Stupid Vista

vista has made a monkey out of many a man/woman.

It os a horrible waste of money. wipe it, get the drivers from the laptop maker and install a copy of Win Xp, this is legal as MSFT has been forced into it...

As aurizon said ditch the Vista and install Windows XP preferably Pro rather than Home.

I recently purchased a new laptop and one of the specifications on the mandatory feature list was a downgrade to Windows XP Pro. Most of the larger stores thought this was strange but when I checked with the local specialist computer suppliers thy stated that they wouldn't sell a computer that had Vista installed. It's bloated, unreliable, slows the machine down and the only plus I can find is that it can address 4 GB rather than 2 GB of RAM. However, if you don't go to Vista then you don't need the extra 2 GB of RAM so it seems to be an upgrade for the sake of an upgrade.

The problem does not sound like Mohave Project (AKA Vista ;)), it sound like one of two things.

First: Have you calibrated the touch-pad on your laptop?

There should be some software like ALPS pointing device or whatever pointing device or pad software in the control panel. Go into the software and find the pad calibration software.

Classic view may be easier to navigate the control panel for all you XP fans.

Second: Do you have 'snap to' box checked in your mouse cursor settings . Also found in control panel classic view under mouse settings.

Hope this helps.

I agree with Self Thinker as a needed calibration of the mouse for some reason. I have been running Vista Business for months now and have not had any problems with it. I run common software applications as well as several higher end CAD applications without any problems. It handles the 3D controller, mouse pad and USB mouse. I had no trouble installing Suse Linux and running it as a dual boot laptop too. When I bought the laptop it already had used 40GB of HD and I didn't even have any application installed yet. I believe this was due to the manufacture or Big Box store installing both XP and Vista on the computer for backwards compatibility. That was not acceptable for me so I wiped out the HD and re-installed Vista without the XP, installed all of my Windows OS based applications. Runs great. Then I installed the Linux. I read many of the "OH NOs" about Vista but just have not had the issues with what I am running.
I'd say go through the calibration process and if you problem still persists, I think you would need to return the laptop to where you purchased it and have them check the mouse pad (if that is what you are using) for defects. It could be that you have a quality issue with the mouse and/or mouse pad and not Vista.

I must be really old. I remember when we changed from DOS to windows 3.1. We were surrounded by computer "experts" that spent all day whining about windows and how it was going to ruin the PC industry. I finally figured out that what it ruined was their position as computer elitist that could remember 10,000 obscure DOS commands...

What's your point? -- JHF

Not this little computer engineer.

Vista OS is a disapointment to almost all big time computer users, I bought a new laptop, then installed vista OS (home basic) on it, before I knew more than 30GB of the Hard disk was used up by unknown items out of which 10GB remained untraceable, windows folder alone was about 14GB, the whole system was slowed down, any application I clicked to open must be delayed and tell me not responding at first instance. I advice you to just flush the Vista off your system and install Windows XP cos my own problem remained unsolved but forced to be using my old system.

Hello abdul4me,

Did you use the Vista upgrade wizard before installing to identify any clusters that be need clearing first?

Vista has been wonderful for me except the machines designed for XP which I enthusiastically upgraded due impressive use on the new machine. The XP machines needed upgrades to graphics and memory even though the former was within the adequate category in the 'vista upgrade wizard lists'.

But after boosting ram and upgrading graphics capability all is'SANO' again.

Hello MACA,

You can change the type cursor and add/or remove cursor shadows in 'folder options. And you may change other mouse properties in control panel under / mouse or (HID) human interface devices.

If this is occurring when online the error is at the server level, usually the page was not or is still in development; not uncommon when accessing .pdf files online.

This could be an oversimplification, but I'm given to understand that Windows, including version 6, and any other operating system doesn't put the the mouse pointer anywhere...as the keyboard and mouse drivers are loaded, of necessity, before the operating system.

If you are using the touch pad, it might be that you're merely encountering problems using the pad. It is not that unusual for (what shall I call it?)...extraneous signals at the touch pad to cause the pointer to jump around a bit. For this reason, many people prefer to connect a mouse and forgo use of the touch pad.

If you are tapping the touch pad to click or double click, then you could be inadvertently moving the pointer when you lift your finger after landing on the "Minimize" button...thereby moving the pointer (quick as a wink) in the instant before you tap. One way to minimize this, other than being more careful and deliberate, would be to use the "mouse" buttons adjacent to the pad...making sure your finger is off the pad, after landing the pointer on the button, until you click.

Another possibility...observe that, when moving the pointer towards the Minimize button, you would also be moving your finger towards the right edge of the touch pad. Now, many touch pads also have scroll areas at their right-hand and bottom margins; these would be indicated by markings on the pad that are similar in appearance to scroll bars on the screen in an open application. (And they function the same way...by lifting finger, touching the scroll bar (or scroll bar end markings) and then dragging the finger along the bar (or tapping the bar or its end points just like on the screen with a mouse). So it could be that in attempting to "reach" the (onscreen) minimize button, you are somehow entering over the touch pad's vertical scroll bar with your finger...so that when you lift finger to tap, you are actually tapping the scroll bar. Or you could be inadvertently touching the touch pad horizontal scroll bar with your thumb or a finger on your left hand...which could explain the pointer's movement from Minimize, rightward over to Close on the screen.

