My mouse regularly jumps across the screen. Bad power?

Hello at my work in two of our three new audio post rooms we have this problem. Mouse is via tie lines to Adder brand KVM switch boxes in our machine room across the hall. It is driving me mad, mouse buttons click by themselves all over the frickin' shop. My boss has been saying he'll sort it but hasn't, maybe because he occupies the room that is unaffected! Maybe because its very expensive? He is vague - so maybe it can't be fixed and he doesn't know how to break it to me.

Please help me to understand the problem so i have the know-how to hassle him about it (or help solve it). We've got quite a bit of mains hum too and are close to a large old buildings central electrical box thingy's, i think these have something to do with the problem. Has anyone had this problem? What's the procedure for dealing with it?

I have got to the point where i am uncontrollably swearing (bizare combinations of fav words usually) each time it happens. Aaargh!

Much appreciated in advance.

Quit shocking the poor thing and maybe it will stop. :?

As for power quality and conditioning you can sort that out by using an AVR (line interactive) UPS on the offending computers.

As far as your mouse problem goes, it is probably a fault with the mouse. If no that, it is a faulty extension cable or a faulty KVM unit.

You can at least verify where the problem occurs by connecting the mouse directly to the KVM box, and directly to the computer to isolate at which stage the problem is happening.

If it happens without the KVM and extension cable both, the problem is the mouse.

Shane

> We've got quite a bit of mains hum too

That would make the audio unusable LONG before it upset the mice.

Bad mouse is the first guess. Or a flock of bad mice: I had three very nice mice, I ordered six more, all six were crappy. Go steal the known-good mouse from the boss's room.

Also, next time he's away for the day, steal his KVM cable and try it in your room.

Bad KVM is possible. You can buy mouse extension cords. Run the mouse direct across the hall to the PC, bypassing the KVM. Yes, you can't switch and you will trip the staff in the hall, but if it is as bad as you say the difference will (or won't) be immediately obvious.

I've seen Windows video-drivers and other software crap-up the mouse action.

Also: disconnect a wire on Boss's speakers. When he goes to work in his room, he may notice a dead speaker. If he does, he will throw you out of your room to get his more-important project done, and order you to fix his room. Start by "checking every connection" (except the one you loosened), then go get tools and meters and work some more. Scratch your head. Ask coworkers to help (they have to be in on the ploy so they "don't find" the loose wire). Make a real job of it. Meanwhile he's using your mouse and cursing it. With a lot of luck, he will fix your mouse and you will then fix his speaker.

Speaking of bosses, I once had a boss that knew nothing about electronics. It bothered him to no end that he couldn't tell if I was working or not. Once in a state of higher existence, I was studying a schematic while troubleshooting, and the boss came around the corner and told me to get to work. Being disrupted and disturbed, I told him he wouldn't know the difference if I was F'in the dog or working; I could look busy all day while goofing off if this made would make him happy.

Don't do this yourself if you want to keep your job.

Ta very much y'all. Think its time to start hassling!