Thinkpads Forum

Just a quick question - is there anything different about the USB port on the left vs. the ones on the right. I'm finding that my wireless mouse dongle doesn't work when plugged into the left USB port, but it's fine on either of the ones on the right hand side.

I haven't had any problem with any other devices, including USB memory key, external HDD enclosure, printer, etc. Only the mouse.

Maybe becuase its not in LOS with your mouse.

Plus, thats going directly across the path of all three wireless radios, which cant help.

No no... it's not infrared. It's the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Mouse which is RF, if I'm not mistaken. The interference aspect might be the cause, if weren't for the fact that the dongle doesn't power on at all when plugged in on the left. The light doesn't ever come on.

Just a thought, but do you have another mouse like that available to test it? Furthermore, have you tested and confirmed that the Microsoft mouse works fine on other systems?

I also have a few Microsoft RF mice, the new dongles don't work if the dongle is plugged into the left side and the mouse is on the right side.
The new dongles are the type that's just a single stick, the old larger dongles work better since they have a joint that lets you raise a part of the dongle as an "antenna".

N/A.

zzyss wrote:No no... it's not infrared. It's the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Mouse which is RF, if I'm not mistaken. The interference aspect might be the cause, if weren't for the fact that the dongle doesn't power on at all when plugged in on the left. The light doesn't ever come on.

27 Mhz, so it shouldnt interfere with anything wireless.

EOMtp wrote:N/A.

N/A II

(I know... my shortest post... )

Try the following variations

a. With dongle on left use the mouse of the left
b. With dongle on right use the mouse of the left

From the results you can quickly deduce whether interference is involved. I doubt that it is.

I would guess that you connected the dongle to the left side USB port before installing drivers so Windows doesn't have the proper drivers associated with the device on that port.

Connect the dongle on the left hand side and check device manager to see if the device is disabled or non-functional because of driver trouble.

-darren

Anthony S wrote:Try the following variations

a. With dongle on left use the mouse of the left
b. With dongle on right use the mouse of the left

From the results you can quickly deduce whether interference is involved. I doubt that it is.

a. No beef, because the light doesn't even come on when the dongle is connected to the left. So it's not a driver problem, it's a power problem.

b. No problems. Works just fine across the opposite sides of the laptop, as long as the dongle gets power.

Considering that everything else works on the left, I don't think it's the port that's defective. However, considering that the mouse works virtually everywhere else, I don't think it's the mouse that's defective.

But it sure is annoying!!! (Because the dongle is on the right, as is my mouse, I keep ramming the dongle when I push far up the screen, sometimes knocking it loose).

I'm thinking seriously about getting a bluetooth mouse, but all the ones out there are pretty expensive, and none too pretty either.

sounds like a power problem. Since we are talking about USB ports and power...

My MS Laser 6000 seems to lose its connection randomly when starting up/resuming from hibernate when its connected to the lower of the right USB ports. There's no problem at all when connected to the upper USB port on the right. I've tried uninstalling-reinstalling the Intellipoint drivers but to no avail. I'm thinking there is uneven power transmission to the 3 USB ports, which kinda explains my problem as well as zzyss'.

I have no problems with the lower-right port

Also, to address a previous post where somebody asked whether the left port is failing because I plugged it in before installing the drivers, the answer is no. I installed all the drivers before I hooked anything up to the laptop.