>> When it stops working, is the mouse still "there" (ie in device manager) 
>> or does Windows think it has gone?
> 
> It's very hard to check.
> 
> 10 years ago, I used a sophisticated operating system called AmigaOS...

Try this:
 
Windows + Break/Pause (or go through My Computer to control panel)
Right arrow key twice
Tab
Space
Tab

Then use the arrow keys (right is expand) to search through.

It's the same in all windows programs that use standard forms.

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"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message 
news:478b4cd5$1@news.povray.org...

> 10 years ago, I used a sophisticated operating system called AmigaOS. It 
> was possible to operate this without a mouse, because there was a set of 
> keyboard shortcuts for moving the mouse pointer and clicking mouse 
> buttons. However, to my absolute frustration [indeed, near rage], Windoze 
> doesn't appear to support such a feature. So you have to guess what 
> keyboard shortcuts every individual program uses [assuming it provides any 
> at all]. Grrr!!

The keybaord shortcuts are the letters that are underlined when you press 
the "Alt" key.

Fyi You can always use "Tab" and the arrow keys to scroll between 
highlighted options and Space-Bar to select.

To get Windows to always underline the shortcuts without using a mouse:
press the Windows button (between L-Ctrl and L-Alt)
Navigate to Control-Panel with the arrow keys.
Navigate to "Appearance and Themes" and then "Display"
Press "Tab" until the top tabs is highlighted.
Now use your < > arrow keys to navigate to "Appearance"
Press "Tab" untill "Effects" is highlighted and press the Space Bar.
Press "Tab" untill "Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation untill I 
press the Alt key"

I hope this helps...

-- 
-Nekar Xenos-

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Invisible wrote:

> Anyway, does *anybody* have *any* idea why reinstalling Windoze has made 
> my mouse malfunction so badly??

Because Windows is as buggy as an outhouse in the summer?

Regards,
John

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Tried new batteries?

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The Afro wrote:
> Tried new batteries?

If it was the batteries,

1. The receive light wouldn't be twinkling.

2. Rebooting the PC wouldn't fix the problem.

3. It wouldn't have suddenly started happening at exactly the time I 
changed some software.

FWIW, yes, I have changed the batteries several times. However, usually 
when the batteries fail, the mouse starts to gradually move slower than 
usual before actually stopping. This is quite different...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:478b4cd5$1@news.povray.org...

> I couldn't get Windoze to work properly without using the
> latest motherboard drivers. Go figure

Why does that surprise you?

"Hi, I'd like you to run on this motherboard, but I'm not going to tell you
what it does or how to make it do anything"

> So, new motherboard drivers. (The mouse itself doesn't have any drivers
> - or rather, it does, but I've never used them. The drivers are to
> activate the 15 buttons that I don't use. 3 buttons is enough for me...)

Try installing them anyway. It might be that the default drivers aren't
totally compatible with your mouse.

> > When it stops working, is the mouse still "there" (ie in device manager)
> > or does Windows think it has gone?
>
> It's very hard to check.
>
> 10 years ago, I used a sophisticated operating system called AmigaOS. It
> was possible to operate this without a mouse

Windows isn't that hard to run without a mouse. Some apps have poor
shortcuts, but most do have them. I recall the fun of using my university
machine (win 98) for a week without a mouse, after I poured coffee over the
mouse.

I just tried to get to the device manager without using the mouse, Took
around 20 keystrokes.
There are just a few useful shortcuts that you need to remember
Ctrl-Esc opens the start menu. (as does the win key if you have that)
Alt-spacebar brings up the move/resize menu for any window
Tab moves you from pane to pane in things like device manager or explorer
and from one anchor to another in a web browser

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> 3. It wouldn't have suddenly started happening at exactly the time I 
> changed some software.

Why not?

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Gail Shaw wrote:

>> I couldn't get Windoze to work properly without using the
>> latest motherboard drivers. Go figure
> 
> Why does that surprise you?

Because for the last 4 years it's worked perfectly fine with the 
existing drivers, and now suddenly it won't. It's not like drivers 
suddenly stop working after X years...

>> So, new motherboard drivers. (The mouse itself doesn't have any drivers
>> - or rather, it does, but I've never used them. The drivers are to
>> activate the 15 buttons that I don't use. 3 buttons is enough for me...)
> 
> Try installing them anyway. It might be that the default drivers aren't
> totally compatible with your mouse.

OK. I'll see if I can find the disk...

>> 10 years ago, I used a sophisticated operating system called AmigaOS. It
>> was possible to operate this without a mouse
> 
> Windows isn't that hard to run without a mouse. Some apps have poor
> shortcuts, but most do have them. I recall the fun of using my university
> machine (win 98) for a week without a mouse, after I poured coffee over the
> mouse.

The point being, if you have keys to move the mouse and click the 
button, *every* program can be completely operated using only the 
keyboard. That includes e.g. games [where the developers don't think 
about mouseless operation].

Hmm... I wonder if anybody has developed a small 3rd party solution to this?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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scott wrote:
>> 3. It wouldn't have suddenly started happening at exactly the time I 
>> changed some software.
> 
> Why not?

Why would software make the batteries go flat?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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> The point being, if you have keys to move the mouse and click the button, 
> *every* program can be completely operated using only the keyboard.

But *really* slowly, compared to using Tab to cycle through the available 
things to click on, or using Alt+shortcut.

> Hmm... I wonder if anybody has developed a small 3rd party solution to 
> this?

Control Panel -> Accessibility -> Mouse -> "Use MouseKeys".

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