pc won't recognize mouse

[joetechauto]

don't laugh at this problem this is a third pc that i keep in my garage for my motor manuals. I recently moved all the pc components to paint and now when i boot up the pc won't see the mouse i get a windows message that no mouse is installed. keep in mind this pc is very old to a point where the mouse takes an adapter from a serial port to a ps2 (not sure if thats the right terminology) ive tried another mouse and no luck can yous help

[Nick Grana]

Try checking the bios (cmos setup) and make sure com1 and com2 are enabled. If they are enabled, then the serial port may be faulty. I made loopback plugs for them to test long ago but I don't think you really want to go that route.

[Miz]

See if it'll boot into Safe Mode* and recognize the mouse there. If so, go into Device Manager and remove the mouse listed there. If there's more than one entry, remove them all.

Then reboot as usual into normal mode and see if Windows sorts things out and recognizes the mouse.

Also check the mouse's plug to make sure none of the pins are bent. If you find bent pins, they can be straightened out (gently) with needle nose pliers.

*To boot into Safe Mode, as soon as the computer begins booting up, start repeatedly pressing and releasing the F8 key. If it starts beeping at you, you can stop pressing the F8 key. That will get you to the boot menu where you can choose Safe Mode.

[winsong]

Check your BIOS - make sure the date/time is correct

If not, your CMOS 'button' battery needs replacing

If they are, check the BIOS and make sure the PS2 ports are enabled