Mouse pointer creeping

Cardew

I have to use a friend's laptop from time to time.

It has a fault in that the pointer creeps all the time and will not stay static. The normal movement is vertically up the screen - but not always. Everything else works OK and to click on a link you have to position it below the link and 'time' your 'click' as it passes over.

The pointer creeps both with an external mouse and using the touch pad.

Mouse driver has been re-installed a couple of times and all options in control panel have been tried. OS is XP home.

Any Ideas?

rogerramjet

touch pads are very sensitive on laptops, see if there is a way of adjusting the sensitivity of the touch pad.

there could be a possibility that the touch pad is faulty, an external mouse will make no difference as laptops are designed to use either at the same time.

It could also be a small piece of grit/dirt has become lodged in the corner of the touch pad.

albertross_2

What model? If it has a nipple, try wiggling it. If touchpad only, try putting some firm pressure on the keyboard with the palm of your hand. Sometimes the motherboard connector comes loose and causes erratic mouse movement, pushing down on the keyboard can push it back into place. Happens on Dells quite a bit..

If your friend always uses an external mouse, then disable the touchpad in the bios (if the system allows it).

chem14346777

disable the touchpad/nipple and use only the external mouse.

We used to have loads of Dell laptops at work with this problem, and it can be a real nuisance, the only way it could be resolved was to replace the keyboard/touchpad.