Computer mice are known to behave pretty nicely even though they may be subject to wear and general abuse. However, at times, these very mice may throw in some challenging problems. A PC user simply can't do without a mouse now a days, and if it does not work poperly, it may be a cause of great annoyance.
Before trying to fix mouse problems let's first try to understand the nitty-gritty of how a mouse works. This is how we hope to tame the mouse and help us solve our problems more easily.
Working of the mouse.
We will not try to get into the the complete details of how the mouse operates, but we'll try to understand only so much as it will help us to solve our problems. A mouse is an input device that has two and sometimes three buttons on it. When we move the mouse a cursor or a pointer starts moving on the screen. We can position the cursor over any item on the screen, click a button, and Lo! the command is carried out. The mouse is just simply a point and click device!
Mices come is various varieties. 1) serial mouse, 2) PS/2 bus mouse 3) usb mouse and 4) wireless mouse. Regardless of the type of mouse, at first the mouse must be installed into your computer system. First you will have to connect the mouse to the respective port and then turn on the computer. Insert any software disk provided by the manufacturer of the mouse and install the device drivers for the mouse. Once the device drivers are installed properly the mouse gets connected to the computer.
The most important thing to remember is that the mouse does not operate alone. It operates in conjunction with the application software, the operating system and the device drivers.
When an application loads it gets connected with the device driver of the mouse. As soon as the connection between the application software and the device driver is established, the device driver displays a cursor or pointer on the screen. At this time, if you have not connected your mouse to the computer, this cursor remains fixed. But all that is important for you to know is that, if you see a cursor on your screen, you can be rest assured that your application software has been able to establish connection with the device driver of the mouse.
Down to the other end, the device driver of the mouse must also be able to communicate with the mouse. When the mouse is moved, the X and the Y position signals of the mouse are carried over to the device driver. The device driver interprets the mouse signals and moves the cursor to the right position on the screen. When the mouse buttons are clicked the information of the position as well as the clicking event is carried over to the application software by the device driver and the desired action is carried out.
This then is the overall way in which the mouse operates. This might have already given you the idea as to how to tame the mouse when it goes erratic.
Troubleshooting mouse problems.
Let's, therefore,divide the mouse problems into three catagories -- 1) hardware problems 2) software problems and 3) software configuration problems.
Hardware problems --
Symptom 1.
The mouse cursor appears but moves erratically.
Since you are seeing the mouse cursor there is no problem with the connectionof the application software and the device drivers. It is, therefore, not a software problem, but an hardware problem. Since the cursor appears to move a little bit, there must be an intermittant problem with the mouse. Check whether the mouse is clean. Just remove the mouse housing and check whether the X and Y rollers are moving properly. Check whether the cable connections are proper or there is some loose soldering. Wiggle the cable to find out any loose connections and solder them again.
Symptom 2.
The mouse cursor appears and the cursor moves but the buttons function erratically.
This is again an hardware problem. This could simply occur due to dust accumulations in the buttons of the mouse. Remove the mouse housing and try cleaning the buttons. If this does not solve the problem than it could have been caused due to bad wiring connections. Resolder any dry connections and check the connectors for continuity with a multimeter.
Symptom 3.
The mouse cursor appears on the screen but it does not move at all.
If you are able to see the cursor it indicates that the device driver has loaded properly and the application program is communicating with the driver. Your first step should be to suspect the connection of the ports. Check if the serial port is connected properly to the motherboard. If the problem is not solved by reconnecting the serial port properly, there could perhaps be a problem with the internal wiring of the mouse itself.
Symptom 4.
You attempt a single click and a double click occurs
This problem is definitely a mouse button problem. This phenomenon is called as button bounce. Clean the mouse buttons and it could start working well again
Software problems ---
Symptom 5.
Error " General protection fault"
This error message indicates that it is not a hardware problem. It is the problem of conflict of the device driver with one or more of the application softwares. Try working with other application softwares. If they are working fine check with the device manufacturers whether they are having any patches available for resolving this problem. Or else, try loading an earlier version of the mouse; this might solve the compatibility problems.
Symptom 6.
Error " The pointing device requires a newer version"
This indicates that it is a software problem. You might have probably installed a wrong driver to work with your mouse. Check the driver and be certain that the driver that you have installed is of the correct type. For example, you should use the Logitech device driver with the Logitech mouse and not use the device driver of the genius mouse.
