The mouse arrow pointer on my system (Win98 SE) disintegrated into an one inch square of colorful dots at random intervals !! Then the system froze and I had to restart to return to normal operation . This is an intermittent problem, without warning ..and it is really frustrating!! Please suggest a fix for this bug .. Thank you..
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Mouse arrow pointer disintegration !! Please help...
- Thread starter zaidulon
- Start date
I saw the same thing on a website. They said it could be one of 2 things.
Your keyboard or mouse or port card is dying,
or
The keyboard programming was switched to "international".
This happened when a graphics program was installed.
Your keyboard or mouse or port card is dying,
or
The keyboard programming was switched to "international".
This happened when a graphics program was installed.
Hello, zaidulon.
No help if it is a hardware problem. Software driver problem often reported related to Creative SB16, USB devices, etc that you may have to fetch latest patch.
Apart from those, 1"x1" is big! I would certainly do a virus scan to begin with.
Second, run msconfig and uncheck the taskmon if it is checked see if it corrects the problem. If yes, then it may be advisable to delete Applog hidden directory in Dos and re-allow taskmon at startup to let windows rebuild it if needed.
Again, cannot be very sure on this matter.
regards - tsuji
No help if it is a hardware problem. Software driver problem often reported related to Creative SB16, USB devices, etc that you may have to fetch latest patch.
Apart from those, 1"x1" is big! I would certainly do a virus scan to begin with.
Second, run msconfig and uncheck the taskmon if it is checked see if it corrects the problem. If yes, then it may be advisable to delete Applog hidden directory in Dos and re-allow taskmon at startup to let windows rebuild it if needed.
Again, cannot be very sure on this matter.
regards - tsuji
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks Tsuji, reghakr and donnadee for your kind opinions and instructions which I carried out right away. Here are the results :
1) There is no virus at all in my system . I have McAfee VirusScan v5.21 installed with up-to-date virus files ( downloaded and dutifully installed weekly !). I did run a complete scan on all diskdrives after reading your responses and no virus found ...
2) Got on to Control Panel and checked out "Mouse" and "Keyboard" : nothing unusual here !
3) Followed Tsuji's instructions to the letter : unchecked "task monitor" option, backuped folder "Applog" then restarted system. Checked "task monitor" option and let Windows rebuild "Applog" .
4) What is this "Comet cursor " ? Master reghakr, please elaborate .In my case, it is a square , about 1 inch max., containing colorful , static tiny dots... When I moved this cursor around, there was no entrailings to be called "Comet" at all. During this time, the system froze !!
The irony is I cannot predict nor initiate the disintegration of the mouse pointer ! When it did occur, I had to restart the PC and everything would be back to normal again until the next occurance ! The interval seemed random : it could be a few hours or a few days !!
I would welcome any further suggestions on this problem...Thanks...
1) There is no virus at all in my system . I have McAfee VirusScan v5.21 installed with up-to-date virus files ( downloaded and dutifully installed weekly !). I did run a complete scan on all diskdrives after reading your responses and no virus found ...
2) Got on to Control Panel and checked out "Mouse" and "Keyboard" : nothing unusual here !
3) Followed Tsuji's instructions to the letter : unchecked "task monitor" option, backuped folder "Applog" then restarted system. Checked "task monitor" option and let Windows rebuild "Applog" .
4) What is this "Comet cursor " ? Master reghakr, please elaborate .In my case, it is a square , about 1 inch max., containing colorful , static tiny dots... When I moved this cursor around, there was no entrailings to be called "Comet" at all. During this time, the system froze !!
The irony is I cannot predict nor initiate the disintegration of the mouse pointer ! When it did occur, I had to restart the PC and everything would be back to normal again until the next occurance ! The interval seemed random : it could be a few hours or a few days !!
I would welcome any further suggestions on this problem...Thanks...
zaidulon,
How about just selecting the cursor in the Mouse properties in Control Panel and click the Use Default button.
Do you use Desktop Themes? I don't but believe they're located in Control Panel also.
Comet Cursor is the scourge of the Internet. If your security settings are changed, it can automatically instaall itself on your computer without your knowledge.
It's very similar to what you are descibing. Do a search and you'll find thing like "How did it hget on my computer"
Go to Start>Settings>>ControlPanel>Add/Remove Programs and see if it's listed in the list. It may be there twice.
Also, open Internet Explorer, go to Tools>Internet Options, click the Settings button, then the View Objects button and see if comet Cursor is listed here. If so, right-click on it and click the Remove entry.
From a ZDNet new story:
Software privacy flap lets users remove tracking number
10:52 Wednesday 1st December 1999
Reuters
Cursor deletes customer's unique serial number
A company that offers free software to change an Internet browser's computer cursor into cartoon characters promised Tuesday to let people delete a serial number the company was using to track customers across the Internet.
Responding to an outcry over the privacy implications of its software, Comet Systems also said it will seek certification from TRUSTe , an organisation that monitors whether Web sites are following the privacy promises they make to consumers.
New York-based Comet Systems acknowledged Monday that its cursor software -- used by more than 16 million people -- reports back to its own computers with each customer's unique serial number each time that person visits any of 60,000 Web sites that support its technology.
