[Land-speed] Off Topic... Laptop Issue, my data logger..

drmayf drmayf at mayfco.com
Sat Aug 30 18:31:39 MDT 2008


Folks, I use a Panasonic CF-27 Toughbook as my tuner and data logger 
laptop. On the salt during the first run, I did something in the initial 
setup to start the data logging that I had not done before and it pretty 
much killed something.
I started the laptop's data logging program and verified that it was 
logging data. I closed it up and latched it. I have the laptop set up so 
that no action is taken when the screen is closed like this and have 
used it this way many times. I use a bungee cord to hold it secure in 
it's cradle.  This time, I left the mouse connected and slipped it under 
the bungee cord to hold it in place.  That was the wrong thing to do. 
Apparently the bungee "clicked or half clicked" one or both of the  
mouse buttons and held it in that condition. After the run, I went to 
look for data and there was none. But the mouse would not work. I tried 
another mouse and when the laptop boots up and gets to the windows 
screen, if the mouse is touched the cursor goes berserk. The cursor 
flies all over the screen opening menus, programs, shutting them down 
closing things opening things and in general just making a mess. 
Curiously though, if I leave the mouse unplugged, it is a PS2 unit, and 
plug it in after the boot up, it works just fine.  This is pretty 
annoying, lol. I have unloaded the mouse driver and let the computer 
reload it. I have loaded MS Intellipoint 6.1 Mouse program with no 
change in results.  Has anyone experienced anything like this? Any one 
have any other ideas on what might be wrong? Or how to repair?  While I 
don't know exactly how it works, I suspect the interrupt handler for the 
mouse is befarkled somehow. The laptop has a touch pad which works 
perfectly fine...  Could a small elecronic component failure do this?  
Alas, I am lost in these matters.. The mouse that was attached was a 
ball type and the current one is a optical..all with the same 
indications. Even tried a USB mouse with a PS2 adapter...same thing. 
Also tried the USB mouse directly with the same results...

Oops, I am using Win XP PRO, SP2.  forgot to add that if it is important.

mayf, anxiousl;y awaiting


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