Mouse, touchpad, and keyboard problems in Windows 7

Introduction

This tutorial is designed to help you identify and fix common mouse, touchpad, and keyboard problems in Windows. It doesn't cover device problems related to specific programs.

Mouse, touchpad, and keyboard problems can have a number of causes:

• Cables that aren't connected properly
• Incorrect device settings
• Missing updates
• Corrupted or incompatible drivers
• Hardware problems

How to use this tutorial

For best results, complete each step and then test your device before moving on to the next step.

Check hardware

 Many rabbit, touch pad, and key pad problems are due to components that isn't set up effectively. Here's some information about how to examine your device, create sure wires are linked effectively, create sure the components has power, and examine the configurations.

Make sure cables are connected properly

Check that all cables are plugged in to the correct locations. This can include mouse and keyboard, PS2 and USB cables, and, in some cases, external USB touchpad cables.

• Disconnect USB cables and wait for a short time for the device driver to be unloaded by Windows, and then plug the device back in and the driver will reload.
• Try using a different USB port on your PC. For example, move from a port on the front or side of the PC to a port on the back of the PC.
• If you use a USB hub between the device and the PC, try removing the USB hub and plugging the device directly into a USB port on the PC.
• If you’re using a USB hub that uses an external power supply, make sure the power supply is plugged into an electrical outlet and is working properly.
• Make sure that the cables on your device aren't damaged in any way. Damaged cables can cause the device to stop working proper.
  

Check for and replace worn batteries

 Make sure old or used battery power in your gadgets are changed and working properly.
Disconnect and then get in touch wi-fi or Wireless bluetooth receivers

If you are using a wi-fi or Wireless bluetooth system, you might need to detach the product from your PC and then get in touch it. Look on the end of the wi-fi system for a Totally reset key. Resetting the product will detach and then get in touch the wi-fi relationship. There might also be a Totally reset key on the USB recipient for your system.

• USB wireless devices. For USB wireless devices, this might be as simple as unplugging the USB wireless receiver, waiting for about 10 seconds, and then plugging the USB wireless receiver back into the USB port. The wireless connection should be reestablished. For additional help with USB devices, see Install a USB device.
• Bluetooth devices. For Bluetooth devices, the steps might be a little more detailed, and you'll need to follow the steps listed in the documentation that came with the device. For additional help with Bluetooth devices, see Add a Bluetooth enabled device to your computer and Add a Bluetooth or other wireless or network device: frequently asked questions.

Test the product on another PC

If the product doesn't appear to perform at all (for example, no lighting appear on the product when it’s connected in, or the pointer doesn't shift or doesn't appear on the screen), link the product to another PC and create sure the product performs on that PC. If the product doesn't perform on the other PC, you might need to substitute the components.

Note

    Some gadgets won't work without setting up a car owner. When examining the product on another PC, make sure that you have the appropriate car owner set up for the product. (See the Upgrade motorists tab for help with setting up the product car owner.)

Use a troubleshooter

A troubleshooter is an computerized device that can discover and instantly fix some issues with your pc. Run the Components and Gadgets troubleshooter to identify and fix typical issues with hardware and devices.

For Windows 7

To run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter in Windows 7, follow these steps:

1. Open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Control Panel.
2. In the search box, enter troubleshooter, and then click Troubleshooting.
3. Under Hardware and Sound, click Configure a device.

Update drivers

For Windows to recognize your system, you might need to discover and set up a suitable car owner. Outdated, incompatible, or damaged motorists can disrupt communication between the pc and the computer mouse, touch pad, or key pad.

•     If you recently upgraded from one edition of Windows to another, it's possible that the current system car owner was designed for the previous edition of Windows.

•     If you've had recent power outages, viruses, or other pc issues, it's possible that the motorists have become damaged.

Downloading and setting up the latest car owner for your computer mouse, touch pad, or key pad can resolve these types of issues. Here are three ways to discover and set up a driver:

•     Use Windows Upgrade. You might need to set Windows Upgrade to automatically obtain and set up suggested up-dates. Installing any important, suggested, and optional up-dates can update system features and other application that might help to fix your system issues.

