Mouse pointer movement causes HELP window to open

Hi all

If anyone out there can help me with this one, I'll be extreeeeeeeeemly greatful!
My HP compaq laptop motherboard was recently replaced due to a failed bios flash - and since then my previous problem was sorted out, but I have a new one now!
I am running Win XP SP2, use Nod32 and MS AntiSpyware, firewall active, the works, so I am pretty sure that I don't have a virus or spyware lurking around.

The HELP window of the application I'm working in at the time keeps on opening by itself at random when I move the mousepointer (with mouse or touchpad) - can you imagine this! I am pulling my hair out, and it is not doing wonders for my otherwise very decent vocabulary .

I have been advised by MS Support to follow a process of elimination using MSCONFIG - deselecting processes, startup programs, etc - but seeing that it sometimes takes a while before the problem starts, and with varied interval, this will take me absolutely forever - and I have far too much work to spend 2 days trying to find this problem.

Anyone out there who has had the same problem, or something similar?
Oh yes - this has happened in Acrobat, MS Outlook, HTML-Kit, Internet Explorer, Image Viewer, even when I'm moving the pointer around on my desktop (then the Help and Support Centre windows opens).

I am desperate!!

Thanx
Jolio

 

Hi Jolio
It's possible you just have a sticky F1 key. Pressing F1 will open the help file of whatever application you're using at the time. While viewing the desktop, if you press F1 the help and support center will open. I'm not sure how to go about checking it though. Being it's a laptop it's a bit more difficult. Try pressing the F1 key a bunch of times. If it's the cause perhaps that would straighten it out. If not, can you take the top off the keyboard? If so, you could try cleaning things a bit to see if that helps.

Maybe you could install a key logging program of some type to see if this is what's happening. I've never used one myself so I really don't know just how they work. Somebody else here might have some idea. My thoughts are that if you installed it, the next time the help window opens you could look at the log and see if it shows the F1 key as being used. I'd wait a bit on this. Maybe somebody here has used one before and can tell you whether or not they'll do this.

Otherwise, if it's a program of some sort that's causing it, MS's suggestion of using msconfig to try to track it down is probably the way to go. It's a starting place. I realize it may take a while to run it down this way but aside from the sticky key idea, it's probably the best place to start.

Maybe somebody else here has seen this before and have something better to offer.

 

Jolio

You might look into your mouse software in control panel. There may be a way to set your mouse so that one of the buttons or combination of buttons causes the same action as F1 select.

If your have separate mouse software, your might reinstall it. If there is no software, you can remove the mouse from device manager and reboot so that it might be redetected by windows and reinstalled.

 

Excellent thought Bill. Should have thought of it myself.

 

Thanx so far... I appreciate all wanting to help. I am busy downloading new mouse/touchpad driver, will inform you whether it did the trick. I already disabled my non MS services, still happens.

 

Tried installing new mouse driver, then the mouse doesn't even work properly, but it still happens - so back to square 1!

 

Did you uninstall the old mouse driver? Did you remove the mouse from your device manager? What kind of mouse do you have? Windows will install mouse drivers without bells and whistles so you can eliminate oem drivers as being the problem.

At one time I used logitec mouse stuff and always had problems installing updated mouse drivers. I tried another mouse and have had no problems since then. Just something to think about. Have you tried a different mouse? I think you should eliminate the mouse first.