RS Wood wrote:
I have never used a wireless mouse but I came across these two this morning
in the attic after moving into a rental property.
https://s23.postimg.org/jq6y47ph3/mouse_003.jpg
One is a Logitech mouse and the other is a Microsoft mouse.
https://s23.postimg.org/5l152egfr/mouse_004.jpg
The landlord said to just throw everything away as the stuff in the attic
belonged to the previous tenant, but I have a Windows XP laptop & a Windows
10 desktop that could use a wireless mouse.
I will put new batteries in them but what else would I need to do in order
to get these two mice working in Windows?
One of the mice, might have the receiver shoved into
a storage hole.
If you don't have the receiver, each of the mice probably
uses a different receiver. The Logitech one is probably
a "Unifying" receiver, which works with Logitech mice
and keyboards.
"What is Unifying? Logitech Unifying Receiver
One receiver for many devices" [maybe]
http://www.logitech.com/en-ca/promotions/6072
In the old days, you could probably buy a mouse for $20. You could
check the Logitech mouse, see if it has a part number, see if it
has a logo similar to the logo on this, and so on.
https://www.amazon.ca/Logitech-Unify.../dp/B0058OU8VY
Compatible with: Logitech wireless mouse M505
Marathon Mouse M705
Logitech Mouse M905
Logitech keyboard K340
Logitech keyboard K350
The Microsoft one might be conceptually the same (2.4GHz),
but operate in a different manner. The "Nano Transceiver".
http://web.archive.org/web/201211282...-wireless.html
"I called Microsoft at the number below and they said
that it is not possible to replace the transceiver on
a Mobile Mouse 600, they said it can't be paired with
a new transceiver."
So if the transceiver is still stored in the cubby hole
on the Microsoft mouse, you're all set.
For battery operated devices, you also want to examine
the battery contacts. If the battery leaked and corroded
the contacts, just throw them in the trash. I find that
corroded terminals, can encourage new batteries to leak too.
My track record is maybe 50-50 on cleaning the contacts.
Sometimes working well enough to keep, sometimes not.
*******
The transceiver is generally a USB HID class device,
and should perform basic functions with no software
at all.
If the number of switches on a mouse is greater than
three, you can load the Microsoft software to make the
extra buttons work. I don't know if Logitech made
monster mice with more than three buttons or not. It
might have been the Logitech Trackman that had software.
This would be an example of Microsoft software, for
extra button functions and so on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IntelliPoint
But you should really be using the model numbers
off the bottom of the device, to dig up the
details for each model.
In some cases, you want specific versions of Intellipoint,
if, for example, you want a newer mouse to work with an
older OS like WinXP. The latest package may have dropped
support for the thing you're holding there.
In any case, if you have all the bits and pieces, you
should be able to plug them in and try them. Even without
hitting Google.
The last Microsoft mouse I bought, has five buttons. Left
and right mouse. Clicky Scroll wheel. And two side buttons. The
two side buttons don't do anything - but I'm also too
lazy to load any software, so they'll remain that way.
If I "armed" them, they'd just be a nuisance.
Paul