sure this is a problem.
Mark:)

By the way, I used a sony optical mouse, my two optical Logitech mice, and a Microsoft 5 button optical mouse. Never happened to me before, but the microsoft mouse took a few seconds to shut off. Awaiting an MX500 optical mouse with new dell...

I guess it has to do with larger capacitors. Someone suggested it may have to do with the resume feature in BIOS but when I checked I found that resume had not been enabled there. So.... I will stop wondering about it unitl the mouse breaks down, if it does. Thanks for the replies.

Fred

I have one system doing the same thing.
The mouse light will not drain the power.
The ATX mother board is on power at all times unless the power cord is unplugged.

The mouse I have has been on for over a year now,
no problem to date with the mouse

Many thanks for the replies.

Fred