Support
Mad Mouse
If you have a GPS receiver which can power up or down (e.g. chart plotters or
hand held GPS units):
- Start with your computer off.
- Connect the GPS to your computer.
- Turn on the power for your GPS unit.
- Start your computer.
- Wait until the mouse starts jumping.
- Turn off the power to the GPS (i.e. shut down your GPS) but leave the GPS
connected to the computer.
a. OPTIONAL - If there is a serial-to-USB adapter cable between your GPS serial
port and the computer, you may disconnect the GPS from the serial-to-USB adapter
cable. In all cases, leave the USB connector plugged in to your computer.
- For Windows XP or Windows 2000:
a. Click Start
b. Right-click on My Computer
- For Windows Vista:
a. Click Start
b. Right-click on Computer
- Click Properties, a new window will open called “System Properties”
- Click on the Hardware tab
- Click the button labeled Device Manager, this will open a new window
- A list of devices will appear.
- Click on the “+” symbol to the left of “Mice and other pointing devices”
- You should see listed a “Microsoft Serial Ballpoint”
- Right-click “Microsoft Serial Ballpoint”
- Click Disable
- This will mark that device with a red X, and it should not bother you again.
- Now you can close the Device Manager window.
- Shut down your computer.
- Reconnect the GPS (if disconnected)
- Turn the power on for the GPS.
- Start your computer.
- You should have a stable mouse now.
If you have a GPS receiver which can NOT power up or down (e.g. “hockey puck”
type GPS receivers):
These are the keyboard equivalents to the above steps and can be performed while
the mouse is randomly jumping around the screen.
- Start with your computer off.
- Connect the GPS to your computer.
- Start your computer.
- Wait until the mouse starts jumping.
- Press and release the Windows key (it has the Windows logo on it, typically to
the left of the spacebar on the bottom row between the “Ctrl” button and the
“Alt” button.
- Press the Down arrow key
- For Windows XP or Windows 2000: a. Use down arrow and right arrow keys to
navigate to highlight My Computer
- For Windows Vista: a. Use down arrow and right arrow keys to navigate to
highlight Computer
- Press the Menu key (it is typically to the right of the spacebar on the bottom
row between the “Ctrl” button and the “Alt” button)
- Use the arrow keys to highlight Properties
- Press the Enter key, a new window will open called “System Properties”
- Use the arrow keys to highlight the Hardware tab
- Press the Tab key to highlight the Device Manager button
- Press the Enter key, this will open a new window
- Press Tab, this will highlight the top item in the list (generally the name of
your computer)
- Use the down arrow to highlight “Mice and other pointing devices”
- Press the right arrow key
- You should see listed a “Microsoft Serial Ballpoint”
- Use down arrow to select “Microsoft Serial Ballpoint”
- Press the Menu key (right of spacebar)
- Use down arrow to select Disable
- Press Enter
- Press the Windows key
- Use the arrow keys to select Shut Down to restart your computer
- Reconnect the GPS
- Start your computer
- You should have a stable mouse now.
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