Baffling W98 Puzzle

[Roy]

For quite some time, each second time I start my machine, the cursor is frozen.

I've defragged, run RegClean, and reloaded W98. No change.

My understanding of the Registry does not lead me to think it uses an alternate version on each load.

Any ideas?

[jonathankeeping]

Can you just calrify what you mean exactly. When you say every second time you boot, do you mean a complete restart or a shut dowm to DOS and type WIN. Also when you say the cursor is frozen do you mean the mouse doesn't respond but Windows is running OK or do you mean that Windows crashes.

[Underclocked]

Just thinking out loud here and wondering if you have the option in your bios to clear NVRAM on every boot? If you do, try it.

[Roy]

jonathankeeping ~ Complete Restart. I haven't tried going out to DOS and typing Win. However, a Windows Restart (holding the Shift key and entering "Restart" comes up working if it was working, not working if not. Yes, Windows runs OK but the mouse does not move the cursor. Keyboard functions OK.

Underclocked ~ Thanks. I'll take a look.

[Bleeding Edge]

Baffling indeed.
I think it may be something with the motherboard. The Bios I think.

From what I understand; IRQ, memory address and COM port conflicts cause frozen cursors. But the PS/2 mouse usually has IRQ12 to itself.

You probably don’t have any peripherals connected to the physical COM ports that can be causing this with their drivers?

The motherboard’s Bios is there to take care of these basic I/O functions. I don’t think it is a Windows thing.

The mouse driver can be corrupt. But it’s more likely a slightly corrupt Bios.

I think you should try re-flashing the Bios, take out all the hardware that may be using any of the COM ports and boot the system up with minimal hardware. Remove the mouse drivers by removing the mouse in Device Manager, and, rebooting back into Windows and installing the mouse driver again.

With this setup, if something is still wrong, it’s probably hardware related.

Unless it something to do with Power Management…

~edit
I can’t say, Roy. I hope this gives you some thoughts or ideas besides “What in the world is he talking about.”


[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 09-05-99).]

[Roy]

Bleeding Edge ~ I have ruled out the BIOS and the mobo. I have a second HDD with its own W98. It doesn't exhibit the problem. Regretably, it has a batch of different troubles, so I run on the one that has only the one.

The mystery remains that it only happens every second time. Everything else is the same, every time, so I don't think it can be outside the OS.

[MrEd]

My opinion leans towards the corrupt driver that Bleeding Edge suggested. Have you tried looking for updated drivers? Or trying a different mouse with it's own drivers? If it's happening every other time you restart, the corruption could be with the loading and unloading of drivers when restarting.

Good Luck.
MrEd
/forum/smile.gif

[Bleeding Edge]

Rule out the mouse driver, if you haven't done so already.

Disable all the power management feature in the OS and Bios. MS K-Base has referencences to mouse driver problems with power saving features.


(I'm certain you been thru all this, but...)

[Dreadnaught]

Roy...

When you come up with a problem, it never fails to completely baffle me. Geuss it just goes to show the difference in our levels of computer know how!

Later...Paul