problem with wired USB mice

[MacBiter]

hi

I recently asked how to reboot with a BT dongle as my Mighty Mouse (wired) had failed - the red light is there but there's no cursor. I bought a cheap USB wired mouse to replace it and the same "?fault" is there - red light underneath but no cursor. This makes me think the issue is not with the mouse(s) but somewhere else. I cannot reboot to see if that cures the problem as the dongle is never recognised at the login screen, and I'd always used the Mighty to get to a user account where I could pair both the Magic Mouse and the Logitech keyboard.

Anyone got any ideas? .

 

[Raz0rEdge]

A USB mouse should always work without any additional setup/support, so it's strange that you don't get a cursor immediately. If you have another computer around, do plug the USB mouse into it to ensure that it is indeed working.

You might also want to try powering down the Mac, plugging in the USB mouse and then powering up to see if it anything changes.

 

[Slydude]

A USB mouse should always work without any additional setup/support, so it's strange that you don't get a cursor immediately. If you have another computer around, do plug the USB mouse into it to ensure that it is indeed working.

You might also want to try powering down the Mac, plugging in the USB mouse and then powering up to see if it anything changes.

Good advice here. There's one thing to add if this doesn't work.
1. Make sure the USB is plugged directly into the computer. Eliminate any USB hubs as potential trouble spot.

2. Once you are sure the USB mouse is working if you still don't get a cursor reboot with the shift key held down. This prevents potentially conflicting extensions from loading.

3. If you finally get logged in try creating a new, "clean" user account and see if the problem persists.

 

[MacBiter]

A USB mouse should always work without any additional setup/support, so it's strange that you don't get a cursor immediately. If you have another computer around, do plug the USB mouse into it to ensure that it is indeed working.

You might also want to try powering down the Mac, plugging in the USB mouse and then powering up to see if it anything changes.

unfortunately, being now quite severely disabled, I can't access the other computer without help - also, if I powered off the Mac and neither mouse was still working, I'd have no way to get back into the Mac, it would be just so much junk.

 

[MacBiter]

Good advice here. There's one thing to add if this doesn't work.
1. Make sure the USB is plugged directly into the computer. Eliminate any USB hubs as potential trouble spot.

2. Once you are sure the USB mouse is working if you still don't get a cursor reboot with the shift key held down. This prevents potentially conflicting extensions from loading.

3. If you finally get logged in try creating a new, "clean" user account and see if the problem persists.

yes, hubs are used, but all the ports on the hubs are working for other things, so that's not the issue, and I tried the mice into the back of the Mac (very far from easy!) and they still didn't work.

I can't / daren't reboot - see above.

as for the other user account, that's how I usually get past the password requirement when I rebooted in the past, launched System Preferences, and paired my BT mouse and keyboard. The USB mouse isn't working there either.

Normally if I had issues like this I'd see if a reboot fixed things, but as I say I dare not reboot.

 

[pm-r]

I bought a cheap USB wired mouse to replace it and the same "?fault"

As has already been mentioned, any wired USB mouse and its cursor SHOULD work, but as it's not I would be inclined to purchase another new wired USB mouse, no dongle, and maybe one that isn't quite as cheap, and maybe a different brand.

You should be able to use the iMac power switch to reboot by holding it in for several seconds until it shuts itself down, then wait 30-40 seconds and use the power button to boot it up. Hopefully that should work, but it can't break much as the iMac isn't presently working as I understand things their current state.

Good luck.


- Patrick
=======

 

[ferrarr]

Just as a side note, the keyboard can be used to Tab through the login options and get you logged in.

 

[Jimmysb]

A silly question, are you connected to a second monitor, that is switched off, had an issue once where I could not see my cursor, as my monitor was in extended mode and switched off, it was on the other screen.

 

[MacBiter]

Just as a side note, the keyboard can be used to Tab through the login options and get you logged in.

You and Patrick haven't taken in what I've said!

Let me restate the main points:
1. MagicMouse is paired and working, the Logitech kb is wired up (as always), paired and working.
2. The problem will arise when I next reboot (which I can do quite normally via the Apple menu) - at the user login screen on reboot, neither the mouse or kb will work - probably because the dongle isn't yet active - so what I usually do is use the MightyMouse USB wired, to click into a user account with no password, where I launch System Preferences and pair the MagicM and kb.
3. But because USB mice aren’t working, I can't do this and my Mac will be useless. Disconnecting the dongle will achieve nothing, as my sporadic Mac BT is NEVER active at the reboot login screen.

However, I now think it MAY (or may not...) be a more general USB problem. Tonight I disconnected one of the external HD s connected to the Mac, not the hub, to see if the USB mice would work - no, it wouldn't. However, after doing that, only one of the drives will now work at a time - doesn't matter which one. The other one won't connect whether attached to a Mac USB port, or to the hub, which is weird. The light comes on showing the drive is active, but it goes out again after 5 - 10 seconds and doesn't show in the Finder. Other USB devices connected work ok - i.e. one external HD , one fan, one decorative lamp, the kb, and the hub.

No I don't have a second monitor connected and the MagicMouse is working ok. But how can I ever reboot???.
.

 

[Slydude]

If you are suspecting that the Mac may be having USB issues I'd try disconnecting everything USB (hubs, hard drives, etc). If the Mac then works with the keyboard and mouse directly connected to the computer then you can add devices one at a time to see if that further isolates the issue. I've had failing usb hubs/other devices cause all kinds of issues.

Does your hub have a separate power supply that plugs into an electric outlet or does it draw power from the Mac only? Hubs powered by the Macs USB port sometimes don't provide enough power especially if a hub or high drain device is starting to fail intermittently.

