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Problem: TP adding extra UltraNav "clicks" by itse

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:31 pm
by JSpira
I have a ThinkPad T60 (200776U) running Windows XP SP2.

A few months ago, two problems developed.

1.) Extra clicks
Sometimes (but not maddeningly often), the system adds an extra "click" say for example when I click in Notes to forward a mail a second click which might be clicking on "save as draft" is added by the TP. This is not visible except for the result. Another extra click might be the address book popping open when I click on New Memo.

2.) Moving cursor
I could be typing on one line and suddenly I am moved a few lines up.

Lenovo sent a tech and replaced the palm rest, keyboard, and motherboard (not the microprocessor however).

I thought the problem got better but it did not.

Tomorrow they want to replace the same parts again.

One other problem has cropped up from time to time and that is that the machine freezes when going into the dock. It doesn't give a blue screen (although once today it was solid white); usually when this happens it freezes on whatever was on the screen.

If anyone has any suggestions, that would be great. I did try searching here but to no avail.

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:46 pm
by Padhead
it's a wild guess, but try turning off the mouse pad and track point.

You can get to these settings in the control panel / mouse / ultranav.

Be sure to plug in a USB mouse first.

If that helps , you have identified your problem., and might be able to fix them by lowering those device's sensitvity.

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:00 pm
by JSpira
It's a good guess - I already tried generic mouse sw instead of UltraNav and that didn't seem to help.

I have to reinstall UltraNav and then turn it off and try the mouse (now, where are all those mice hiding when I need them).

Thanks.

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:17 pm
by Padhead
Bright Minds think alike.

Yup. I'd reinstall UltraNav, and then turn them off. You can also turn them off one at a time. If you don't use the trackpoint, and it turns out to be the problem, you could simply turn it off, but leave the Mouse pad on.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:51 am
by irusan
I have had my T61 for about a week and am encountering the exact same issue (XP Pro, SP2).

I think I managed to resolve the issue - when it first started appearing, I was using a port replicator in addition to a Belkin 4-pc switch. I yanked the mouse out of the switch and plugged it directly into the port replicator and I've not encountered any problems since (I also disabled the touch pad and left the trackpoint active)

It's definitely a PITA to have 2 mice sitting on my desk - one specifically for the laptop and the other for a desktop PC and a Mac.

Knock on wood, this is the only issue that the T61 has been giving me.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:54 am
by irusan
JSpira wrote:<snip> ...I already tried generic mouse sw instead of UltraNav and that didn't seem to help... <snip>
One thought - what type of mouse did you try? When I had mine in the KVM switch, I needed to use the USB-to-PS/2 adapter and the T61 doesn't like PS/2 mice.

When I plugged it directly into the laptop, I was able to plug it into the USB jack and it's working fine.

EDIT: the mouse required the USB-to-PS/2 adapter so that it could be plugged into the KVM switch, not the laptop.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:58 am
by JSpira
irusan wrote:I have had my T61 for about a week and am encountering the exact same issue (XP Pro, SP2).
Could you describe the symptoms? To reiterate, my cursor makes extra clicks (forward an email, then it clicks by itself on address book or save as draft) and sometimes when typing a block of text the cursor will jump up a few lines.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:01 am
by JSpira
irusan wrote:
JSpira wrote:Note from Moderator: Snipped excessive, nested quoting.
I used an older Microsoft USB mouse. Worked fine but I have to test it longer to really see.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:03 am
by irusan
JSpira wrote:
Could you describe the symptoms? To reiterate, my cursor makes extra clicks (forward an email, then it clicks by itself on address book or save as draft) and sometimes when typing a block of text the cursor will jump up a few lines.
You just did :D

I'll be typing away and suddenly my cursor is on a different line and I am typing elsewhere, or a different window is brought to the front...

Basically, the cursor jumps somewhere and a "click" is sent. If I am in an application and the window is maximized, my cursor goes elsewhere in that window. Sometimes, if the window is not maximized (like an email reply) the cursor jumps and clicks somewhere that is outside the window and my email reply is sent to the back.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:04 am
by JSpira
Update after IBM technician was here:

(Yes, Lenovo techs say ,,hi, I´m from IBM`` :roll: )

He agreed that swapping motherboard, keyboard, and palm rest might not be best use of time (although he left the keyboard and palmrest with me just in case).

We thought it might be dock related and he ordered another dock - but I used the TP for a few hours out of the dock and still had the same symptom.

We have´t swapped memory or the processor yet. That may be next.

