ps2 mouse in W2k?

[Cary B. Cornett]

I have been using a Kensington Expert Mouse 4 with my 2 studio computers through a KVM switch for a while now, and it works great.

I have a couple of older machines that I am trying to set up for portable use, and I want to use a Kensington Expert Mouse 5 with them (but no KVM switch). I have tried and tried, but I cannot get these machines to see a mouse through the ps2 mouse port. All studio fixed and portable machines are running W2k (one of the portables had XP on it, but gave me so much trouble that I did a full Scorched Earth re-install with W2k instead). I can connect a USB trackball and it works fine, but there is no way that I can find to make W2k "see" a ps2 mouse (whether or not the USB t-ball is also connected). No other USB hdwe is in use with the machines.

Does anyone know a step by step for making this work?

thanks

[Pedro Itriago]

Dumb question:

Does your computer bios has a setting for the usb mouse? if so check it to see if it has it enabled

[Ian Alexander]

Don't know if any of these will work:

-There are PS/2 to USB convertors available from P.I. Engineering.
http://ymouse.com/ymouse/whym08.php
I have used two of their other products for many years.

-You probably tried installing the Kensington driver first to make Win2k look for a PS/2 device?

-Have you called/emailed/search forum? for Kensington support?

-There is a MouseWorks download dated 9/16/05 available at kensington.com.

Good Luck.

[Cary B. Cornett]

Dumb question:

Does your computer bios has a setting for the usb mouse? if so check it to see if it has it enabled

I'm not sure why that would make a difference. If I try a USB mouse, it works fine. It is the ps2 connection that will not work. My son is speculating that the problem may be that the Kensington EM5 is actually a "serial" device that is being "adapted" to the ps2 port (although I have seen this arrangement work perfectly with some other machines).

[Cary B. Cornett]

Don't know if any of these will work:

-There are PS/2 to USB convertors available from P.I. Engineering.
http://ymouse.com/ymouse/whym08.php
I have used two of their other products for many years.

Unfortunately I need to have this problem solved by about noon Monday, and I wouldn't be able to get anything shipped soon enough.


-You probably tried installing the Kensington driver first to make Win2k look for a PS/2 device?

Yes. I also looked at the directions in the readme, and following them did not help.


-Have you called/emailed/search forum? for Kensington support?

Not yet. I didn't think of searching a Kensington forum.


-There is a MouseWorks download dated 9/16/05 available at kensington.com.


I believe I have already done that. No joy.

Still trying...

[Craig Allen]

The really sounds like some sort of bios issue - I still only use PS2 mouses on all my machines except my laptop without a problem. If the bios is set for a USB mouse, it might disable the PS2 port.

Also, you might be able to pick up the PS2 to USB converter at CompUSA or Office Depot.

[Cary B. Cornett]

The really sounds like some sort of bios issue - I still only use PS2 mouses on all my machines except my laptop without a problem. If the bios is set for a USB mouse, it might disable the PS2 port.

Also, you might be able to pick up the PS2 to USB converter at CompUSA or Office Depot.
I tried disabling "Legacy USB support" in the bios, which had no effect.

It looks as though the main difficulty is that W2k does not detect that there is a ps2 mouse attached.

BTW, to even SEE the mouse entry in Device Mangler I had to go to the View Menu and check "View Hidden Devices".

[Craig Allen]

Have you tried another PS2 mouse? I've got a Logitech plugged into this machine with 2k on it with no problem - it just came right up when I installed it.

[Bob L]

I agree... look in the bios for something concerning the PS2 port or auto detect option for the mouse... most likely something is disabled there.

And if not... then I would say use it as a usb and get the job done... the little converter plugs only cost a few dollars.

Bob L

[Pedro Itriago]

Sorry, I meant to say ps2 not usb. Oh well I'm getting more absent-minded by the day.

Anyway, some motherboards have a setting to assign an irq to the PS2 (I got it right this time) mouse so if you have it disabled, your PS2 mouse won't be recognized.

I have 2 machines (a piii and a piv) with a kvr, both w2k and my ps2 mouse works perfectly (ols MS ps2 mouse).

When I only had my piii machine, I had a ps2 to serial converter so I could use my mouse thru the serial port (so I could get the ps2 interrupt for something else), worked flawlessly on w2k.


I'm not sure why that would make a difference. If I try a USB mouse, it works fine. It is the ps2 connection that will not work. My son is speculating that the problem may be that the Kensington EM5 is actually a "serial" device that is being "adapted" to the ps2 port (although I have seen this arrangement work perfectly with some other machines).

