Mark wrote:
  i have a relatively new mouse (about 2 months old) that
> has already gotten to the point where it's having trouble moving the
> cursor.


Mark:

Since you didn't mention what OS you are running or what other devices
are installed it is hard to give you anything other than generic advice.
I would swap out that mouse with another known good one and see if you
still have the same prob. If not then your mouse needs to be replaced.
If you are still experiencing irratic movement then you probably have
a conflict with your IRQ's. If you have your mouse on com 1 it should
use IRQ 4. Be aware that com 3 shares the same IRQ. Check and verify
that no other devices are using IRQ 4 except for com 1 and com 3.

Hope this Helps

Barry A. Clark