•     Install application from the product manufacturer. For example, if your system came with a disk, that disk might contain application that sets up a car owner for the product.

•     Download and set up the car owner yourself. You can search for a car owner on the manufacturer's website. Try this if Windows Upgrade can't discover a car owner for your system and the product didn't come with application that sets up a car owner.

For more information about updating your system car owner, follow the steps below that apply to the edition of Windows you have on your pc. For information about devices that are suitable with Windows, go to the Windows seven Compatibility Center website.

Windows 7

To update the driver using Windows Update

1. Click the Start button , enter "Windows Update" in the search box, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. In the left pane, click Check for updates.
3. If there are any available updates, click the links to see more information about each update. Windows Update tells you if an update is important, recommended, or optional. Each type of update might include drivers. For more information, see Understanding Windows automatic updating.
4. On the Select the updates you want to install page, look for updates for your device, select the check box for the driver that you want to install, and then click OK.
   There might not be any available driver updates.
5. On the Windows Update page, click Install updates.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   Windows Update will tell you if the updates were successfully installed.

To obtain and set up a car owner yourself

If Windows can't discover a car owner for your system, and the product didn't come with car owner software, you can look for a car owner on the company's web page. Driver up-dates are often available in the support segments of their sites. To find the car owner, get the maker and design name or number of your system, and then go to the Pc Manufacturers’ Contact Information web page.

After you discover your producer, go to its web page and identify and obtain the newest car owner for your system. If you discover an modified car owner, adhere to the set up guidelines on the web page. Most motorists are self-installing—after you obtain them, you usually just double-click the computer file to begin the set up, and then the car owner sets up itself on your pc.

Some gadgets have motorists that you need to set up yourself. If you obtain a car owner that isn't self-installing, adhere to the actions below.

You must be signed on as an manager to execute these steps

1. Click the Start button , type "device manager" in the search box, and then click Device Manager.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. In the list of hardware categories, find the device that you want to update, and then double-click the device name.
3. Click the Driver tab, click Update Driver, and then follow the instructions.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

 To obtain and set up a car owner yourself

If Windows can't discover a car owner for your system, and the product didn't come with car owner software, you can look for a car owner on the company's web page. Driver up-dates are often available in the support segments of their websites. To find the car owner, get the maker and design name or number of your computer mouse, key pad, touch pad or other directing system, and then go to the Pc Manufacturers’ Contact Information web page.

After you discover your producer, go to its web page and identify and obtain the newest car owner. If you discover an modified car owner, adhere to the set up guidelines on the web page. Most motorists are self-installing—after you obtain them, you usually just double-click the computer file to begin the set up, and then the car owner sets up itself on your pc.

Some gadgets have motorists that you need to set up yourself. If you obtain a car owner that isn't self-installing, adhere to the actions below.

You must be signed on as an manager to execute these actions.

1. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update.‌  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. In Device Manager, locate the device you want to update, and then double-click the device name.
3. Click the Driver tab, click Update Driver, and then follow the instructions.

More options

There are additional troubleshooting steps that can help take care of rabbit, touchpad, and keyboard issues. This section helps to identify and take care of issues specific to the different types of devices.
Resolving issues with your mouse

Some of the most common issues with the rabbit are:

•     The rabbit pointer moves erratically

•     The rabbit pointer moves too fast

•     The rabbit buttons don't respond as expected

•     Moving the rabbit doesn't move the cursor

Some of the most common causes of these issues are:

    Dust. There might be dirt or a accumulation on the end of the rabbit around the opening for the indicator. Clean any dirt or accumulation from the end of the rabbit and from the opening for the indicator. For an older rabbit that uses a rabbit football, you can unplug the rabbit, turn the rabbit over, and twist the end cover off. Remove and clean the rabbit football. If necessary, you can use compressed air to blow any lint from the inside of the rabbit. Replace the rabbit football and cover. If your rabbit uses a PS2 connection, you might need to restart the PC to reload the driver for the rabbit.

