Windows 7 Strange mouse pointer

[weeder]

I am using Win7 64 bit. Randomly a mouse pointer appears that has a hand super imposed over a box that has a up down arrow on the right side. It automatically scrolls where ever I place the pointer over an object on the desktop. I cannot make it disappear. Rebooting the PC will return the mouse pointer to the normal arrow but the "strange mouse" will reappear at a random time. I have changed the mouse from a wireless device to a hard wired USB mouse. The change makes no difference, the "strange mouse" appears no matter what mouse device I use. This has me totally stumped. Help!!!

 

[Trouble]

This sounds similar to the default behavior after compressing the "Scroll Wheel".
First if you have retired the wireless mouse, please confirm that you have removed the batteries from that device so as to insure that the computer is still not receiving input from that device.
Second if you are using third party drivers for your keyboard and pointing device consider removing those drivers and the associated software and check to see if the native Windows drivers produce the same problem.
And third, can you advise as to whether or not this happens in all programs (like a multi-page word document) or just within your web browser(s) or one specific web browser.
Regards
Randy

 

[weeder]

Randy,

Thanks for the reply. I have removed the batteries from the wireless mouse and disconnected the wireless receiver from the PC. I have also removed the software that supported the wireless mouse. My mouse that is connected now is via a USB port and by wire has only 2 buttons (Left and Right) and a wheel which is not press able or tilt able, it only rolls. The device is a HID-compliant mouse and the driver is 6.1.7600.16385.

I do not know if this happens due to a program, but once the "strange mouse" appears I cannot get rid of it. After doing all of the above, the "strange mouse" appeared again on the PC and I had to reboot to get rid of it.

I am baffled.

 

[Trouble]

Can I as again;

whether or not this happens in all programs (like a multi-page word document) or just within your web browser(s) or one specific web browser.

And might I also ask if you boot the computer into safemode does the same problem occur?

 

[weeder]

Randy,

I have tried all the items you suggested except running in safe mode. It seems you are trying to eliminate causes
which I have also tried to do. This problem is actually on my wife's PC and seems to have started after she tried
to use some options under the control panel entry called Ease of Use. She has now removed all clicked options to put the
PC back to the previous state. The problem still comes and goes.

Originally you thought this might be a "scroll wheel" problem. Where is this issue in Win7?

One new thing happening is if one clicks on a folder she sees a circle displayed and that shrinks to a disappearing
point.

Your thoughts on where this is coming from would be helpful rather than what to try.

 

[Trouble]

Originally you thought this might be a "scroll wheel" problem. Where is this issue in Win7?

Not really an issue in Windows 7, was just thinking that it might be a faulty / intermittent connection issue with the circuit board.

Your thoughts on where this is coming from would be helpful rather than what to try.

Your guess is as good as mine, but if you are sure you've addressed any potential issues within the Ease Of Access applet in the Control Panel, then my guess (we do that a lot here, or at least I do) is still some software and safe mode or a Clean Boot can often at least help point you to the culprit.
Safe Mode is a pretty easy test to perform Start your computer in safe mode but more of a macro overview
Clean Boot is a bit more labor intensive and complicated but more robust in that it lets you micro manage startup items (programs, processes, services) in groups or individually. How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows Vista or Windows 7

 

[Saltgrass]

Since you brought it up, and I think Trouble agrees, checking the Ease of Access area again to see if anything is checked that might be causing the problem. There are options for certain activities to occur if specific keys are used, like a control key.

But my first thought would be related to the mouse driver. In the Mouse Control Panel dialog, if you were to show that mouse pointer in the list of available ones, perhaps it would say what it was for. There may be a scrolling option to explain the situation. If you can't find an option for such activity, maybe reinstalling the mouse driver would be in order.

I don't suppose your wife loaded any other software to make the mouse behave the way she wanted?

Could this activity be related to any piece of software being run which might change some mouse properties? My scrolling options will work or not, depending on what utility I am using it in.

 

[weeder]

Thanks to both of you for the comments.

The mouse icon that shows up is not in the driver's list and scrolling in not an click able option. I have re installed the driver and it seems to make no difference.

My wife has not loaded any software to change the mouse action, she just wants the thing to not appear randomly.

I have tried a clean boot and strangely at the end of this process I do not get the final window that states re start although the clean boot does seem to take place. Some thing else. If I start the task manager, the window has no tab options at the top so I can see what services are loaded. The only items showing are the current tasks. The only way to close the task manager window is to press the escape key.

Maybe I have a corrupted Win7 DLL. Is there any way of verifying the Win7 DLLs short of re installing windows?
The PC runs OK, no other strange errors. I have run the total Dell hardware diagnostic package and it was clean.

 

[Trouble]

Open task manager and try double clicking perimeter, top, bottom, sides, should re-enable your expected tabs.
What was the results of a safe mode boot?