Mac mini 1.42Ghz G4 running OS9.2.2 Mouse issues...

[Dave 23]

  Today I attempted to use the machine after a year+ in storage. The mouse was alive during the boot process but became locked to the horizontal plane after the finder loaded. I tried a couple of mice,(one wireless...) and found the same result. They both worked fine until the desktop loaded, and after that- side to side only. Has anyone experienced this/is there a fix??   The machine was previously very usable. TIA

[FBz]

How would you operate…
if left immobile / unused on a shelf for over a year?

Apple mouse / mice and keyboard?

Cmd+Option+p+r @ startup?

Stored in slightly / occasionally damp-ish location?

General internal housekeeping > un-dust.

Open and blow out. Hold fan from “over-speed” spin.

Re-seat RAM. Check / replace battery?

Then there’s always DieHard’s #1. = AHT

[GaryN]

It's likely you have an extension conflict. Do you have USB overdrive installed?
Try booting with extensions off - hold the shift key during boot until "extensions off" appears. If it works then, you'll have to find the offending extension.

[FBz]

It's likely you have an extension conflict.

Yes there is that, except…

The machine was previously very usable. 

Understood the above comment to mean that it was fine before its hiatus and nothing had been changed after its previously stable / usable state.
Which begged the question, what has changed since… http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4573.msg32919.html#msg32919 

But by all means, try the shift-boot (extensions off) to see if that does the trick.

[GaryN]

It's likely you have an extension conflict.

Yes there is that, except…

The machine was previously very usable. 

Understood the above comment to mean that it was fine before its hiatus and nothing had been changed after its previously stable / usable state.
Which begged the question, what has changed since… http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4573.msg32919.html#msg32919 

But by all means, try the shift-boot (extensions off) to see if that does the trick.

Successful troubleshooting is a step-by-step logical process of trial and error.
The process goes like this:
So it worked a year ago. Same mouse? Are you 100% certain of that?
Are there settings that were possibly stored in PRAM? After a year, batteries die, things can change.
Trying an extensions-off boot has always been among the first if not the very first thing you try when weird shit happens at boot.

[Dave 23]

Thanks for the replies guys. Initially I thought this was an extension conflict but even restarting with various known safe/or 'None' combos is giving some random results...the latest is the mouse click has suddenly become "inverted"- it is always "clicking" with no button push, to release/de-select whatever the mouse has bound to, it is necessary to hold the button down while moving the mouse.

(Previously I had Rebirth, Reason and Logic 6.4 all working flawlessly, synched to my current OS X DAW using OMS...)

btw, disk utility reported/repaired errors, but not much changed- would an OS9 re-install be the next step?

[peeperpc]

I would try disconnecting all other USB devices and reboot.

[Dave 23]

  Thanks very much for all the helpful replies    It actually seems to be a mouse specific issue- I think GaryN was right... I'm not sure the current mouse is the same one I used originally.
  Interestingly, the horizontal-only mouse movement is there in any scenario until the first system extension "EM"?  is loaded...then normal service is resumed.
  Disabling USB overdrive results in a more or less stable system.

   thanks again.  D

[FBz]

Congrats.

Out of curiosity,
what specific mouse are you now using
and what version of the Mac Mini 9.2.2 are you running?

[DieHard]

I think I found a pattern, that the "mouse freeze" happens more often when the alt key is used to select the startup the volume instead of letting it auto select on boot...

[Dave 23]

I think I found a pattern, that the "mouse freeze" happens more often when the alt key is used to select the startup the volume instead of letting it auto select on boot...

I only have the internal drive- no other startup volumes. The unusual mouse behaviour is not a freeze (although that does happen sometimes too)
it's that the mouse will only move in the horizontal plane. (in a straight line across the screen).

[Dave 23]

Congrats.

Out of curiosity,
what specific mouse are you now using
and what version of the Mac Mini 9.2.2 are you running?

                The mouse is a generic optical scrolling 2button mouse..literally $1.00 !

                I have no idea about 9.2.2 version tbh... I followed a link posted on YouTube by forum member Ross Darker, that linked to an .iso Sorry I can't be more specific. The install worked perfectly. Since then I've had a house move and haven't had my studio setup. I'm going to try some other mice, I'm sure this thing will be rocking once more...


Update: Ok this is great- Reason Rebirth ,Logic 6.4 +Waves all working. I'm just missing a scrolling mouse- are there any known to be safe mices out there?   D.