Hi all - a friend is having the following problem with her computer. I guess she has had trouble getting help other places, so i told her about all the knowledge on this forum, trucks and otherwise. I pasted her problem below if anyone has any ideas.

I replaced a Logitech optical mouse with a Microsoft wireless optical mouse, blue. After switching it out the mouse works but is a little jumpy. The problem is that I can not install the intellipoint software that came with the new mouse. Starting the setup program on the intellipoint CD starts the installation process, but right away microsoft setup detects "other pointing" devices or software and states that it needs to be removed before setup can continue. Choosing "ok" to remove it just starts the LOGITECH installation software, with no option to remove. Tried using windows add/remove programs, but the Logitech software can't be removed. It just starts the Logitech installation program as if you wanted to install the Logitech software from scratch (even wants the original Logitech CD. Somewhere I saw it said something about not removing the Logitech software unless it finds a compatible replacement driver or something. Fine - I sort of understand that you don't want to remove mouse software and then not have a working mouse at all. BUT, I simply want to install the intellipoint software that came with the new mouse. Microsoft should make this sort of thing easy for a non tech savy puchaser to do! I could just leave things as they are, but the mouse is not working perfectly and I am not taking advantage of the intellipoint software. It would be nice to at least have the choice of using the software that came with the Microsoft mouse.

I have posted this exact message on a few different help boards, including one specifically for Microsoft hardware, but have not had a single response.

Thanks for any help - Sherry

 

I am assuming the os is not windows xp. If it is, the easy solution is to plug in a microsoft mouse instead of the logitech, let it auto-install, then take it out and install the optical mouse, power down and restart, and let it autoinstall.

If it is windows 98, changing the mouse for a microsoft may help, but you may have to do some registry hacking to get it to work.

Are you powering the computer on with NO mouse connected, or with the optical mouse connected?

Winford

 

You could always try locating the Logitech software folder with the "Find files or folders" option under the Start menu and just delete it with the delete key. That usually works for me with programs the Add/Remove feature won't remove. Some programs store little auxillary files elsewhere and that method won't take care of those like Add/Remove will but it should disable it and allow you to install the other mouse. Also if that is the only Logitech item on the computer you should be abe to delete everything with that name, although I've never used anything by that name so I am not 100% sure about that. Occasionally you get a stubborn one but sometime if you try deleting things several ways, one will end up working. Sometimes if that doesn't work, finding the folder through the My Computer window and deleting it from there works too. I often find that a program won't delete through 2 or 3 methods but then I'll find the one method that will get rid of it. Be sure to clean it out of the recycle bin then too once it's deleted.

 

right click 'my computer', choose 'device manager' tab, scroll down to 'mouse', right click and delete. Let us know how it turned out.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 27-Dec-02 AT 06:12 PM (EST)]Tell you what, go here http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouse/download.asp and download the latest drivers. If there is an option for MSI, get that one too. MSI is usually installed with office or any other higher end microsoft software and it helps to have it. I have the office keyboard and the optical intellipoint mouse with buttons all over it. They were a pain to get working together, but now, I can't live without them. Another piece of advice, get a cheap ps/2 mouse from somebody (a friend?) and hook that one up to then go and delete all the logitech stuff. Microsoft usually recommends installing the software before using the hardware. But they don't ever seem to tell you this until its too late. HP does the same things with their scanners I know. Just remember, most times, its best to install first, restart, then plug in the equipment. In any case, be sure to post back what happens, and good luck.

 

I sat down at her computer and checked out two suggestions posted above.....

>> (Suggestion #1) You could always try locating the Logitech software folder with the "Find files or folders" option under the Start menu and just delete it with the delete key. That usually works for me with programs the Add/Remove feature won't remove.

We did this and then searched for logitech files on the computer. There are none found.
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>> (Suggestion #2) Right click 'my computer', choose 'device manager' tab, scroll down to 'mouse', right click and delete.

We did this and then shut down the computer. Powered up with no mouse function of course, but ran the Intellipoint installation program from the cd and still won’t work. Specifically, this is what happens:
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Specifically what is happening is this:

Intellipoint setup starts and give the message “Setup has detected a pointing device program already installed on this system. Setup must remove this program in order to install Intellipoint. Click OK to remove the program and continue with setup.” Clicking OK then starts the Logitech mouseware installation program and asks for the Logitech CD to be inserted???? I can not figure out how it starts this Logitech installation program as there are no files of folders with “Logitech” or “Mouseware” on the computer.

It is infuriating that microsoft can sell a optical mouse that can not even install itself on a computer that previously had a Logitech mouse installed on it.

Any other suggestions will be very much appreciated.

