Windows 7 Mouse pointer goes AWOL in Excel

CJ12

New Member
Hi,
I recently purchased Windows 7 and for a few months it was great. Then I did a repair install because I kept getting the 'busy' blue circle around the mouse pointer which was very distracting when trying to do my accountancy tests from the CD ROM.
After the repair install W7 seemed to be working okay for a while.
The next week or so I found programs (i.e. Excel) would suddenly shut down after a single click on the 'Office' symbol (top left). Also controlling files became problematic because a single click would mysteriously open a file, instead of e.g. selecting it. This and other erratic behaviour, the latest installment of which is the mouse wanders randomly around the screen, led me to believe I was the innocent victim of a nasty "malware" attack.
I was surprised because I use Kaspersky antivirus and Malwarebytes and use them regularly; I also have Driver Manager installed.
I back up regularly to an external USB hard drive, both manually copying files I use/modify often (mainly Excel), and doing a weekly back up using Windows 7 proprietory back up program.
Apart from re-installing it please can anyone recommend/suggest another option that might fix my issues with Windows 7? I could try System Restore but since I am not sure exactly when the problem emerged this is problematic.
Thanks in advance! (Written on my older XP System.)
 
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Check the mouse to see if any debris has gotten around the tracking light.

Need batteries?

Reload the mouse driver?

What type of mouse is it?
 
The mouse is a classical example of trouble, be it with older PS2 or newer USB. Check the drivers in System, or simply... get a new mouse. They do get worn out. "Nothing here is eternal".
 
Thanks but I tried my with my spare mouse and even changed the mousepad, but experienced the same issues. The symptoms were mainly in Excel and with windows file manager, however today I have also noticed issues in Internet Explorer where I click on a link and nothing happens and I have to click on it twice or three times for anything to happen.
I phoned my local computer shop and they strongly suggested I reinstall Windows.

EDIT:
However it might possibly also be the mouse driver. I think I also noticed a problem whilst using the same mouse with my Ubuntu system. The left click didn't seem to work on one occasion but nowhere near as bad as the problems I was experiencing with W7.
No, not batteries since it's a USB optical mouse. No sign of debris on or near the light sensor, thanks for suggesting it though.

Saltgrass, how do I go about rolling back and re-installing the mouse driver in W7? This could be the issue since my Driver Manager program I think failed to update the mouse driver although it said it was out of date- something about the HID driver if I remember correctly?!

EDIT:
Just got results of ESET scan. See below. Probably a virus:

F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-02-23 174559\Backup Files 2012-02-27 155302\Backup files 1.zip Win32/DownloadAdmin.A.Gen application deleted - quarantined
F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-02-23 174559\Backup Files 2012-02-27 155302\Backup files 2.zip Win32/DownloadAdmin.A.Gen application deleted - quarantined
F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-02-23 174559\Backup Files 2012-03-05 223108\Backup files 2.zip multiple threats deleted - quarantined
F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-02-23 174559\Backup Files 2012-03-05 223108\Backup files 4.zip multiple threats deleted - quarantined
F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-03-19 160757\Backup Files 2012-03-19 160757\Backup files 10.zip multiple threats deleted - quarantined
F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-03-19 160757\Backup Files 2012-03-21 225709\Backup files 10.zip multiple threats deleted - quarantined
F:\CHRISJHUDSON-PC\Backup Set 2012-03-27 151040\Backup Files 2012-03-27 151040\Backup files 9.zip multiple threats deleted - quarantined

I hope that's finally fixed it!

Hey sorry to be rude but I need more help, problem not fixed! Thanks in advance.

Blue circle keeps on flashing but trying to 'debug'; might need to troubleshoot potential application conflicts by performing a clean startup.Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup

E
Sorry to multi-edit my post, but constantly flashing blue circle seems to have gone now.
It was suggested in another forum I un-install Driver Manager since Windows 7 has all the necessary drivers installed normally. :)

Hi sorry it's me again, blue circle has stopped displaying all the time but hard drive is operating at least every second.. then a pause of half a second.. then operating (I can hear the 'bzzp' noise...). If it carries on it's going to shorten my hard drive life by years! Any assistance with this gratefully received. Thanks.

EDIT:
Hmmm flashing blue circle is back but noisy hard drive has stopped...curiouser and curiouser said Alice.
Am going to try selectively eliminating startup progs from MSconfig to try to pinpont interference.
 
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Well didn't have time to try that, am just going to wipe my hard drive and re-install Windows 7.

Edit:
Hey Titanic, good advice man! I tried 4 different mice and the first three responded with random things (single click shut down on Office symbol in Excel and single click opened files (even though I had the double click to open setting set,) mouse pointer wanders across the screen,) and to my amazement, finally, the fourth one works perfectly now.
I am gobsmacked because I was sure it was a virus.
Of course it could have been a sequence of intermittent faults combined with (a) virus(es). We will never know! ;)
 
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