There was once a problem with 98SE where it had some trouble detecting 
mice.  As I recall, if you loaded a DOS mouse driver in CONFIG.SYS or 
AUTOEXEC.BAT, Windows would detect the mouse and correctly load its driver.  
But I can't recall if that was just for serial mice, just for PS/2, or some 
weird combination of the two.  And of course, it used to be a lot easier to 
find DOS mouse drivers than it may have become....

David Gillett


On 5 Dec 2006 at 9:11, Venkat Viswanathan wrote:

Date sent:      	Tue, 5 Dec 2006 09:11:57 -0500
Send reply to:  	Personal Computer Hardware discussion List
             	<[log in to unmask]>
From:           	Venkat Viswanathan <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:        	[PCBUILD] WHICH? hardware OR op.system problem
To:             	[log in to unmask]

> Hi all,
> 
> system:-- compaq presario 5000 about 6 years old. windows 98 se
> 
> event prior to problem.:---last night after a session of webcam chat with a friend shut down the system. all the desktop icons went and on the bare wallpaper a window popped up.... " warning! windows did not detect a mouse attached to your system. if you have serial mouse attach now...if ps2 you will have to shut down before attaching. AND THE SYSTEM JUST FROZE AT THIS STAGE.
> 
> thinking it might be one of those quirks , powered down, rebooted.
> 
> compaq splash screen/ avg boot sector scan/ ms windows 98 splash screen/refresh/again splash screen/ blinking cursor on right hand corner/ desktop wall paper with the same msg. and freeze. powered off.
> 
> today reinserted the ps2 mouse cable and booted up. exactly the SAME sequence of events and freeze!!
> 
> powered down and tried bios (f10.) bios screen opened up but SYSTEM WILL NOT TAKE ANY KEYBOARD INPUT!!!! so just could not get into any of the bios menu.
> actually it was not any sort of normal bios but a " compaq set up utility" as it stated on the screen with very limited features.
> 
> next step got a USB TO PS2 adapter and plugged in the keyboard and mouse/ booted up/ entered bios. this time keyboard input was functional and saw "USB LEGACY KEYBOARD".. ENABLED. saved and exited but alas again the very same sequence of events and freezing.
> 
> next inserted a win 98 se boot floppy and tried scan disk. results ok.
> 
> again ctl/alt/del and inserted win 98 se CD in the cd drive.
> 
> tried F:SETUP. setup screen appeared BUT NO MOUSE INPUT ACCEPTED FOR CLICKING " CONTINUE"!!!!. MOUSE JUST FROZE.
> 
> though i could have continued with setup by input from keyboard i did not because ....WHAT IF AFTER SETUP I FIND MYSELF IN THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE SYSTEM FREEZING??
> 
> SO EXITED SETUP WITH KEYBOARD INPUT AND HERE I AM POSTING FROM ANOTHER SYSTEM FOR HELP.
> 
> have compaq recovery cd but reluctant to try because it will format/reinstall factory settings BUT WHAT GUARANTEE it is not a hardware problem and same result will not happen.
> 
> will a serial port mouse help... have not seen one to be honest...
> 
> TIA for the patience to read the long post and any input-----Venkat
> 
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>                        Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>

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