• Incorrect settings. You might need to adjust your mouse settings such as pointer speed, click speed, or other settings. For more information, see:
  Change your mouse settings in Windows 7
  Change your mouse settings in Windows Vista
  To change your mouse settings in Windows XP, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Mouse.
  2. Click the tab for the type of setting you want to change, and then make the change.
• Improper surface. When using a laser mouse, the surface should have enough of a pattern for the mouse sensor to detect movement. On a surface such as glass or a mirrored surface, the mouse sensor doesn’t have enough of a pattern to detect movement, so the mouse won't move the cursor (or the cursor might move very erratically).

Solving issues with your touchpad

Some of the most typical issues with touchpads are:

•     The touch pad begins and fights or has never proved helpful.

•     The touch pad is too delicate, or it goes the pointer too fast.

•     The pointer sometimes leaps to another identify in a papers or on the pc.

Some of the most typical causes of these issues are:

    The touch pad has been allowed or impaired. The touch pad might have been incorrectly allowed or impaired. The touch pad can be allowed or impaired in several ways, such as using key pad strategies (key blends on the keyboard), using System Administrator, or by using the touch pad configurations in Control Board.

    The touch pad configurations might be set wrongly. Most touchpads have flexible configurations and these configurations can make the touch pad operate poorly if set wrongly.

  The understanding of the touch pad is set too great. If the understanding is set to great on the touch pad, any minor touch can cause the pointer to arbitrarily jump to another location of the screen. To take care of this issue, lower the understanding setting of the touch pad using the touch pad configurations.

To correct these issues, enable or turn off the touch pad or modify its configurations. To do this, follow the steps for your edition of Windows:

Windows 7 and Windows Vista

    Simply select the Begin key Picture of the Begin key, click Control Board, click Components and Sound, and then click Mouse.

    Simply select the Touchpad tab, and then modify the configurations. On some PCs, the touch pad configurations might be on the Control buttons tab.

Resolving problems with your keyboard

If your keyboard isn’t functioning properly, it might be because the device is dirty or defective, there's a loose connection, or the most recent drivers aren't installed. Some of the most common problems with the keyboard are:

• Pressing a key causes multiple characters to be typed.
• Pressing certain keys doesn't result in a character being typed.
• The keyboard doesn't respond when you press any key.
• The keyboard types incorrect characters.

Some of the most common causes of these problems are:

• Dirt. Dust, foreign debris, or liquid spills between the keys on the keyboard can cause keys to stick or not function at all. Blowing compressed air can help remove dust and debris from between the keys. Liquid spills might be more difficult to resolve and might require replacing the keyboard.
• Incorrect cable connections. For older PCs that use PS2 mouse and keyboard connections, make sure that the cables are connected to the correct PS2 port. If you need to switch the cables, turn off the PC before doing so, and then restart the PC to install the drivers.
• Incorrect keyboard layout settings. For more information, see:
  Change your keyboard layout in Windows 7

Additional troubleshooting steps

If you're still having problems with your device, here are some additional steps to try:

• Temporarily unplug conflicting devices
  1. If you have other USB devices connected to the PC, temporarily unplug all those devices except for the mouse and keyboard, and then check to see if that resolves the issue.
  2. If it resolves the issue, plug the devices back in one at a time and test to determine if that device was causing the issue.
  3. Continue connecting the devices one at a time until you find the device that's causing the issue.
• Uninstall conflicting device software (Windows 7 and Windows Vista)
  1. Click the Start button , click Control Panel, and then click Programs and Features.
  2. Locate and uninstall the software that might be causing the conflict.
• Uninstall conflicting device software (Windows XP)
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.
  2. Locate and uninstall the software that might be causing the conflict.
• Restart your PC
  1. If you've just installed a new device or other hardware, restart your PC to make sure that all software and drivers have completed their installation process.
  2. After the PC restarts, test the device for issues.

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