Cursor has a "moving experience" all on its own

It happens the most when I am online, but the cursor/pointer moves on its own. Many times it moves from top right to bottom left. Yesterday it was just floating around on the screen. The pointer moves just a little when I am offline, but usually moves with greater speed while I am online.


Details of my machine : Compaq laptop M700 1000mhz, 256 RAM, about 3 or 4 years old. Drive is not anywhere near being full, and it was defragged about a week ago.

Details of Operating System: Windows 2000 Pro SP4, use AVG anti virus, Spybot S&D, Ad-Aware, no firewall yet. (Still looking) All anti-virus and spyware are updated regularly. Has IE 6, and Firefox is also up to date.

Details of the Application(s) running when the problem occurs : Firefox, Internet Explorer, AOL software are open when it happens with the speediest movement. But it will also move just after logging in and am offline and no programs are open on the screen. Really it does it just whenever it wants, at various times.

I will wait patiently for an answer.

The first thing I would do is try a new mouse.

Hi,
As well as Ztruker's excellent suggestion, there is also the question of malware to be considered:

1 It might be sensible to run an HJT scan and post the log over in the malware removal forum:
http://forums.whatthetech.com/Welcome_New_…ers_t34502.html

2 A lot of Compaq Armada M700's come fitted with a pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard that in essence is similar to a strain gauge, the rubber cover to the pointing stick can wear or become slightly misplaced causing a "moving cursor" problem, the solution is to remove the cover, it just pulls off upwards, clean it and the plastic pointing stick and replace the cover.
3 As the M700 also has a PS2 port, you can try a Ps2 mouse.
4 As there is also one USB port you could try a USB mouse and compare.
Let us know how you go.
Regards
paws

You are right there paws, it has one of those "sticks" in the middle of the keyboard. Good info there and much appreciated. Thanks also to
Ztruker. I will post here at times with updates, as I am sure someone on the web will have
this same problem and maybe find this page. It ( the cursor ) is drifting slowly to the bottom left as I write this.

I will try another mouse in the PS2 port. This computer has some miles left on it. I may as well use it.

Hi,
As well as Ztruker's excellent suggestion, there is also the question of malware to be considered:

1 It might be sensible to run an HJT scan and post the log over in the malware removal forum:
http://forums.whatthetech.com/Welcome_New_…ers_t34502.html

2 A lot of Compaq Armada M700's come fitted with a pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard that in essence is similar to a strain gauge, the rubber cover to the pointing stick can wear or become slightly misplaced causing a "moving cursor" problem, the solution is to remove the cover, it just pulls off upwards, clean it and the plastic pointing stick and replace the cover.
3 As the M700 also has a PS2 port, you can try a Ps2 mouse.
4 As there is also one USB port you could try a USB mouse and compare.
Let us know how you go.
Regards
paws

no firewall yet. (Still looking)

Is this machine behind a Router, and therefore you feel reasonably comfortable with NAT firewall protection?
If not, stop looking and start auditioning, by actually using a software firewall.

If you need a suggestion:
I have a Win2000 SP4 machine running quite nicely behind a router and Zone Alarm Free version Firewall.

Best Regards

I have had the same problem for some time and have posted about it. Best we came up with was I was on a light colored surface and not a dark surface. I have no mouse pad and am on a lighter oak color that is real wood but does have water stains here and there and some darker spots fom surface dirt ground into the desk. It is am old one that I got out of an old library some time back. Main theme for me was learn to live with it. best of luck to you with this.

Why live with it when all you need is a mouse pad?

Its a laptop. I dont use a mouse.

Why live with it when all you need is a mouse pad?

Does NAT stand for -N-othing -A-T- oll ? Thanks for the suggestion.

no firewall yet. (Still looking)

Is this machine behind a Router, and therefore you feel reasonably comfortable with NAT firewall protection?
If not, stop looking and start auditioning, by actually using a software firewall.

If you need a suggestion:
I have a Win2000 SP4 machine running quite nicely behind a router and Zone Alarm Free version Firewall.

Best Regards

NAT - Network Address Translation is a process accomplished within a Router, whereby incoming and outgoing messages are "addressed". The owner/subscriber has an External Internet Address (IP) And each of the machines that are part of the local network have their own internal address. often [removed], then 102, 103, 104, etc for the total number of machines on the Local Access Network (LAN) The process of transcribing the addressable information from the External IP assigned by the ISP, and the internal IP assigned by the Router, provides a "minimal level" of Firewall protection. But NAT firewall is uni-directional and not considered "safe" for full protection of your system. If you are using NAT = Nothing-At-All………….. Yikes. Get busy! Protect that system.

Have you cleaned the laptop mouse? And here is a firewall I recommend: Comodo Firewall Pro. ZoneAlarm and Comodo Firewall Pro are both good firewalls.

No, not yet, I have not done anything, except thought about this : if it is dirt, then it is dirty all the time, and
would produce a moving cursor all the time, not just some times, like it acts now. Maybe faulty logic, but
I am grateful it does not move all the time. At the moment the cursor is still, not moving. Weird.

Thanks Doug, I was wondering what NAT stood for..

P.S. I wanted to ask something about the firewalls recommended here; Do they have a graphic showing
when something ( someone ) is trying to reach the internet ? The old MS tray icon with the two green computer screens does that.
When information is flowing either way, one and then both of the green screens would light up. You could
tell if something ( someone ) was trying to reach the web just by watching the icon. Are the Zonealarm
and Comodo like that ? Also what is their download size, if you remember ? If not, no problem, I will
find out when I try to download them. Yes… this is dialup.

Have you cleaned the laptop mouse?

And here is a firewall I recommend: Comodo Firewall Pro.
ZoneAlarm and Comodo Firewall Pro are both good firewalls.

Hi Concerned surfer, The "non constant" nature of the moving cursor is consistent with the "pointing stick" and its cover getting dirty or the rubber becoming perished/hardened. In my workshop we see about 7 or 8 Compaq Armada M700's each year, (I have 2 in for service at the moment) and we clean/replace the pointing stick rubber covers as a matter of course…it works for us! Regards paws

Hi Concerned Surfer,

Do they have a graphic showing
when something ( someone ) is trying to reach the internet ?

Most firewalls would show a popup if something or someone is trying to access the internet.

When information is flowing either way, one and then both of the green screens would light up. You could
tell if something ( someone ) was trying to reach the web just by watching the icon. Are the Zonealarm
and Comodo like that ?

ZoneAlarm and Comodo both show you whether traffic is incoming or outgoing.

Also what is their download size, if you remember ? If not, no problem, I will
find out when I try to download them. Yes… this is dialup.

I don't know what the download size for ZoneAlarm is, but the download size for Comodo Firewall Pro is 7MB.

Just a hint for Comodo Firewall, get used to seeing "Would you like to allow access to the internet for this program?". Comodo Firewall cannot remember rules for applications such as SVCHOST.EXE or EXPLORER.EXE, even if you choose "Remember my answer for this application" and click Allow or Deny.

Do some research on both firewalls to see which firewall is right for you.

Awesome… right now the cursor is blazing like mad across the screen ! I guess these Armadas die hard if you are still seeing that many come to your shop. Thanks paws.

Hi Concerned surfer,

The "non constant" nature of the moving cursor is consistent with the "pointing stick" and its cover getting dirty or the rubber becoming perished/hardened.
In my workshop we see about 7 or 8 Compaq Armada M700's each year, (I have 2 in for service at the moment) and we clean/replace the pointing stick rubber covers as a matter of course…it works for us!
Regards
paws