Cursor moves across screen by itself. Help!

[ip]

Occasionally, my cursor slowly moves in a straight line right across the screen. Also, my computer has rebooted on its own a few times recently, after a software crash. I originally thought I might have a Trojan virus and someone is playing around but my virus definitions are updated weekly and I even did an online virus scan that found nothing. I also use Zone Alarm and don't giver permission to suspicious programs to access the internet. When the mouse is moving, I don't see any light flashing in the systray for the internet connection or for Zone Alarm, so I assume that means that there is no internet activity going on.

I'm running Win XP Pro.

Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. And yes, I did check for ants around the mouse ball.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Are you saying that the mouse cursor moves or that the "typing cursor" moves (assuming you're meaning the mouse cursor). Depending on how "intricate" your system setup is, you could always go for the tried and true fresh install.

Also, you might try a virus scan from a bootable anti-virus cdrom.

 

[microAmp]

<< Occasionally, my cursor slowly moves in a straight line right across the screen. Also, my computer has rebooted on its own a few times recently, after a software crash. I originally thought I might have a Trojan virus and someone is playing around but my virus definitions are updated weekly and I even did an online virus scan that found nothing. I also use Zone Alarm and don't giver permission to suspicious programs to access the internet. When the mouse is moving, I don't see any light flashing in the systray for the internet connection or for Zone Alarm, so I assume that means that there is no internet activity going on.

I'm running Win XP Pro.

Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. And yes, I did check for ants around the mouse ball. >>



Engage the lock on Zone Alarm for all internet activity if you think it's some one, but I doubt it since you said straight line across the screen. Try uninstalling the mouse from the Device Manager to see if that'll help.

 

[ip]

Ok, thanks guys. I'll try reinstalling the mouse to see if that helps. I think I'm gonna try and avoid the reformat, if that's what Hossenfeffer meant. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Engaging the lock on ZA won't tell me anything b/c as soon as I touch the mouse once it's moving, it stops moving. Is there a keyboard shortcut for that?

Do you think that the self-reboots are related? Could someone be installing something that requires a reboot while I'm using the computer or am I now getting ridiculously paranoid?

 

[RustyNale]

Did you uncheck the box for auto reboot? Right click My Comp-->properties-->advanced-->startup and recovery-->uncheck the box for automatically reboot. This way, when it crashes, it will write a log file that you can then check to see what is actually causing the problem.

Did this problem start after you installed the software that's been crashing, or has it alway done it?

 

[olds]

I don't know what is causing it but my laptop does it occasionly. The mouse cursor will "drift: to the top left corner of the screen. I can move it but as soon as I let it go it does it again. I reboot and it's OK.

 

[ip]

Rusty, the problem has been going on for a while even before I installed the program I mentioned. I did just uncheck the automatic reboot so hopefully I'll see what caused the problem. Where will I find the log file?

oldsmoboat, thanks. I feel better that someone else has this going on too. That is exactly what happens, the cursor just drifts to the left. It's almost Poltergeist-like .

 

[ScottMac]

When I had a machine with that problem, it was because a game controller (sitting on the floor next to the computer) was in a position that pushed a control surface out of center. Since the control surface basically took the place of some mouse movements/commands, it moved the cursor on the text screen.

FWIW

Scott

 

[NzAnE2K]

hey ip, i might be something with the mouse itself. do you have another mouse you can test on?