XPost: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage   
   From: deadmailbox@beeb.net   
      
   "Chris Hood"  wrote in message   
   news:OyEk8yP0GHA.4044@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...   
   > If your father is running Windows XP, then maybe it's a the problem is   
   > caused by the "Power Options".   
   >   
   > This may sound a little mysterious to you, but, as the computer is a   
   > laptop, when your father re-ran Setup, he may have reset the power   
   > management options within windows to a default setting.   
   >   
   > You (or your father) can go to the start menu - control panel - System,   
   > OR right click My Computer (either on the start menu or on the desktop if   
   > it is there) and choose Properties from the menu that pops up.   
   > This opens the System Properties box. It has lots of tabs at the top.   
   > Click on the Hardware tab. Then click the Device Manager button.   
   >   
   > The Device Manager opens (it is a program that shows all the hardware   
   > devices that are part of or connected to your computer). As the problem   
   > seems to be with a USB mouse, first look for the "Mice and Other Pointing   
   > Devices" item in the list. Double click it to expand the list. This should   
   > show you which Mice are plugged into your computer (it will also list the   
   > built-in trackpad that you mentioned).   
   >   
   > With your USB Mouse plugged in, click on Action in menu at the top of the   
   > Device Manager window and choose "Scan for hardware changes". After the   
   > scan is complete, does your mouse appear in Device Manager? Does it work?   
   >   
   > If your USB mouse is not shown and doesn't work, then look for the   
   > Universal Serial Bus Controllers item on the Device Manager list (usually   
   > near the bottom of the list). Double click this item to "expand" it (to   
   > show the items it controls). There will be some items under the Universal   
   > Serial Bus Controllers item called USB Root Hub. Right click one of them   
   > and choose Properties from the menu that pops up.   
   >   
   > There are tabs at the top of the box that appears. Click on the Power tab   
   > (if there is one). This shows the USB ports power information/status (on   
   > my PC it tells me that the hub is self-powered and has 500mA available per   
   > port). If your father's laptop says something similar that's a good sign.   
   > Now click on the Power Management tab (again, if there is one). There you   
   > will hopefully see a check box with the title "Allow the computer to turn   
   > off this device to save power".   
   >   
   > The check box probably has a tick in it. What I suspect may be happening   
   > is that your father's computer is saving power at the expense of the USB   
   > mouse. So, if any of this has made any sense, un-tick the check box, click   
   > OK (do the same to all the USB Root Hub items) and close the device   
   > manager. Try your mouse.   
   >   
   > Hope this will help.   
   >   
      
   Thanks for the suggestions. The power wasn't the problem - it turned out   
   that various other USB devices weren't working and the solution was to   
   delete all USB devices from the list, reboot, and let Windows detect them.   
   To my great relief this went without a hitch but I did get him to back up   
   all documents and files first.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)