My computer thinks the gps is a mouse
 

I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?

"Woodpecker" wrote in message
...
I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

This is a well known problem in Win2K and XP. The remedy is simple: let the
computer detect the fake mouse and then disconnect the GPS. Go to the device
manager, find the fake mouse and DISABLE it, do not uninstall or remove it.
If you now reboot, you can leave the GPS connected. Another, more expensive
solution is to use one of our NMEA multiplexers with USB interface. The
drivers that come with these multiplexers block any PnP request to it's
virtual serial port, so windows will never find a non-existent mouse.

Meindert
www.shipmodul.com

Woodpecker wrote:
I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?


There is a general discussion of the problem and some suggestions (in
addition to Meindert's) in Appendix C of the documentation for the
Garmin GPS 18 at the following link. Some of it applies only to Garmin
equipment and some of it relates to all NMEA 0183/Windows mouse problems:

http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GPS18_...cification.pdf

I think once you disable the serial BallPoint mouse in the Device
Manager, it will remain disabled when the computer is shut down and
restarted later.

If you want to leave the serial Ballpoint mouse enabled because you are
using one, and the GPS can be powered up separate from the PC, you could
turn the GPS off before you turn the PC on and turn it back on after it
has booted. I think that has worked for me once in the past when I was
trouble shooting a similar problem on a boat.

Doing it that way also might lead to your needing to power up the PC,
the GPS, and other devices using the GPS in a specific sequence to get
them all working.

And it may also mean that applications on the PC that use the GPS input
cannot be started until after the GPS has been powered up.

So many variables, so little time...


--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jacker at midmaine dot com

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 11:27:18 -0400, Jack Erbes
wrote:

Woodpecker wrote:
I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?


There is a general discussion of the problem and some suggestions (in
addition to Meindert's) in Appendix C of the documentation for the
Garmin GPS 18 at the following link. Some of it applies only to Garmin
equipment and some of it relates to all NMEA 0183/Windows mouse problems:

http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GPS18_...cification.pdf

I think once you disable the serial BallPoint mouse in the Device
Manager, it will remain disabled when the computer is shut down and
restarted later.

If you want to leave the serial Ballpoint mouse enabled because you are
using one, and the GPS can be powered up separate from the PC, you could
turn the GPS off before you turn the PC on and turn it back on after it
has booted. I think that has worked for me once in the past when I was
trouble shooting a similar problem on a boat.

Doing it that way also might lead to your needing to power up the PC,
the GPS, and other devices using the GPS in a specific sequence to get
them all working.

And it may also mean that applications on the PC that use the GPS input
cannot be started until after the GPS has been powered up.

So many variables, so little time...


Thank you guys, you probably saved me a weekend filled with trouble. I
will try the 'disable' solution first.
If that does not work I'll build me a unit that switches things on in
a controlled order.

Always nice when one find a solution.

Same problem. Mouse in USB port and GPS in serial port on a laptop.

Power up the PC with the GPS unplugged or switched off. Then switch on
GPS. - No problem

Phil


"Woodpecker" wrote in message
...
I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?

Pretty sure that if you update to the latest windows updates, it'll cure
that problem. There are other ways around it that I'm sure other folks will
tell you. The easiest is to turn on the GPS last.

--


Keith
__
Honk if you love peace and quiet.
"Woodpecker" wrote in message
...
I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?

In article ,
Woodpecker wrote:

I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?


Time to upgrade you Windoz OS past 98SE......


Me

Me wrote:
In article ,
Woodpecker wrote:

I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?


Time to upgrade you Windoz OS past 98SE......


Me

Rubbish, Windows 98se runs a GPS just fine, it's only the later OS such as
Win XP that have this fault. Microsoft trying to be too damned clever once
again! Rumour has it there is a fix for this bug on the MS site, but to hunt
through the many thousands of fixes on site is a total PITA, easier just to
plug in the GPS after booting-up!

BTW, NEVER plug an old serial mouse into the port (yes, there are some still
around), or you may finish up having to do a system restore. Use a PS2 mouse
all the time. I am tired of having to rectify customers' laptops with Win XP
who have inadvertently popped a serial mouse into the port. If you do this,
XP will not even recognise the GPS no matter when you plug it in!

Dennis.


Remove "nospam" from return address.


---
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On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 10:19:50 GMT, "Dennis Pogson"
wrote:

Me wrote:
In article ,
Woodpecker wrote:

I have a rather annoying problem with a mouse-gps powered by the
computer and connected to the serial port: The computer sometimes
thinks it is the seral mouse (used for clicking etc).
To get around this I have to manually connect the mouse-gps after the
computer has booted. The system is stationary hidden away in my boat
and not that easy to access.

I've tried with both seral and USD mouse-gps units and getting the
same problem I assume this is computer related.
The computers (I've used several giving the same problem) are all Win
2000 and it seems to be the P-n-P mouse detection that messes up if
there is a signal available while the system is booting.

Has anybody else here seen this problem and how do I cure it
permanently?


Time to upgrade you Windoz OS past 98SE......


Me

Rubbish, Windows 98se runs a GPS just fine, it's only the later OS such as
Win XP that have this fault. Microsoft trying to be too damned clever once
again! Rumour has it there is a fix for this bug on the MS site, but to hunt
through the many thousands of fixes on site is a total PITA, easier just to
plug in the GPS after booting-up!

BTW, NEVER plug an old serial mouse into the port (yes, there are some still
around), or you may finish up having to do a system restore. Use a PS2 mouse
all the time. I am tired of having to rectify customers' laptops with Win XP
who have inadvertently popped a serial mouse into the port. If you do this,
XP will not even recognise the GPS no matter when you plug it in!

Dennis.
Rubbish indeed. The fix you mention is buried among a lot of old NT
fixes, but this may help.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;833721

Look at the "/fastdetect" option. It works for me.

Glen "Wiley" Wilson wrote:

snip
Rubbish indeed. The fix you mention is buried among a lot of old NT
fixes, but this may help.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;833721

Look at the "/fastdetect" option. It works for me.

Thank you for the tip, I'm surprised that fix has not surfaced before in
my life.

I just went and looked at my boot.ini file and found this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microso ft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

Something had already added that option to mine, I'm wondering what did
that. This is my home computer and I have never had the problem there.
I have seen it happen 2-3 times in the last year and it was always on
computers on boats that all were running XP if I remember right.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jacker at midmaine dot com