Can SW for two pointing devices be simultaneously installed?

[John Herbster]

Is it possible to have XP Pro on a notebook PC set up so that if an external
mouse is connected, it will override the internal touch pad; but yet allow
use of the touch pad, if there is no external mouse?
(I tried installing the SW for an MS optical wheel mouse, up to the point
where it said that it would have to *un-install* the previously installed
mouse in order to continue.)
TIA, JohnH

[Bill Martin]

> Is it possible to have XP Pro on a notebook PC set up so that if an
external
> mouse is connected, it will override the internal touch pad; but yet allow
> use of the touch pad, if there is no external mouse?
> (I tried installing the SW for an MS optical wheel mouse, up to the point
> where it said that it would have to *un-install* the previously installed
> mouse in order to continue.)
> TIA, JohnH

On my XP-Home machine (desktop) I have two different mice, both active and
both coexisting happily. I had the same setup under Win98 on a laptop with a
touch pad and a mouse. Do you really need to kill the touch pad or would you
be happy with both the touch pad and the mouse active when it's plugged in?

With mine, a normal mouse was connected through the mouse port. The second
one is simply plugged into a USB port and did not demand the first one be
removed first.

Good luck....

Bill

[Bill Martin]

> Is it possible to have XP Pro on a notebook PC set up so that if an
external
> mouse is connected, it will override the internal touch pad; but yet allow
> use of the touch pad, if there is no external mouse?
> (I tried installing the SW for an MS optical wheel mouse, up to the point
> where it said that it would have to *un-install* the previously installed
> mouse in order to continue.)
> TIA, JohnH

On my XP-Home machine (desktop) I have two different mice, both active and
both coexisting happily. I had the same setup under Win98 on a laptop with a
touch pad and a mouse. Do you really need to kill the touch pad or would you
be happy with both the touch pad and the mouse active when it's plugged in?

With mine, a normal mouse was connected through the mouse port. The second
one is simply plugged into a USB port and did not demand the first one be
removed first.

Good luck....

Bill

[John Herbster]

"Bill Martin" > wrote
> On my XP-Home machine (desktop) I have two different mice,
> both active and both coexisting happily. ...

Bill, Thanks for reply. As it turns out, there is *no* problem. I tried
plugging the MS USB mouse in and it worked (even the wheel) w/o any
installation of SW. It was only the software installer that was a problem
when it threatened to remove the touch pad drivers if I continued.
Thanks, John

[John Herbster]

"Bill Martin" > wrote
> On my XP-Home machine (desktop) I have two different mice,
> both active and both coexisting happily. ...

Bill, Thanks for reply. As it turns out, there is *no* problem. I tried
plugging the MS USB mouse in and it worked (even the wheel) w/o any
installation of SW. It was only the software installer that was a problem
when it threatened to remove the touch pad drivers if I continued.
Thanks, John