I´m not overly anxious to reformat but I have a spare HDD that I might try for a day and just install a few key apps such as Lotus Notes and Word.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:06 am
by JSpira
irusan wrote:
JSpira wrote:Note from Moderator: Snipped excessive, nested quoting.
Have you contacted Lenovo support?

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:17 am
by irusan
JSpira wrote:
Have you contacted Lenovo support?
Not yet - I wanted to see if it is something I am able to resolve on my own. If the problem continues or resurfaces (which it hasn't yet), I'll get our IT department to call and deal with it.

Additionally, part of my hesitancy to call is that most companies now do a great job of practicing customer disservice and I end up talking to someone who isn't able to help me (for a variety of reasons) and that is only after navigating through 20 different v-mail menus.

Is calling their support line worth it?

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:38 am
by JSpira
irusan wrote: Is calling their support line worth it?
Naturally this varies person by person, but in general yes, they are good. You may have to escalate.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 1:29 pm
by Padhead
Jspira, have you isolated this problem yet?

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:49 pm
by JSpira
Nothing yet.

I will let Lenovo swap memory and processor next I suppose.

I will also try running with my extra hard drive and see if the problem crops up.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:18 pm
by Padhead
But you havent turned off the mouse and Trackpoint yet. Or did i miss that post somehow. LOL

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:26 pm
by JSpira
Padhead wrote:But you havent turned off the mouse and Trackpoint yet. Or did i miss that post somehow. LOL
You don´t mean turn off the mouse, do you? I tried to disable both pointers in UltraNav (when the tech was here) and he told me I can disable one or the other.

We disabled the eraser and tried the mouse but it was not long enough to really validate anything.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:39 pm
by Padhead
well then you havent isolated the mice.

I thought that you were trying that.

You can turn off one, and then the other in the ultranav software.

And I bet that there is way to turn off both of them.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:40 pm
by JSpira
Padhead wrote:well then you havent isolated the mice.

I thought that you were trying that.

You can turn off one, and then the other in the ultranav software.

And I bet that there is way to turn off both of them.
Ja, I WANTED to but there is no way to turn both off at the same time (both according to the Lenovo tech and to a few searches I did).

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:30 pm
by Padhead
Yeah, but you can turn off one at a time. try that

what about going to thinkpad configuration program in the control panel. Can you turn off both there?

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:50 pm
by JSpira
Padhead wrote:Yeah, but you can turn off one at a time. try that

what about going to thinkpad configuration program in the control panel. Can you turn off both there?
I did try that but I suspect if it´s anything it´s some sort of driver (I also tried generic MS drivers and that seemed to lessen the problem but, again, it´s hard to tell).

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:08 pm
by Padhead
No my hunch is that it is hardware, not driver.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:25 pm
by JSpira
Padhead wrote:No my hunch is that it is hardware, not driver.
I will test again with the eraserhead off. Anything else I should try?

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:15 pm
by JSpira
I am first testing today with as much of the UltraNav off as possible.

After one hour, the problem has not appeared using a very old MSFT optical mouse.

It is bloody annoying however to remove my hand from the keyboard to find the mouse as opposed to the convenient eraserhead.

I will continue to test and advise here.

Update

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:48 pm
by JSpira
After almost a day mit Maus, I jumped up two lines when typing.

I will still continue with the Maus for a bit longer but that is one of the problems that has plagued the T60.

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:47 am
by Padhead
JSpira wrote:
Padhead wrote:Note from Moderator: Snipped excessive, nested quoting.
If I had to guess, I would guess that it was the mouse pad, not the mouse nipple. I'd try turning that off.

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:28 am
by JSpira
Padhead wrote:
JSpira wrote:
Sorry, I was not specific - that is off also.

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:30 am
by JSpira
Further update.

I have not experienced any extra clicks per se, with the Maus in place.

However, I have noticed a few times that the center button of the eraserhead controls has pressed itself (based on an icon appearing briefly on screen). This was only two or three times but still may be relevant.

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:51 pm
by JSpira
Additional update.

Worked with Warren at IBM support in Atlanta Georgia this evening.

He had me turn off Tap and Drag on the TouchPad and increase sensitivity on the TouchPad to very heavy.

He then had me remove the mouse.

I am running in this mode for about an hour without any problems.

Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:04 pm
by JSpira
Further update.

My built-in Wi-Fi card went on the fritz and my regular IBM tech came around with a replacement today.

We reviewed what Lenovo tech support had changed and he felt that the touchpad might indeed have been too sensitive as the actual touchpad extends beyond what is visible on top.

As of now, I have not experienced any real extra clicks and I have not been using the mouse for two days, just the eraserhead.