# Solved: wireless mouse & keyboard freeze up



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

I have a wireless keyboard and mouse combo (Logitech LX310), which I've been using for roughly a year. In the last week or so, the combo started freezing up at random times, without any apparent rhyme or reason. 

Usually, they will both freeze up within 20 minutes or so of a boot; sometimes they will go for hours without freezing. There is no correlation to apps open, since it will happen when nothing is open. Most of the time, there is no notice that they are going to freeze. Some times, though, I will get a "2 minute warning" because either (a) a key "sticks" for one or two seconds, giving me a line or so of the same letter, (b) the mouse "skips" instead of slides across the screen, or (c) I hear the sound of a USB device connecting and then disconnecting. Curiously, the keyboard and mouse don't always freeze up exactly at the same time, though usually they do.

Other USB devices are not having any issues except the one other USB composite device I have (a MS webcam). I'm not really sure if it's having issues because I seldom use it. I don't know if it's freezing up too, but I have noticed that, since the keyboard and mouse problem started, it does not always function on the first boot.

Here's what I've done to try to remedy the problem:

1. updated the Logitech driver and software
2. tried to update the USB composite device driver (which is 51.2600.5512, and windows says there are no updates, though it's a 2001 driver)
3. connect the k&m adapter to a different USB port
4. replace the batteries in both the k&m, and reset both
5. checked Device Manager for exclamation marks and question marks (none)
6. checked Event Viewer for "Error" messages (none) 
7. run my virus app and every malware app I have (everything clean)
8. checked the dates for newly installed apps (no new installs anywhere near the time the problem started)

Here's what I have not done:
9. uninstall the USB composite driver, which I have not done because I'm not sure how that might impact other USB devices
10. uninstall the (now newer) Logitech driver

Right now, I'm using an old PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse, but I really liked the wireless set. Any recommendations? (And is there a newer USB composite device driver that's compatible with XP3?)

Any and all advice welcome. Thanks!


----------



## rmrh (Nov 4, 2008)

Can you borrow another wireless combo to test out. That will rule out the hardware. It is possible on the keyboard or mouse a chip is failing.
What Virus/Spyware programs did you run to test your computer?


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

Unfortunately, I don't have another set available to test, but I'm trying something along those lines: I've connected the combo to a laptop and will see if it locks up at some point during the day. (Let me know if this approach won't work.) It's been working fine for about an hour now, long past the amount of time it usually takes to freeze on my desktop. 

The virus/malware apps I've run are: AVG, AVG Antispyware, Spybot S&D, Adaware, a-Squared, Spyware Terminator, and Superantispyware. I've also run diagnostic tools and registry cleaners in Advanced Systemcare and CCleaner, but neither identified or fixed the problem.


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

You used the magic words:


> I've also run diagnostic tools and registry cleaners in Advanced Systemcare and CCleaner


Not much help we can provide now!
Let us know if you have the same problem on laptop, I bet not!


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

Rich-M said:


> You used the magic words:
> 
> Not much help we can provide now!
> Let us know if you have the same problem on laptop, I bet not!


You called that right, Rich-M! It's been a couple of hours now with the laptop, and no freezing. I'm thinking it's not the easy answer of a hardware failure. 

Is it possible that the driver somehow got corrupted? If that could be the explanation (and warn me if it's not!), then

1. Would windows install a clean copy of the driver on reboot if I uninstall it? What's the safest way to do that? (I've flushed drivers before, but don't remember the steps.)

2. Which driver is the more likely culprit? The Logitech driver (new or not) or a the composite device driver? 
a. If the Logitech driver, would windows install a generic driver on reboot?
b. If the USB composite device driver, would uninstall endanger the functioning of anything else on reboot? (Don't want to make things worse!) Also, would a new driver help (though I haven't found one yet)?


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

I don't think it's a driver issue at all. Once "we monkey" with a reg cleaner, usually the only solution is reformat and install clean. I have never seen a registry successfully repaired any other way unless you made a backup of it before allowing the destruction ( I mean reg cleaner) to run. XP Repair used to repair many registry issues. Lately is has been "hosing" the entire system so I never use it anymore.


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

Rats. To make sure I understand correctly, see if there's a registry backup for before the problem started and restore that?


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

leneal said:


> Rats. To make sure I understand correctly, see if there's a registry backup for before the problem started and restore that?


Yes I mean many Registry programs make backups before they do their damage, but many don't do it by default and I haven't used CCleaner since it hosed two of my systems a few years ago so I don't remember how it does that.


----------



## rmrh (Nov 4, 2008)

I haven't had any problems yet with CCleaner. I would still do a scan with Spyware Doctor. It has picked up things others haven't.


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

I checked and can't find any registry backups.

I really don't want to throw in the towel on this yet. Is there anything else I can try?


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

Anything else I can try?


----------



## ian2adam2 (Oct 24, 2007)

I'm with Rich-M on this one I was not able to get my wireless combo working until a reinstall of windows..Nothing else worked ...Messing with the registry without a backup will always get you in the end.


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

I understand what you are saying, but to clarify, the issue began _before_ I used a registry cleaner. This was not a problem caused by a modification to the registry, so I'm hoping the solution lies elsewhere.

Short of reinstalling windows, is there any other angle I might try?


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

leneal said:


> I understand what you are saying, but to clarify, the issue began _before_ I used a registry cleaner. This was not a problem caused by a modification to the registry, so I'm hoping the solution lies elsewhere.
> 
> Short of reinstalling windows, is there any other angle I might try?


That could well be true but once you use a reg cleaner, that damage usually cannot be done without a reformat and you know we often spend so much time trying to avoid reformat, more time than it would take to do it and the system is always better for many reasons other than the issues that cause you to reformat anyway.

There are many makers that offer free and paid image file backup and many places to store such things. Those who choose not to do that, need to now and then reformat and reinstall Windows, and that is something that is only learnwed when it has to happen.

For almost 10 years I have made image files bi-weekly and file and data backups hourly so I have never had to reformat when such problems occur, but if I didn't it would be back to the once a month reformat I did with Windows 98 that caused me to learn my lesson. One you haven't yet learned.


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

I've never encountered any registry-related issues before, so I appreciate the advice and the education. (But you needn't have shot me down in the last line. I _am_ listening!)


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

leneal said:


> I've never encountered any registry-related issues before, so I appreciate the advice and the education. (But you needn't have shot me down in the last line. I _am_ listening!)


Sorry you took that personally, and I can see why, but it was not meant that way!


----------



## leneal (Oct 3, 2004)

Gotcha; I misunderstood. Thanks for letting me know!

I'm going to follow your advice about registry backups. In the meantime, I'm going to brush up on reinstalling windows. 

Thanks for the guidance!


----------



## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

My pleasure, we are here to help!


----------