[MikeDee]

Just as an FYI, the IRQ for the PS2 mouse [port] is 12.

Check both the BIOS and the device settings in Windows for the hidden device you found.

Hope this helps,

[UpTilDawn]

Carey, just checking a couple obvious, not-so-obvious points......

You say it's an older pc... Kensington says you must remove old mouse drivers. Have you done this?
Have you figured out if your mouse is meant for ps/2? Have you used it that way before?

Check this Kensington link for specific info on installing to make sure you've followed everything: Install (http://kensington.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/kensington.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=eB4xRSPh&p_lva=&p_faqid=432&p_created=1010793166&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTYwJ nBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9ZXhwZXJ0IG1vdXNlIDUmcF9wcm9kX2x 2bDE9MTImcF9wcm9kX2x2bDI9fmFueX4mcF9jYXRfbHZsMT1_Y W55fiZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=)

Although you say you've been using this style mouse for quite a while, is it possible you may not be logged in as Administrator, but as "a member of Admin. group" instead? They warn that this could be a factor for successful install.

Hope you find your solution soon. Looks like a very interesting mouse.

DanT

[Cary B. Cornett]

You say it's an older pc...
A Dell Dimension 4100, to be exact. PIII 866, 128meg ram.

Kensington says you must remove old mouse drivers. Have you done this?
Yes.

Have you figured out if your mouse is meant for ps/2? Have you used it that way before?
Yes to both.


Check this Kensington link for specific info on installing to make sure you've followed everything: Install (http://kensington.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/kensington.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=eB4xRSPh&p_lva=&p_faqid=432&p_created=1010793166&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTYwJ nBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9ZXhwZXJ0IG1vdXNlIDUmcF9wcm9kX2x 2bDE9MTImcF9wcm9kX2x2bDI9fmFueX4mcF9jYXRfbHZsMT1_Y W55fiZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=)

Just did, and no joy.

Although you say you've been using this style mouse for quite a while, is it possible you may not be logged in as Administrator, but as "a member of Admin. group" instead? They warn that this could be a factor for successful install.
On every boot, the computer is set to assume that the Administrator is logged in.


Hope you find your solution soon. Looks like a very interesting mouse.

Every time I try another pointer device, I come back to the Kensington Expert Mouse. Unfortunately, newer versions of the product become "fancier" and less comfortable at the same time. I dread the day that my old 4.0 dies, because it is the LAST version that will work transparently with a KVM switch (because its special setup features are stored in flash memory inside the ball device itself instead of requiring MouseWorks).

The 5.0 that I am now trying to install requires MW to enable special features, but the systems I am trying to set up now are not using a KVM switch.

[UpTilDawn]

I feel for ya.
I went through four or five kvm switches before I found one that would work comfortably with my Logitech wireless trackball...... which I can't do without.
The kvm I finally found is an older model, usb that, even though it supposedly uses its own basic mouse driver, seems to be using the logitech driver and software setup.
I'm not crazy about having the mouse and keyboard on usb, but I keep a basic ps/2 mouse around for the very rare time that I need to use it. Unlike many here who have sworn off XP, I have been extremely happy with XPpro/SP1, partially because it seems to play fair ball with my choice of mouse/keyboard setup. I've only had to go to Safe Mode one time in the last three years, on three pcs combined...... (fingers crossed).

I'm also dreading the day when I am forced to abandon my current rig because the motherboard (already an issue... it took two weeks to find a replacement MB when the battery clip shorted out in my portable rig.), pci slots, RAM (already an issue.... of course the replacement MB wouldn't take the old RAM sticks), processor, harddrive, or any number of other parts are no longer supported simply because everything is working so nicely right now.

Really hope you work it out...
DanT

[Cary B. Cornett]

After wasting most of two days chasing every other possible solution (some of which I may still need later), I found the Achilles' Heel of my favorite pointing device: The Kensington Expert Moust trackballs use a PROPRIETARY cable. You can buy generic cables that LOOK like it, but they won't work. The crazy part here is that I had fought this problem a few years ago, and had Kensington ship me a spare cable and adapters, which did.... and more importantly, DO... work.

Now I know that I should try to get more of these cables for my spares kit.

So, my problem is solved. Thanks to all who participated in this, er, computer egg hunt. ;)

[UpTilDawn]

Hooray!!!! Good to hear.

DanT

[Ian Alexander]

I hope you enjoy a nice meal of wild goose. :D