Hope this helps.

Looks like an Alps pad on a Dell?

hello everyone,

i have windows xp home edition. i am very happy with it. i also had similar problems. talked to my guru. solution was as mentioned by others to go into "touch pad" properties, and unclick the click function of the pad. therefore only a "real" left click on the button will "click", not transient touches on the pad. now may pad only controls movement of the pointer and no longer jumps around. before, just moving the pointer over a button, was enough to accuate the button, weather i wanted it to or not. that is gone now. so, i am a happy dinosaur. still barely able to use my computer, but very happy that it works the way i want it to.

Sometimes the laptop maker will incorporate a sensitivity control for the touch pad adjustable to the users touch

yes i understand, i have nothing against my touchpad being sensitive, i just do not want it to "click" at all. so, remove that function, then all is well with the world. now, when i move my finger around, i don't go to strange places in cyber world.

This isn't that relevant but I use a trackball rather than a mouse or touch-pad on my notebook computer.

It depends on how often you use your system and need to transport it but it's not really that difficult to throw a trackball into the bag when you pack up your notebook and its power supply.

My setup consists of notebook at the core with USB hubs for most of the peripherals like keyboard, trackball, external backup disk drive, and a whole host of other bits and pieces as well as a 56 cm screen.

For a quick pack up it's just a matter of pulling 4 connectors out and you're away. For a full pack up all you need to do extra is pack up the trackball and power supply and you're good to go.

Personally I don't understand why more people don't ditch the mouse and go for a trackball. It's just as easy to learn how to use as a mouse and doesn't require the space to fit in a mouse pad.

Trackballs are also more ergonomically correct. With a mouse you end up twisting your wrist a lot and as a result the tendons in you fingers are operating through and angle rather than straight through which dramatically increases the force required to perform a task.

Try this little experiment and you will see what I am talking about.

With your right wrist held straight so that it is in line with your forearm check out the force your first finger can apply to the thumb of your left hand. Now do the same thing except with the wrist of your right hand twisted at various angles so that it is no longer in line with your forearm. You will be surprised how much more effort is required when your wrist is bent.

You have a similar problem when using standard keyboards because the keys are arranged in straight lines and that means you must have your wrists bent to line your fingers up with the keys. Ergonomic keyboards have the keys arranged so that you can keep your wrists straight and therefore dramatically reduces the force and tension on the tendons when typing.

It may sound a little lame and it depends on how much time you spend typing and using a pointer, but by using the standard mouse and keyboards you run the risk of causing repetitive strain injuries. An ergonomic keyboard and track ball is not a guaranteed protection but it will certainly help and for those that already have repetitive strain injuries it will reduce the pain and limit further damage.

So you like to rub a dead mouse's tummy?

Trackballs came first, and were used on all early computers. The mouse came along and took over, so it does have some intrinsic advantage...cheaper at the OEM level? I doubt it, as they are so similar, save that the trackball is usually larger than the mouseball.

I think it is a case of 'you go home from the dance with the girl you came with', or social inertia. Look at the clear advantages of the Dvorak keyboard, yet it has failed to make any significant inroads..

I like the idea of the marble mouse...can be used as mouse or as trackball. But...don't see them around much any more. Although the trackball alleviates the need for a pad, seems its disadvantage is having to stroke and stroke, or use palm, to move pointer all the way across screen. Fully accelerated, mouse or touch pad moves the pointer around pretty well and pretty accurately.

Ergonomically, seems the trackball would win out over mouse and touch pad. Thinking it would alleviate Mouse strain, I was surprised to find how much stress a touch pad can impose on the wrist.

I use a Logitech Trackman as shown in the image on the right.

You can position the pointer, scroll, and do all the other things that you can with a mouse without taking your hand off the trackman. Yes they are more expensive than a mouse but an absolute must form me as any movement can be a major problem and minimising any sort of joint strain is an absolute must.

I also use a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard for the same reasons. They take some getting used to but are well worth the extra expense if you are going to be doing any sort of serious keyboard input. It also helps to learn how to type properly.

Not many people realize it but the QWERTY keyboard layout was specifically designed to be non-ergonomic. When the first mechanical typewriters started to become relatively common the mechanical mechanism wasn't capable of keeping up with the more experienced typists and would often jam. Rather than redesign the mechanical works of the system so that it could keep up they instead deliberately moved the characters to introduce as much delay as possible between keystrokes. Unfortunately it's like so many standards, the need is no longer there but we are still stuck with the slowest possible keyboard layout you can achieve.

I was astonished at the difference these two devices had. They are absolutely worth the extra expense and I would recomend them to everybody.

i agree. in fact i use the same mouse myself. but i still had to go into "touchpad" and disable the click function. the only other alternative was to keep a piece of cardboard over the touchpad.

I have heard that from computer professionals I like XP.