 

[pm-r]

Let me restate the main points:

Let me add a question to your list.

Are you using a normal Apple supported macOS on your 2011 iMac?

I was just wondering if there was any software conflict of some such happening if you were running an unsupported OS.




- Patrick
=======

 

[Rod]

I understand why you are concerned about shutting down but really there is no reason to assume that a wired (USB) mouse will not just work when you boot up. Considering where you are right now I don't think you have any other choice but to try it. Especially if the EHD's are not being recognised either. I would disconnect everything but the USB mouse and shut down.

 

[MacBiter]

If you are suspecting that the Mac may be having USB issues I'd try disconnecting everything USB (hubs, hard drives, etc). If the Mac then works with the keyboard and mouse directly connected to the computer then you can add devices one at a time to see if that further isolates the issue. I've had failing usb hubs/other devices cause all kinds of issues.

Does your hub have a separate power supply that plugs into an electric outlet or does it draw power from the Mac only? Hubs powered by the Macs USB port sometimes don't provide enough power especially if a hub or high drain device is starting to fail intermittently.

No, the hub is unpowered to a USB port on the Mac. The arrangement is as follows:
USB
port 1: an EHD (no connection failure)
port 2: a second EHD (now only one of the EHDs stays connected, either but not both)
port 3: a USB 2 hub (no connection failure)
port 4: the BT dongle (no connection failure)

USB hub,
port 1: a fan, or battery charger (no connection failure)
port 2: any of the above, or EHD (no connection failure)
port 3: ditto (no connection failure)
port 4: a USB 1 hub (no connection failure)

USB 1 hub
port 1: unused
port 2: unused
port 3: display lamp recently acquired (no connection failure)
port 4: Logitech keyboard (no connection failure)

The weird part is that I cannot get a second EHD drive connected whether it's in the back of the iMac, or in a port in the USB 2 hub. I've tried the mouse directly in the back of the iMac but no joy.

 

[MacBiter]

Let me add a question to your list.

Are you using a normal Apple supported macOS on your 2011 iMac?

I was just wondering if there was any software conflict of some such happening if you were running an unsupported OS.

It's Mavericks - I've been using it without reinstalling for about 7 years?.

 

[MacBiter]

I understand why you are concerned about shutting down but really there is no reason to assume that a wired (USB) mouse will not just work when you boot up. Considering where you are right now I don't think you have any other choice but to try it. Especially if the EHD's are not being recognised either. I would disconnect everything but the USB mouse and shut down.

I've now ordered a wired USB Apple full keyboard and Mighty Mouse from eBay - I'll test both in the Mac before I even think about rebooting!

Considering the Logitech kb and Magic Mouse are currently paired, I've no immediate reason to reboot, but that leads to another question: apart from Onyx, is there other software that will give the effect of rebooting without actually doing it? If not I'll use Onyx to clear out all temporary files and caches, maybe repair permissions, and see if that helps.

 

[pm-r]

apart from Onyx, is there other software that will give the effect of rebooting without actually doing it...

I also have and kindly using a 2011 27-in iMac and I have never found any " fix-it" type utility to fix problems, especially with any connected USB devices you're the normal restart doesn't normally fix or occasionally a full shutdown, wait 30-40 seconds, and then do afresh boot.

In fact running the basic default Onyx preference settings seems to disrupt some things from what or my normal running procedures. But for your situation it just might help and maybe fix some sort of conflict that's happening.

A Reese boot usually wins every time, or at least partially improves things from what they were. I seem to have to do so more often since running El Capitan Mac OS X 10.11.6. Mac OS X 10.9.8 Mavericks seemed to run much better and with fewer quirks, especially with my Logitech USB mice.


- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

Non powered hubs depend on the computer to provide power to the devices. You have three hubs all pulling power from the Mac. You have drives, fans, chargers, a dongle, and mice attached, all pulling power through the hubs from the Mac.

Bottom line, you are over-drawing on the Mac power. And that over-draw affects anything you try to then connect directly to the Mac as the power all comes from the same place.

Get a powered hub (or three) and reduce the draw from the Mac and I suspect your problems will go away.

 

[MacBiter]

Non powered hubs depend on the computer to provide power to the devices. You have three hubs all pulling power from the Mac. You have drives, fans, chargers, a dongle, and mice attached, all pulling power through the hubs from the Mac.

Bottom line, you are over-drawing on the Mac power. And that over-draw affects anything you try to then connect directly to the Mac as the power all comes from the same place.

Get a powered hub (or three) and reduce the draw from the Mac and I suspect your problems will go away.

I may do that - thing is, my setup has worked fine until this thing happened. By the way I only have 2 hubs, and 1 is a USB 1 hub which by definition can't be drawing much power at all. But I'll try the powered hub route and see if that cures it. Meantime, I'll wait for the wired Apple kb and mouse and make sure they work, then MAYBE try a reboot!.

 

[MacInWin]

1 is a USB 1 hub which by definition can't be drawing much power at all.

Not a valid assumption. If you put a high-demand device on that hub, it will draw the power from the Mac. There is no regulation in that hub, just pass-through.

Once the KB and mouse arrive, disconnect ALL USB devices other than the kb and mouse before you boot.

 

[MacBiter]

Not a valid assumption. If you put a high-demand device on that hub, it will draw the power from the Mac. There is no regulation in that hub, just pass-through.

Once the KB and mouse arrive, disconnect ALL USB devices other than the kb and mouse before you boot.

Will do - the current kb and mouse are BT but I will need the wired ones when I reboot until I can re-pair the BT ones.