Computer mouse switch going bad

Don't forget the the cable could be going bad after a few 100,000 flexes.

--Tim

Hi Oldschool, I have been reading this thread with a smile.

I also have a Win98se machine that I desperately need to do what I do.

When I was really concerned it was was going to die and leave me with nothing but tears and frustration beyond human limits, I searched eBay and found a guy that was building Pentium 4 systems running Win98se. Long story short I bought two(2) for $125 each.

Now I have a set of twin Win98se machines, Unit (A) and Unit (B). Both with USB mouse and keyboard. Presently only using Unit (A) and by my theory of universal backup planning as long as I have Unit (B) then Unit (A) will never die. Best $125 ever spent. Well actually $250 but who's counting.

My original Win98se still runs to this day and only use it when I need a file that was not important at the time, 5 years ago, to move over.

Good luck with your PS/2 to USB adapter thingie. That may be a short term fix as everything eventually breaks, one way or another.

Les

Visit your local 2nd-hands shops: GoodWill, ARC, Salvation Army, etc. Lots of widows donate the geezer's old computer stuff and there are often many old mice handing from peg boards in those stores.

Are you sure it doesn't have a broken solder joint on the switch? Years of clicking could cause cracking.

This. Every thrift store I've been to has a dozen mice at $1 each. You could probably make a deal for a bulk buy.

I wear them out. Actually, I use trackballs, but the switches are the same, and seem to be interchangeable. So, I pull the right button switches out of old mice and put them in the ones I use. Digi-Key has the SW502 that seems to fit most mice. $1.61 in single quantity.

Jon

Searching around forNOS might dig up a ball mouse from when they came with an adaptor - I had a few left over from various things and found they're not universal. if it came in the same box as the device - it should work.

I'd get some cheap mice from flea markets until I found the right spare switch to salvage.

Ball mice didn't work for me because i used to be a heavy smoker. the optical ones rarely work on proper mouse mats, but they work perfectly on a sheet of plain white paper. just stick a sheet on the mouse mat with carpet tape and trim round the edges.

Couple of years ago I looked at the several boxes of mice and decided enough is enough.

most of the switches got used on E-cigarettes.

I don't think he'll buy from Aliexpress, too cheap and he doesn't like the free shipping you can get. All kidding aside, he doesn't like buying Chinese when he can get a part sold in the USA even though they are all the same parts.

You haven't been paying attention. He buys Chinese all the time, he's too cheap to buy American. He just rags on them non-stop to show he's a real patriotic American.

Those pretty much do not work. It may have the correct wiring but the USB d rivers must be installed, and if they are then the problem is solved.

I remember building a 98 PC for a buddy of mine. After all the ordering of components, it was off to the local PC store for a few things. They talked him into a USB keyboard. I said "Just how fast can you type ?" but he got t alked into it anyway. Problem was he wanted to use a power on password whic h of course won't work in 98 with a USB keyboard.

The same is true of USB keyboards as well as mice. The wires in the adapter plug are not the whole story.

You should still be able to find an optical PS/2 mouse. I have one. Even th ough I run XP on that box it works just fine, lucky in light of the fact th at I have boot drive select on that machine.

e capable of. "

The adapter is just a plug to a plug. It either needs USB drivers or some s oftware to convert the PS/2 mouse port to a USB mouse port. Such software d oes exist, as does for regular serial to UBS (I beet performance sucks) and parallel to USB (common on printers of a certain vintage.

On Monday, 15 January 2018 02:05:09 UTC, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: NT:

are capable of. "

software to convert the PS/2 mouse port to a USB mouse port. Such software does exist, as does for regular serial to UBS (I beet performance sucks) a nd parallel to USB (common on printers of a certain vintage.

I've used such adaptors with many mice. Some work off the bat, some won't. Why? Because mice generally have the ability to work with either of 2 port types, though which 2 varies. (That means if you cut off a mouse's plug and wire on a different type, sometimes it will work.)

Early Win3.1 era mice were DB9 only. For years most mice did PS/2 or USB.

NT

So a Trump voter then?

Probably not, but he certainly appears ignorant enough

There are USB 2 PS/2 adaptors so you can easily go with a USB mouse once you have the adaptor. And PS/2 mice are really getting scarce.

Saturday I ordered one of the adaptors on ebay. It's just a matter of waiting till it arrives. It was like $3.50.

Funny thing, yesterday this mouse was getting on my nerves with that failing switch. I took the insulated handle of a plyers and smacked that button really hard. Its been working flawlessly ever since.....

But I still plan to get another one or more.... I'm sure this one will eventually fail. But at least it will hopefully work till I get my adaptor or another PS/2 mouse.

Remind me to NOT let you work on any of my things.

For us older people, we know the first thing one does is to hit the device that is causing the problem.