USB mouse in Safe Mode

Whenever I boot into Safe Mode, I lose mymouse and have to do everything in keyboard. Is it possible to use my USB mouse in Safe Mode?

 

USB does not work in Safe mode or DOS.

To overcome this problem I suggest a PS2 Mouse.

As far as I am concerned Keybaords and Mice do not belong on USB. If for no other reason than the one you are having right now.

That is why I have both a PS2 ( main one ) and a USB mouse hooked up.

Or as a temp mesaure I have plugged in and old Serial Port Mouse.

BillyBob

 

Tenbob ...

Check your BIOS settings to make sure that USB support is enabled. I have two computers running XP Pro, a laptop with IBM BIOS and a desktop with Award BIOS, and both of them work just fine in Safe mode with both USB mouse and USB keyboard.

 

JSS3rd

I know ( or have heard ) that that will work. But lets look at the overall picture.

Will it work if we boot to a DOS floppy or and OS that does not have USB support.

I myself much prefer the two items in question to be NON-USB then there are no problems anywhere with any OS.

At least none that I have encountered.

And again you are referring to Windows XP which in itself will do ( many ) things that other Windows ( or DOS ) won't.

Again I prefer to cover all bases which PS2 devices will do. ( or at least have for me so far )

BillyBob

 

BillyBob ...

Not to split hairs, but

1) tenbob asked only about using a USB mouse in Safe mode ... no mention of DOS.

2) his question was posted in the XP forum.

RTFQ ... ATFQ.

 

I am very well aware of that. And that is why I responed the way I did.

That is what can lead to problems in other places. And I am trying to make a point.

And maybe help users to STAY OUT Of some problems that I ( and others on this BBS ) with the same problem as tenbob have had.

It is NOT GOOD to set things up for JUST WINDOWS OS. DOS is still usable and required to get our backsides out of a jam now and then. And this SHOULD be planned for before ANY VERSION of Windows is installed.

That would be fine IF we could be 100% assured that NOTHING would ever go wrong.

If is almost imperative that we play the WHAT IF game when dealing with Microsoft Windows. ( any version ).

If is imperative that we set things up so that are backsides are covered at all times.

XP is a good OS. But it DOES NOT DO all of the thinking and planning. Even though MS would like us to think it does.

If my XP Pro were to go completely to hello today, I would still have a Mouse and Keybaord regardless of BIOS settings.

And if need be I could take them BOTH and plug them into another machine that may not even have USB.

BillyBob

 

Let me get things clear:

If I set my BIOS as suggested to get it work with USB will that cause me other problems with DOS from the floppy or Windows/DOS.

I have nothing that runs only under DOS except an old PartionMagic that I have upgraded. Nor do I experiment with other operating systems such as Linux. Not a gamer either

 

I can not honestly answer that question because it is one that I have ever been confronted with.

But as an off the wall answer would be very possible.

I stand FIRM on my previous reply. And recommend getting away from a USB Keyboard.

No mouse can be circumvented by the keyboard. But without either you are SOL big time.

And I for one do not plan on that happening. Once I found that I did not have a Mouse ( USB ) in the safe Mode changes were made immeidately by adding a small USB to PS2 adapter. Which BTW the way I lucked out with it working.

But if you Motherboard does not have PS2 ports then you are stuck with USB

But in the end it is your machine and you must do what you think is the better thing.

BillyBob

 

I have a PS/2 connection but, unfortunately, on this case, the plug connection is bad. It falls out and is a pain but I can convert as you suggest. The keyboard is on PS/2 so that would be available on my boot.

 

OK. It now appears to be PORT related ( not really the OS ) problem and not just the mouse. ( PS2 port is bad ) USB was the backup plan.

I had that problem with a PS2 port. every time I move d the machine the mouse fadapter fell out. I just changed the adaptor and it was better.

But I am glad to read that the Keyboard is PS2.

BTW. I do have USB enabled in the BIOS and my USB Mouse still works nowhere other than in the normal Windows mode. But my old reliable PS2 goes anywhere I go.

BillyBob

 

Then as I understand it, I am stuck with the USB mouse since I only have the one place to plug in the PS/2 even if I get an adaptor for the mouse

 

tenbob

I now understand your situation with the mouse. It appears to be a have to do not a want to.

Now an idea ( for anyone to answer ) wild or otherwise.

Could the USB mouse problem be a Driver ( or lack of same ) problem ?

That could be why my USB mouse does not work in the Safe Mode. I never installed any drivers for that mouse as about the only time it gets used is when my Wife and I are playing Golf on the Internet. And we use two mice cause she does not like mine.

BillyBob

 

OK. YO-YO Ding-Dong Dopey has getten his brain back in gear and done some testing.

I tried it and my USB Mouse does work in the safe mode NOW.

In trying to figure out WHY I realized that it is not the same Mouse that I did have.

So this bring up a new wild Idea, It may be the MOUSE ITSELF that is the problem.

Some so called either/or are NOT either/or. And/or will not work on all machine using an adapter.

And some that have been used as a PS2 may not convert to a USB. Now that I have thought a little more about it I can but a USB to PS2 adapter on this one and IT WILL NOT work.

That is one reason I keep a good ol' fashioned SERIAL PORT pointing device around. They do still come in VERY handy at times.

I also believe it may make a difference whether the Mouse is USB/PS2 or PS2/USB.

BillyBob

 

I checked the Device Manager for a driver and there is one. how to I find out if it is the right one. The mouse is a MS optical wheel.

 

A Disk of some sort should have come with the Mouse.

If you have same just run the Install.

When you first plugged the Mouse into a USB port did it come up with " Found New Hardware " I believe it should have if the drivers were installed. But at the same time if the Mouse was installed as a PS2 it could make a difference. THE USB drivers may not be installed.

Actually a PS2 Mouse will work with NO drivers from its CD installed. but a USB may not.

This could be just a driver problem.

I forget whether the drivers get intalled first or the Mouse plugged in first. Some USB hardware works one way and some the other.

MY PS2 is a 5 button Microsoft Optical Wheel. My USB is a Logitech Optical Wheel.

BillyBob