Symptom 7.
The device driver fails to load.
The device driver must load during the initialisation phase of the computer. If the device driver has not loaded it might be that it has not been able to detect that the mouse is connected to your computer. Most device drivers load only after verifying whether the device is present or not. Please check the connection of the mouse to the computer. The mouse may not have been connected at all or the connection may be loose.
Software configuration problems ---
Symptom 8.
Clicking the right mouse button does not start the default context menus.
If you are running a mouse management software the assignment for the right button will override the windows default setting of the "context menus". Open the mouse management software utility and change the assignment of the right button to 'unassigned".
Symptom 9.
A single mouse click works but the double mouse click does not work.
This problem almost always occurs because the "double click speed" may be set to a too high value in the mouse control panel. Try setting it to a lower value. For this you will have to go to the mouse control panel and slide the speed slider to a lower value.
This article has touched upon the basic problems related to the mouse. For troubleshooting some specific type of problems relating to optical mouse or wireless mouse please keep visiting the blog.
Do you know what is the difference between a pacemaker and an implanted cardioverter defibrilator? Well, the answer is right here! A pacemaker can speed up a slow heart rate, whereas, an implantable cardioverter defibrilator can slow down fast heart rate. Both the slow and the fast heart rates, called as the Tachycardia and the Bradycardia respectively, are the abnormalities of the heart which can now be corrected. Well, how did a non-medical guy like me come to know so much about the heart and its treatments. This is no secret. Let me tell you, I just happened to learn about it on the internet.
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Are you currently starting your first DIY computer project? Are you tired of spending money on pre-built computers that become obsolete days after you purchase them? Building your own computer can be a fun project that will allow you to keep up on computer component trends. But building your own computer can often be very confusing the first time. The components inside your computer all need to work together in order for your computer to actually work correctly. Building your own computer will allow you to save money and get the speed and power you desire, if you know what you are purchasing.
To make building a computer easy, bare bones computer kits have been created. A bare bones computer kit usually contains all the basic components you need in order to build your first computer. Before you purchase a kit you do want to confirm what components are included in your kit, some kits do not include the CPU or hard drive. If you need to purchase a CPU, choose carefully and wisely. The CPU is one of the most important decisions you will make for your computer. The central processing unit is probably one of the smallest and definitely one of the most expensive components you will install in your computer but without this component your computer is nothing more than a box full of unusable stuff.
If you are purchasing a CPU you should confirm that the style of connector and the CPU component itself is compatible with your motherboard. Many modern CPUs have metallic connectors on the bottom that allow the CPU to attach directly to the motherboard but older motherboards may be missing the necessary connectors. The modern “snap-in” style of connector also allows for easy upgrades of the CPU in the future. If you want the ability to upgrade your CPU in the future make sure you avoid purchasing a CPU that is soldered directly to the motherboard.
You do not need to be a DIY computer expert to know that CPUs get very hot. In order to help moderate the level of heat around your CPU you need to provide your new computer with air vents, a fan, and a CPU heat sink. The heat sink will attach directly to the CPU and in many cases is sold with the CPU component. You will want to follow the instructions provided with your CPU and heat sink to confirm that you install the heat sink correctly. If you fail to install the CPU and heat sink correctly your computer will not work.
So where do all this take us? Even when choosing a bare bones computer kit, you need to know a little about the CPU you are installing. Even if you never research information on the individual components in your computer spending a little amount of time learning about your CPU is time well spent. CPUs are a component that you do not usually perform maintenance on but if something goes wrong your entire computer will not work. Keep your CPU cool and keep up on the latest trends in CPUs and your computer will thank you.
The summer is here and that means it is time to try to stay cool. Are you spending the day at the beach or inside your air conditioned home? Whatever your method of staying cool this summer have you thought about your computer? Do you give any thought to how your computer will stay cool this summer? Not only do you need to be aware on how to keep your computer cool but what do you do with the excess heat your computer can put into your home?
1. Clean the computer vents. Make sure all the vents and openings in your computer are clean of any dust buildup. Use a small computer vacuum that will allow you to remove the dust and dirt completely without putting it back in to your home. You will want to make sure that your computer is off when you complete this process and and use a light touch. Do not try to suck everything from your computer, you want a get the dirt and clean the vents without causing damage to your computer components.
