i have a generic optical mouse which i have used for the last 12 months with no probs. Recently i had to reinstall windows after i replaced my motherboard and since then it has behaved eratically.

it does this no matter what i am doing, whether it be just browsing folders in windows or the net or even playing games. In windows it seems to want to stick to the edge of the screen....no preference as to which side and no pattern, just randomly shoots over to the sides/top/bottom?. In games i have ended up spinning on the spot looking at the sky etc. or changing direction suddenly.

I have tried different drivers...no drivers, changing the mouse pointer speed, changing the packet speed, turning off precision, basically everything i can think of.

help!! :confused:

Have you tried removing it in Device Manager and letting it be rediscovered by Windows?

Also, could you describe how you went about reinstalling Windows after the mobo swap? There may be something left on the harddrive causing the confusion if you did not wipe the drive clean enough.

Try a diffferent mouse too, the cords on a couple of mine have gotten kinked where they go into the mouse housing, creating a break in the insulation and then a minor short. That can cause all kinds of erratic behavior, and unless you can find those tiny connector pins and are handy with electronics, the best cure is a new mouse. At less than $20US for a new mouse, it's not worth the trouble to try and replace the connectors anyway...

Have you tried removing it in Device Manager and letting it be rediscovered by Windows?

cant remember if I did that, but I will do it now and see if it helps ;)

Also, could you describe how you went about reinstalling Windows after the mobo swap? There may be something left on the harddrive causing the confusion if you did not wipe the drive clean enough.

i formatted the HDD then ran the xp disc, erased the partition, created new one formatted in NTFS (not quick) and then installed xp onto the fresh partition....probably never needed the format before i ran the disc ...but i like to start with a clean slate so to speak lol.

Try a diffferent mouse too, the cords on a couple of mine have gotten kinked where they go into the mouse housing, creating a break in the insulation and then a minor short. That can cause all kinds of erratic behavior, and unless you can find those tiny connector pins and are handy with electronics, the best cure is a new mouse. At less than $20US for a new mouse, it's not worth the trouble to try and replace the connectors anyway...

the wire is fine, so is the connector, I'll try a diff mouse when i can "borrow" the one off of my wifes comp lol