Those sites include dozens aimed at young children, such as those for the Dilbert and Peanuts characters of United Feature Syndicate, the Ty Web site for Beanie Babies, the Garfield comic strip page and sites for children's movies like "The Iron Giant" from Warner Brothers.
Comet said it never violated customers' privacy because it does not attempt to match its serial numbers against anyone's real-world identity. But it said Tuesday it will allow customers to delete those numbers, anyway, although the numbers helped Comet keep an accurate census of its customers for marketing and billing purposes. Some Web sites pay Comet based on the number of visitors using the cursor-changing technology.
Customers will be able to download a program starting Wednesday from Comet's Web site, at , to replace their serial number with a meaningless number that isn't unique.
"If that's what we need to do to appease users, we'll do that," spokesman Ben Austin said. He compared the company's online tracking to counting cars on a highway.
"It's easier if every car is a different colour; if you let people make their car grey it makes it a little harder," Austin said. "I emphasise we were looking at cars and not licence plates -- we've never got any identifiable user information."
Critics said earlier that the company should have more openly disclosed the behind-the-scenes transmissions, which are made without warning. They also said it would not be difficult given today's technology to begin correlating the Comet serial number with a consumer's identity if the company suddenly decided to or if Comet -- with its extensive tracking database -- were purchased by new owners willing to do that.
Internet discussion groups were filled Tuesday with messages from angry people who believed the cursor software did or could violate their privacy.
In a statement published on the company's Web site, Comet President Jamie Rosen said the company was "quite surprised" at the privacy questions because the software doesn't ask for a customer's name, email address or other personal information.
"We deeply regret that this has caused concern among our users and we pledge to be a leader in the area of online privacy in the future," he said.
Does it sound like this stuff upsets me, YES, it does
reghakr
How about just selecting the cursor in the Mouse properties in Control Panel and click the Use Default button.
Do you use Desktop Themes? I don't but believe they're located in Control Panel also.
Comet Cursor is the scourge of the Internet. If your security settings are changed, it can automatically instaall itself on your computer without your knowledge.
It's very similar to what you are descibing. Do a search and you'll find thing like "How did it hget on my computer"
Go to Start>Settings>>ControlPanel>Add/Remove Programs and see if it's listed in the list. It may be there twice.
Also, open Internet Explorer, go to Tools>Internet Options, click the Settings button, then the View Objects button and see if comet Cursor is listed here. If so, right-click on it and click the Remove entry.
From a ZDNet new story:
Software privacy flap lets users remove tracking number
10:52 Wednesday 1st December 1999
Reuters
Cursor deletes customer's unique serial number
A company that offers free software to change an Internet browser's computer cursor into cartoon characters promised Tuesday to let people delete a serial number the company was using to track customers across the Internet.
Responding to an outcry over the privacy implications of its software, Comet Systems also said it will seek certification from TRUSTe , an organisation that monitors whether Web sites are following the privacy promises they make to consumers.
New York-based Comet Systems acknowledged Monday that its cursor software -- used by more than 16 million people -- reports back to its own computers with each customer's unique serial number each time that person visits any of 60,000 Web sites that support its technology.
Those sites include dozens aimed at young children, such as those for the Dilbert and Peanuts characters of United Feature Syndicate, the Ty Web site for Beanie Babies, the Garfield comic strip page and sites for children's movies like "The Iron Giant" from Warner Brothers.
Comet said it never violated customers' privacy because it does not attempt to match its serial numbers against anyone's real-world identity. But it said Tuesday it will allow customers to delete those numbers, anyway, although the numbers helped Comet keep an accurate census of its customers for marketing and billing purposes. Some Web sites pay Comet based on the number of visitors using the cursor-changing technology.
Customers will be able to download a program starting Wednesday from Comet's Web site, at , to replace their serial number with a meaningless number that isn't unique.
"If that's what we need to do to appease users, we'll do that," spokesman Ben Austin said. He compared the company's online tracking to counting cars on a highway.
"It's easier if every car is a different colour; if you let people make their car grey it makes it a little harder," Austin said. "I emphasise we were looking at cars and not licence plates -- we've never got any identifiable user information."
Critics said earlier that the company should have more openly disclosed the behind-the-scenes transmissions, which are made without warning. They also said it would not be difficult given today's technology to begin correlating the Comet serial number with a consumer's identity if the company suddenly decided to or if Comet -- with its extensive tracking database -- were purchased by new owners willing to do that.
Internet discussion groups were filled Tuesday with messages from angry people who believed the cursor software did or could violate their privacy.
In a statement published on the company's Web site, Comet President Jamie Rosen said the company was "quite surprised" at the privacy questions because the software doesn't ask for a customer's name, email address or other personal information.
"We deeply regret that this has caused concern among our users and we pledge to be a leader in the area of online privacy in the future," he said.
Does it sound like this stuff upsets me, YES, it does
reghakr
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks ,reghakr, for your detailed elaboration. Basically , this "Comet Cursor" does not eatup files or causes damages to hard drives. It is a nuisance no less! I followed your instruction. Let's hope for the best. I'll keep you posted of any further occurence.
Thanks again , reghakr , for help.
Thanks again , reghakr , for help.
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