2. If you computer is currently housed in a cabinet make sure there are air vent holes or better yet, move your computer out of the cabinet for the summer. Even if you keep your computer air vents clean, placing your computer in a cabinet may cause an excess of heat build up around your computer. Give your cabinet a test, run your computer normally for a day and stick your hand in the cabinet. If the space and air around your computer are hot, move your computer.
3. Keep your home cool. Your computer uses the air around it to cool the CPU and other components but if your home is too hot, you will have nothing to cool your computer with. Avoid this problem by keeping your home as cool and comfortable as possible. You do not need to overly air condition your home if you have computers but if you start to feel uncomfortable while working with your computer chances are your computer is uncomfortable as well.
4. Allow your computer to cool down by turning it off and unplugging it. If your computer starts to give you errors and is too hot to touch, turn it off and let it cool completely off. I can tell you that I have lived in some very hot climates and have never had this “overheating” issue, if your computer requires a complete cool down you should open the case and check to make sure all fans and vents are working correctly.
5. Go crazy and water cool. Take computer cooling to the next level and water cool your CPU and system. While normally reserved for high end computers that require a considerable amount of cooling, creating your own water cooling system can be a DIY computer project that all your friends will ask about. You can either purchase pre-designed cooling kits or create your own as long as create a system that will remove the heat from your CPU without drowning your computer.
We will take a look at water cooling systems at a later day, right now I need to go check my computers to make sure the vents are open, the fans are running, and the cases are dust free.
The Light that you see on the LCD screen of your monitor or the LCD screen of your Laptop or Note bookComputers is generated by Back light assembly. The LCD Back light consists of CCFT (Cold Cathode Flrorescent Tube) or EL (Electroluminescent light) source. The light which emanates from the display is interpreted as either being transparent or colored. Light that is absorbed by the energised liquid crystal material appears opaque.
How does the backlight function?
The LCD backlight consists of the CCFL or EL light source. In order to operate this light source an AC voltage of at least 500V to 600V is required. This kind of high AC voltage is, off course, not available in Battery operated LAptop or Notebook Computers. Hence,the available DC voltage has to be converted into high level AC voltage by means of an Inverter. This high level AC voltage is then used to operate the light source.
An Inverter is an electronic circuit which converts low voltage DC into high Voltage AC supply. The Inverter circuit consists of an oscillator which chops the DC voltage into a low-voltage pulsating DC output. This pulsating DC is applied to the input of a step up transformer, which converts the pulsating DC into high voltage AC supply. This high voltage AC supply is then used to operate the CCFL or EL light sources.
Trouble shooting the LCD power supplies.
The most common symptom with LCD screen is that the screen appears washed out or invisible. When this occurs, firstly make sure that the LCD has not timed out due to long period of inactivity. The LCD is made to automatically shut down after a certain timeout period so that the life span of the light source can be increased. You can increase the timeout period through the system setup software. Once you press any key or move the mouse, the problem should disappear.
However, if you are certain that the problem has not occured due to timeout period, you will have to troubleshoot further. Most probably the problem could be due to a faulty backlight assembly. Follow these simple steps and you might be able to get your LCD screenback on track again.
Steps for Troubleshooting the Backlight Assembly.
Step 1.
Open the front panel to get to the Back light Assembly.
Step 2.
Check for DC supply, with the help of a multimeter, at the input of the inverter. If there is no DC supply, there might be a loose cable connection. Check the cable connection of the backlight assembly to the motherboard. Tighten the cables and check whether your LCD screen is back to normal.
Step 3.
If the DC supply checks ok in Step 2 you will have to check the AC output voltage from the inverter. Use good insulated test probes, while measuring the voltage with your multimeter, as the voltage may be as high as 600 VAC. If you find that there is no AC voltage at the output of the inverter, the fault might most probably be in the inverter circuit. Replace the inverter and check again.
Step 4.
If the AC voltage at the output of the inverter checks ok in step 3 but yet there is no LCD display, the problem could be with the light source itself. Replace the light source and check whether the LCD display is working fine.
Troubleshooting LCD problems is a simple Do-it-yourself job.