Erratic mouse with NetVista and Windows XP

[Will Dormann]

Tarken wrote: Hi, At work I have just been given an IBM NetVista 6350-53U, P4 2Ghz, with 1Gb of memory. It is installed with MS-Windows XP. Its primary use is as a Java development workstation. Normally I have Eclipse, Mozilla, iTunes, Trillin and and Windows Explorer running. The problem is that when ever the is a slight CPU spike the cursor slows down or jumps around. Also sometimes iTunes will stutter, but this is less frequent than the mouse issue. My last computer was a no-brand P3 800Mhz with 512Mb of memory, running Windows 2000. It is running the same batch of programs as the new computer. It was slow in comparison, but I never experienced this sort of erratic behaviour with the mouse cursor, or iTunes sound break up. It is using the exact same Logitech optical USB mouse as I am using with the IBM (I just switched it over).


Don't use USB for your mouse. PS/2 is the way to go if you want smooth
mouse action. Your mouse probably has an adapter included for PS/2 usage.


-WD

[Tarken]

Hi,

At work I have just been given an IBM NetVista 6350-53U, P4 2Ghz, with
1Gb of memory. It is installed with MS-Windows XP. Its primary use is
as a Java development workstation. Normally I have Eclipse, Mozilla,
iTunes, Trillin and and Windows Explorer running. The problem is that
when ever the is a slight CPU spike the cursor slows down or jumps
around. Also sometimes iTunes will stutter, but this is less frequent
than the mouse issue.

My last computer was a no-brand P3 800Mhz with 512Mb of memory,
running Windows 2000. It is running the same batch of programs as the
new computer. It was slow in comparison, but I never experienced this
sort of erratic behaviour with the mouse cursor, or iTunes sound break
up. It is using the exact same Logitech optical USB mouse as I am
using with the IBM (I just switched it over).

I have no idea whether this issue is MS-WIndows XP related or IBM
NetVista related. I downloaded and installed the latest mouse driver
from Logitech, but that doesn't seem to have helped things.

Does anyone have any suggestions? My support staff thinks its my issue
- their way of saying they don't want to deal with the problem :-/

regards

Tarken

[Tarken]

Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<hEkxc.17029$Oa7.14046@fe1.columbus.rr.com>... Tarken wrote: Hi, At work I have just been given an IBM NetVista 6350-53U, P4 2Ghz, with 1Gb of memory. It is installed with MS-Windows XP. Its primary use is as a Java development workstation. Normally I have Eclipse, Mozilla, iTunes, Trillin and and Windows Explorer running. The problem is that when ever the is a slight CPU spike the cursor slows down or jumps around. Also sometimes iTunes will stutter, but this is less frequent than the mouse issue. My last computer was a no-brand P3 800Mhz with 512Mb of memory, running Windows 2000. It is running the same batch of programs as the new computer. It was slow in comparison, but I never experienced this sort of erratic behaviour with the mouse cursor, or iTunes sound break up. It is using the exact same Logitech optical USB mouse as I am using with the IBM (I just switched it over). Don't use USB for your mouse. PS/2 is the way to go if you want smooth mouse action. Your mouse probably has an adapter included for PS/2 usage.

Changed over to a PS/2 non-optical mouse and have the same issue. Starting
to wonder whether its related to interupt priority or I/O loads.

Tarken

[Will Dormann]

Tarken wrote:
Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<hEkxc.17029$Oa7.14046@fe1.columbus.rr.com>...Don't use USB for your mouse. PS/2 is the way to go if you want smoothmouse action. Your mouse probably has an adapter included for PS/2 usage. Changed over to a PS/2 non-optical mouse and have the same issue. Starting to wonder whether its related to interupt priority or I/O loads.

Is it CPU activity or Disk activity which causes the stutter? If it's
the latter, you might want to verify that your disk is in DMA mode as
opposed to PIO.


-WD

[Tarken]

Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<9Xlyc.28623$Oa7.7927@fe1.columbus.rr.com>... Tarken wrote: Changed over to a PS/2 non-optical mouse and have the same issue. Starting to wonder whether its related to interupt priority or I/O loads. Is it CPU activity or Disk activity which causes the stutter? If it's the latter, you might want to verify that your disk is in DMA mode as opposed to PIO.

