Wont you please buy me a MAC?
So…
Yesterday I was putzing around on my computer and I decided it’d be a good idea to investigate my Vista issue of the screen saver never kicking in. I found this mention that it was a known issue that the exact same keyboard/mouse combo I have causes the problem. I then found another site that mentions that Microsoft fixed this issue and you just need download the HID Non-User Input Data Filter. Well I did that…and yeah.. I know just enough IT stuff to be completely dangerous. I didn’t know what to do with that file once I downloaded it. So I read more at the Microsoft website…and it sounded like I just needed to upgrade the drivers. So I went in and had my machine update the drivers….
Yeah….at that point both the keyboard and mouse stopped working.
I figure.. restart the machine it’ll be all better…
Machine restarts, I have my selection of users… my account and the guest account I made… but the mouse doesn’t work, I can’t select either account. I can’t arrow around to either one on the keyboard either. WTF?!
So, I go to Microcenter and buy myself a PS/2 mouse and a cheap-o keyboard.
I restart the computer again. Well, the keyboard worked I was able to arrow back and forth between users and I was also able to type in the password. But the mouse wouldn’t work. So now I’ve got this “new hardware found” screen and everything else popping up at start up but I can’t move the mouse around to close the windows or to select install drivers or whatever the new hardware window says. I’m stuck…and, yes.. as I poke around trying to get SOMETHING to work, now the stupid screen saver kicks in!! But yeah, the MOUSE doesn’t work and now the keyboard doesn’t want to work either so I can’t wake up the machine. I turn it off and on again… I get it to go to safe mode….well, the mouse STILL WONT WORK! WTF!?!
I’m frustrated to tears now, ready to start some COLOSSAL pouting (I am a master of pouting by the way), I feel I need help, so I call the IT guy from work… I’m holding back my tears as I explain what has happened. He very nicely listens.
Him: are you sure it’s a PS/2 mouse?
Me: (I grab the package and read from it)Yes, inland Optical Wheel PS/2 Mouse it has the round green plug with the prongs.
Him: I’m stumped. That’s exactly the same thing I’d do. Can you boot from the Vista disk?
Me: I don’t know, I haven’t tried that. I’ll give that a shot. Thank you very much for listening. If that doesn’t work, on Monday I’ll be standing in your office crying.
I hang up the phone, put in the Vista disk…and restart. The mouse seems to work, but the disk apparently wants to install Vista on my machine. I hit cancel a window pops up saying it’ll restart if you click cancel.. and then it restarts… I get back to the usual window but the mouse still doesn’t work. I’m so angry now I’m ready to break the keyboard across my knee. I decide to meet up with B & T at the Pizza Fest. I text IT guy from the bus stop thanking him for his help but telling him I’ve given up. He does not reply.
So I bitched about my stupid computer to T & B and then had fun.
Today I got up, and glared at the machine, pouted some more (have I mentioned I’m a master at pouting?) spent the day in front of the telly, and talking on the phone to my friend G. The machine taunted me each time I walked near it. I glared at it and kept pouting. Finally, at approx 6:30pm I decided to try one more time.
Me: You will NOT outsmart me!
Compy: Pfft…yeah…RIGHT.
Me: I’ll show you!
Compy: BRING IT, BITCH!
I tried getting it to Safe Mode again… but instead a screen came up asking me what disk I wanted to boot from (I just held down ALL F keys since I have no idea how to make it go to Safe Mode). So, I selected the External Hard drive…. the screen went black, and a cursor was at the bottom. I thought… what do I do now? So…I turned it off. Then turned it back on again… and what do you know, the window asking me if I want to go into Safe Mode comes up. So…I say YES.
The mouse STILL wont work.
I turn it off again, put in the Vista disk and resign myself to the fact that I’ll just have to re-install. I backed up on Wednesday, maybe I can somehow restore what I’d lose.
Well…It starts up, the mouse works (WTF?!?!) and I arrow through things getting ready to reload. Suddenly I see the option to RESTORE FROM BACK UP! (the angels sing..trumpets of JOY!) I tell it to restore….and yes, as it does that I clean the litter box.
GLORY BE!!
So…once it’s all up and running I plug in the old keyboard & mouse they work properly… I try the PS/2 mouse…it STILL WONT WORK! I look into the settings on the machine… apparently the PS/2 hook up has been DISABLED! WHO WOULD DO THAT? How do I enable it? I don’t know…and I don’t care… I think I’ll return the PS/2 mouse and maybe pick up a cheap USB mouse for any future emergencies and be done with it all.
Stupid computers…
UPDATE: For anyone trying to fix this issue, DO NOT update the drivers! It seems when you do that, it uninstalls your mouse and keyboard. What you need to do is install the optional Windows Update for the HID Non-User Input Data Filter that’s in your Windows Update screen. Do that and all your screen saver issues will be fixed. From my screen it seems that update was made available on 2/7/08.
