Is there a built-in windows or shareware utility mouse-recovery tool?

[BonzaiDuck]

I've been using an old Belkin Omni-view 4-port KVM for 20+ years. It still works.

It even works with PS/2 to USB adapter cables -- on both ends of the KVM connection.

I'm evaluating other KVMs at the moment, and they must serve both my customized display/graphics needs as well as the HID device dependability.

Switching between machines requires just a little thoughtful care: One has to press the mouse button after the switchover and hold it until the keyboard blinks, otherwise mouse movement can cause all sorts of chaos on the display. Occasionally, there is some sort of "reset" that occurs accompanied by the keyboard blink, and I may lose a character while I type.

Once in a blue moon, something occurs that causes the keyboard to remain stuck in "CAPS" mode. I can't recover it. At that point, sometimes moving the mouse on a web-page causes frames and text to be selected and remain that way. Again -- this is "once in a blue moon."

Is there some sort of mouse or "HID device" recovery tool that can be executed from the keyboard?

As I said, I'm looking into KVM replacement, but I see customer-reviews on $175 units where they describe similar troubles or quirks. I've learned to live with -- work around the minor quirks. The "blue moon events" generally just compel me to reboot a system that hasn't been rebooted for days, anyway.

One more thought about this. I've often occasionally noticed events where the mouse-wheel becomes inoperable in certain applications, like IE, etc. I'll run a search for a software recovery tool, but I thought someone here might know of a solution. Other than going out on a limb for a $200 KVM, that is. . . .

Also, I have a mild suspicion that the lesser quirks arise when a system wakes up in response to my WHS nightly round-robin client backups. That is, this or that system isn't currently selected on the KVM, and a wake-up from hibernate fails to initialize the mouse properly. this leaves it "working", but the problem with the mouse wheel may emerge.

Thanks for any insight to this.

Moved from General Hardware

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Here's something I just came across, and the KISS principle points favorably to it:

http://community.spiceworks.com/top...-and-mouse-when-odd-problems-happen-with-them

Likely something I could've learned in my own "DOS" days.

But I think he's wrong about the right-hand keys. I think he means RIGHTCTRL+RIGHTALT+RIGHTSHIFT.

And I "see something happen" when I do this. I'll have to wait, see, and give it a try. Easy enough to remember, though . .

any other remedies will be vastly appreciated as well, so y'all can share and let me know.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

OK . . . I'm fine with the "move" from "General Hardware."

And I'll still appreciate any response contributions. [Why wouldn't I?!!]