Looking in the BIOS and the only settings given for the IDE drive were
'high performance or compatible' and 'read ahead on/off'.

regards

Andre

[Will Dormann]

Tarken wrote:
Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<9Xlyc.28623$Oa7.7927@fe1.columbus.rr.com>...Tarken wrote:Changed over to a PS/2 non-optical mouse and have the same issue. Startingto wonder whether its related to interupt priority or I/O loads.Is it CPU activity or Disk activity which causes the stutter? If it'sthe latter, you might want to verify that your disk is in DMA mode asopposed to PIO. Looking in the BIOS and the only settings given for the IDE drive were 'high performance or compatible' and 'read ahead on/off'.

I'm sure you can figure it out...
http://www.google.com/search?&q=windows%20xp%20check%20dma


-WD

[Tarken]

Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<lclzc.95276$DG4.2273@fe2.columbus.rr.com>... Tarken wrote: Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<9Xlyc.28623$Oa7.7927@fe1.columbus.rr.com>...Tarken wrote:>Changed over to a PS/2 non-optical mouse and have the same issue. Starting>to wonder whether its related to interupt priority or I/O loads.Is it CPU activity or Disk activity which causes the stutter? If it'sthe latter, you might want to verify that your disk is in DMA mode asopposed to PIO. Looking in the BIOS and the only settings given for the IDE drive were 'high performance or compatible' and 'read ahead on/off'. I'm sure you can figure it out... http://www.google.com/search?&q=windows%20xp%20check%20dma

Looks like the HD was already in the DMA setting, but the CD drive
was not (should it be?). Also, do I normally have to set jumpers on
the HD to ensure DMA mode? But more and more I am convinced it is I/O
related.

regards

Tarken

[Will Dormann]

Tarken wrote:
Looks like the HD was already in the DMA setting, but the CD drive was not (should it be?). Also, do I normally have to set jumpers on the HD to ensure DMA mode? But more and more I am convinced it is I/O related.

No, there should be no jumper on the HD itself to enable DMA mode.
The CD drive should probably be in DMA mode, but this should only be an
issue when you are transferring data from the CD-ROM drive. That is,
assuming the CD drive is on a different channel (cable) than the hard drive.

If the CD drive is in PIO mode and the hard drive is in DMA mode, and
they're both on the same cable, then that is very likely the cause of
your problem. Either enable DMA for the CD drive or move it to its own
channel.

To test your theory of the problem being I/O related, run HDTach on your
hard drive. The fact that HDTach is running should have absolutely no
effect on a playing MP3 or mouse movement. If the mouse goes jerky
when HDTach is accessing the drive, then you've likely got a PIO/DMA
problem.


-WD

[Tarken]

I give up there is nothing I can work out which will sort out the
issue (I did try HDTach, though reads weren't affecting the mouse). We
even tried reducing the memory in case windows was having trouble
dealing with 1GB of memory (someone suggested that this might the
cause). Though I do notice that Windows appears to use swap space even
before it has maxed on the physical memory!? Windows told me it was
enlarging the swap space because it was too small, even though in the
task manager I could see 256 MB still free.

Thanks for all the help so far.

Tarken


Will Dormann <wdormann@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message news:<wYYzc.105190$DG4.16386@fe2.columbus.rr.com>... Tarken wrote: Looks like the HD was already in the DMA setting, but the CD drive was not (should it be?). Also, do I normally have to set jumpers on the HD to ensure DMA mode? But more and more I am convinced it is I/O related. No, there should be no jumper on the HD itself to enable DMA mode. The CD drive should probably be in DMA mode, but this should only be an issue when you are transferring data from the CD-ROM drive. That is, assuming the CD drive is on a different channel (cable) than the hard drive. If the CD drive is in PIO mode and the hard drive is in DMA mode, and they're both on the same cable, then that is very likely the cause of your problem. Either enable DMA for the CD drive or move it to its own channel. To test your theory of the problem being I/O related, run HDTach on your hard drive. The fact that HDTach is running should have absolutely no effect on a playing MP3 or mouse movement. If the mouse goes jerky when HDTach is accessing the drive, then you've likely got a PIO/DMA problem. -WD