Cursor & Arrow Keys not work in SOME windows

Don't know what happened - suspect a power glitch got past the UPS ... several settings suddenly changed (Desktop scheme, Windows type size ...
AND the current problem >>>

The Cursor is "missing ", and the Up/Down, L/R ARROW Keys, along with Page Up/Down Keys - all refuse to operate in the "lower pane" of the normal Outlook Express split screen - where the listing of messages appears in the top pane and an individual e-mail appears in the lower screen.

BUT ... if I click on the upper pane - the line highlight appears and the Up/Down, Page Up/Down keys work properly.

Open "compose mail" and the Cursor appears (blinking happily) anywhere it's needed, AND all the directional keys work properly (arrows and Home/End/PgU/PgD.

Open an Internet Explorer page on MSNBC.com, and again the Arrows and the Home/End/PgU/PgD keys all refuse to work.
Only way to navigate on a web page is via the mouse (pointer & finger operate properly on links, and scroll bars operate with the mouse).

But if you open a message creation page - like I'm using to create this post -
all the Arrow and directional keys operate properly, AND the cursor *blinks* happily right where it's supposed to be.

I suppose there's a "hidden" Windows menue item that allows for "make the cursor & keyboard do dumb stuff sometimes ", but I sure don't know where to find it!

Oh ... and I've Power Off / Reset / Re-booted so many times I could screeme!
And good old "System Restore" *glitched out* and wouldn't allow ANY past restore points to be used.

Anyone have an idea for a "fix "?

Standing by ...

/s/ Phred

 

Crisis SOLVED: Cursor & Arrow Keys not work in SOME windows

It's [SIZE= "4"]**FIXED**!![/SIZE]



Don't ask me HOW it happened ... but the Mouse has a "finger wheel" to
rapidly move the Cursor / Pointer Up & Down on the screen ...

Which has been *busted* for over a year+ ... long time.
The lil "pin" on the wheel that spins the potentiometer went south not long after the puter & keyboard were born. The wheel also has a micro switch to detect a "push down" on the wheel - for more magical features.

Well, somehow the busted wheel got itself in a "partially operated" mode -
the wheel was kinda "stuck" and turned stiffly; not sure WHAT the micro switch was doing ...

While waiting for replies here, I noticed the "wheel problem" and "fixed it "
with some heavy duty spinnin & pushin ... as soon as it returned to it's happily busted and free-wheeling condition,
the Mystery Cursor and Directional Keys malady **Vanished**!

Guess the moral of the story is
"Thou shalt do only ONE thing with thine Mousie ...
push NOT and HOLD thine lil spinner thingy! "

Ain't 'puters wonnerful??