Last week, I sat down at my PC and noticed my mouse wasn't working. Because we have a bajillion PCs, my mouse (and keyboard and monitor) are hooked up through a KVM switch, which is a box that allows you to use one keyboard/mouse/monitor for several computers. However, this switch is old and kind of hinky. Sometimes it craps out, and then I have to turn off all PCs connected to it, then turn off the switch itself, then turn the switch back on, then turn the PCs back on. So I did that. Nothing. Mouse still dead.
Okay, maybe one of the kitties unplugged it. They are always back behind my desk messing. So, I turned everything off—again—and made sure all connections (PC to KVM switch, KVM switch to mouse) were good and tight. They were. So, I turned everything back on and tried again. Nothing.
I began to get a little frustrated. One more try of turning everything off and on, only this time waiting a few minutes to make sure the KVM switch reset. STILL nothing. Gah!
By this time I was sick of messing around with the KVM switch and, more to the point, decided to take it out of the equation to see if it was the cause of the problem. So—mouse plugged directly into PC. No dice.
Now, mice don't suddenly fail. They get dirty and quit working right until you clean them, and the gears can get worn over time, but they don't usually work fine one day and then not work at all the next. Still ... I got in the closet where we keep all our old computer stuff and dug out a mouse that works about halfway because of the previously mentioned old, worn gears. It worked! It WAS my (much beloved ergonomic had-it-forever good ol') mouse.
Hmm. I examined the mouse itself. Nothing seemed wrong there. I examined the connections. No bent or missing pins. I started going down the cord ... what's this? Teeth marks? Oh, but that's just little dents in the outer plastic. It wouldn't—AARRGGHH!!!! Halfway down the cord, someone had bitten almost all the way through, down far enough to get to the actual wire that carries the signal.
I loved that mouse.
Okay, maybe one of the kitties unplugged it. They are always back behind my desk messing. So, I turned everything off—again—and made sure all connections (PC to KVM switch, KVM switch to mouse) were good and tight. They were. So, I turned everything back on and tried again. Nothing.
I began to get a little frustrated. One more try of turning everything off and on, only this time waiting a few minutes to make sure the KVM switch reset. STILL nothing. Gah!
By this time I was sick of messing around with the KVM switch and, more to the point, decided to take it out of the equation to see if it was the cause of the problem. So—mouse plugged directly into PC. No dice.
Now, mice don't suddenly fail. They get dirty and quit working right until you clean them, and the gears can get worn over time, but they don't usually work fine one day and then not work at all the next. Still ... I got in the closet where we keep all our old computer stuff and dug out a mouse that works about halfway because of the previously mentioned old, worn gears. It worked! It WAS my (much beloved ergonomic had-it-forever good ol') mouse.
Hmm. I examined the mouse itself. Nothing seemed wrong there. I examined the connections. No bent or missing pins. I started going down the cord ... what's this? Teeth marks? Oh, but that's just little dents in the outer plastic. It wouldn't—AARRGGHH!!!! Halfway down the cord, someone had bitten almost all the way through, down far enough to get to the actual wire that carries the signal.
I loved that mouse.