 

ok, Right click 'my computer', choose 'device manager' tab, scroll down to 'mouse', right click and delete AGAIN. But, before you do, go to c:\windows\inf\other and delete anything that has to do with logitech. Now, restart and it should not be reinstalled. You could also right click 'inf' folder, choose find, search for anything 'named' or 'containing' logitech. You can do this same search with the system folder in the 'windows' and 'program files' folders as well. If you know how to use 'regedit' contained in c:\windows\regedit*****, you can seach for anything that has to do with logitech there too, and delete it. Keep in mind that messing with the registry or system folder can result in an in operable system, but I doubt it. It would help if you had a cheap ps/2 mouse to use for all this, you can't get rid of the logitech mouse drivers if your using the logitech mouse you know.

 

Oh, another thing, are you using the USB connection on the mouse or the ps/2 adapter? If you look close in the box the microsoft mouse came in, it should have a little green adapter, try that if you aren't already, and use the microsoft optical mouse as a ps/2 while you go deleting everything. Only if you don't have a cheap ps/2 to work with.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 29-Dec-02 AT 00:48 AM (EST)]I would unistall the software using the add/remove in the control panel programs. Right clicking my computer and deleting the mouse only deletes the drivers and not the actual software.

If thats a no go make sure you have done the following.
Make sure the receiver is not near any electronic equipment such as being too close to the moniter or the computer. Also try new batteries. Some times bad batteries can cause the mouse to be jumpy.

 

1. Is it a USB mouse?
2. What operating system does she have?

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 30-Dec-02 AT 00:46 AM (EST)]>1. Is it a USB mouse? (No)
>2. What operating system does she have? (Win98)

>I would unistall the software using the add/remove in the control panel programs. Right clicking my computer and deleting the mouse only deletes the drivers and not the actual software.

(That was done. Software is gone and the find files function does not find any files with the Logitech or Mouseware names. Even started the computer with no mouse attached and tried to get the software to install – no go)

>you can't get rid of the logitech mouse drivers if your using the logitech mouse you know.

(actually we seem to have got rid of the logitech mouse drivers ok. The logitech mouse was broken and is long gone. The mouse on the computer is the microsoft mouse. It works, but not that well. It is the SOFTWARE on the CD that came with the mouse that won’t install.)

I will try the other few suggestions offered above on her computer tomorrow. As I tried to explain in message 5, above: Even though the Logitech software was removed using control panel install/remove programs - Even though the mouse files in device manager were removed - Even though a search of the computer was done and any files with the logitech or mouseware names in them were deleted – When the Microsoft intellipoint software tries to install, the Logitech installation screen comes up and it asks for a Logitech CD! Where is that coming from?

 

"Where is it coming from?"
I would guess the install program is detecting either a driver that is loaded into memory when windows starts up, or there is some "left over" logitech info in the registry. If there is a driver loaded when windows starts, that driver may be locking the resources needed for the microsoft mouse. This is why it should be uninstalled. I don't know the particulars of the install program, but if you seach through the registry for any key containing "logitech", that will help.

If I had that computer here in front of me, this is what I would do. Search the registry like I said and delete everything having anything to do with logitech. Then, search the whole harddisk for any files (*.*) CONTAINING the word "logitech" and inspect/delete/edit those. Some files, like win.ini and system.ini need to be inspected and edited, but not deleted if they contain logitech. Just look thru those and delete the text and then resave it. Then I would run microsoft's registry cleaning utility ( http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3000-2094-881470.html?tag=list ) and a few other personal favorites that I use. I would feel very confident, after this, that microsoft (or anyone short of the nsa) could find anything pertaining to logitech and the install should flow smoothly from there.

PS. I just ran a search thru my registry and found 7 keys containing logitech, but they are merely oem joystick drivers for games I have installed, perfectly safe to delete, since I don't own a logitech joystick. Just delete everything that says logitech in the registry.

 

It just occurred to me, since its one of the first things I do after a fresh install of win98, make sure ALL of your icons are visible. Open a folder, click 'view', then 'folder options...', then select 'view' tab. Make sure 'show all files' is checked. I don't know if the search function will search hidden files or not when you aren't allowed to see them. Never an issue with me since this is the first thing I take care of. If the install program keeps popping up, apparently you didn't delete the program folder, maybe it was 'hidden'.

 

sounds like logitech mouse looks for startup program when the machine boots. click start then run and in the box type msconfig. this should bring up the system configuration utility. goto startup and scroll through all the checked off programs and see if there is a program with logitech or mouse mentioned. if there is take the check mark out of that box and close that window. when it prompts you to restart. click exit without restart. then go back and delete the mouse. then restart. i think you`ll figure out the rest from here. I`m hoping this works( and helps)