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New old stock IBM PS2 mouse sticks when moving slow.

R

Red_Donkey

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Nov 22, 2019
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Just got a brand new old stock IBM PS2 mouse. It was shrinkwrapped, never openend. Out of the box it feels sticky. Mostly on vertical axis.

The stickiness seems to have nothing to do with the ball itself. When removing the ball, and running the rotating cylinders with my fingers, the arrow moves when I turn the cylinders fast, but if I slow down, the move doesnt register and the cursor stands still. This is why it's hard to to precise slow moving moves with my mouse.

Clearly something has gotten old inside the mouse somewhere. Should I open it and clean something? Or was this how they where made back in the days, and I've just gotten used to much better mouses of today?

Here's a picture of the mouse model:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/IBM_PS2_hiiri.jpg
 
Ahhhh... the old Wedge Mouse. I've had one for ~ thirty years. It tends to move as you described in certain programs. It didn't seem to work to well in anything beyond a 486. I think it was made for the 5170.
 
Certain programs, you say? I was trying it in the game Future Wars. I´ll see what happens in some other game.

Researching a bit on mechaincal mouses, there seemed to be optical sensors and mechanical sensors. Could be, that this mouse has mechanical sensors, that have old gunk or old grease on them, making the contacts not work correctly?

But I´m not technically inclined, so I don't know if I should dare to open it up.
 
IBM PS2 model 30 (Kingston 386sx NOW! upgraded).

I did open it up. But the rotaries are enclosed somehow in a each owns black casing.

And it's definently a problem with the mouse, as the other axis is fine.
 
I've had an original PS/2 wedge mouse for over three decades now. The problems I've noted relate more to the build-up of gunk on the rollers. Ensure they (especially the middle) and the ball surface are clean, and then spray a little WD40 at the roller ends (keep the middle dry and clean) to try to wash-out or free up the rollers' action.

The PS/2 mouse differs from the MS mouse in that it does not have the "start bit" set in the first packet, so unplugging and replugging it (or plugging-in after power-on) will cause loss of synchronisation. Rolling back and forth and from side to side, or in circles, should eventually get it back in sync.
 
But this mouse is brand new. From shrinkwrap. No gunk on ball or rotaries.

I've taken it apart and can even see the rotary encoder mechanism. Cannot pry it totally apart though. But I am able to spray something in there, if that would help.

I´m thinking as this mouse hasn't ever been used, the contacts in the rotary encoders maybe have gotten "stuck" at a certain position, while in storage. So maybe I need to spray some contact spray or something in there. Don't have any spray now. But is it a bad idea to spray a little bit of contact spray onto areas, where there is also plastics?
 
I'm no chemist, but plastic deteriorates over decades, becoming brittle or even disintegrating. It's not down to use, just age. Something evaporates over time. Again, not being a chemist I cannot comment on the effects of the chemicals in electrical contact cleaner spray. Masking off areas to minimise overspray would be advisable.
 
Just figured out, that it has nothing to do with the mouse itself. Tried with another newer Dell mouse, and it is exactly the same. So probably something to do with the driver. I´m using a DOS included driver (mouse.sys) from Logitech?

But maybe this is just the way it's supposed to be on these old PS2 :)
 
The original PS/2 mouse had a jumpy control mechanism even when brand new. The mouse could move a noticeable distance before the driver would recognize that movement. Other mice are better mice.

Edit: Since you are using the Logitech driver, try downloading one of the later Logitech drivers. I think they still have up to 8.5 supporting DOS PS/2 mice available. Won't help much with the original IBM mouse but setting it to a higher resolution would smooth out some of the jumps if using a later mouse.
 
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When config.sys sets: "device=c:>dos>mouse.sys", it shows a logitech driver at startup.

I haven't installed any logitech mouse driver since I got the computer. Only went from IBM DOS to MS DOS 6.22.

So I just thought that MS DOS has a somekind of Logitech standard mouse driver?
 
Red_Donkey said:
When config.sys sets: "device=c:>dos>mouse.sys", it shows a logitech driver at startup.

I haven't installed any logitech mouse driver since I got the computer. Only went from IBM DOS to MS DOS 6.22.

So I just thought that MS DOS has a somekind of Logitech standard mouse driver?
Click to expand...
Sorry, but I have no idea what's going on there.
 
I expect the OP will try the MS, Logitech, and CuteMouse drivers to see which one works best for the specific system and mouse.

The MS-DOS 6.22 packing list shows no mouse drivers included. PC-DOS 6 includes MOUSE.COM but not MOUSE.SYS. Someone enhanced the DOS with Logitech drivers.
 
Ok. I was just searching the DOS directory for mouse.sys or mouse.com and only found the .sys. I thought it came with DOS 6.22, as I upgraded from IBM DOS to MS DOS when I got this computer couple of weeks back. Maybe this mouse.sys was a "leftover" from the old installation of IBM DOS (or whoever messed with it back in the days).

I´m not in the same house as the computer, but will check it again tomorrow, when I´m back there. Will try and download an IBM mouse driver, see if anything changes.
 
Red_Donkey said:
Just figured out, that it has nothing to do with the mouse itself. Tried with another newer Dell mouse, and it is exactly the same. So probably something to do with the driver. I´m using a DOS included driver (mouse.sys) from Logitech?

But maybe this is just the way it's supposed to be on these old PS2 :)
Click to expand...

I'd suggest using the IBM MOUSE.COM then, as that's designed for the PS/2 mice.
 
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