cursor and keyboard lag

jgf

Member
Since my last Vista "update", about three weeks ago, I experience occasional lags in cursor movement and response, also in keyboard input. There's nothing common to the event and no warning of it occurring. I can be online, or typing, or playing a game, or the computer can be sitting there doing nothing (with just the desktop active), and suddenly moving the mouse gets no response for maybe ten seconds, when the cursor will instantly jump to the new position. Clicking anything also has a delay before any response. Typing produces nothing ...then half a sentence appears at once. The only thing I've found that clears this up is to restart windows; this irritant may recur ten minutes later or not for a couple of days.

It isn't a heat problem - CoreTemp shows about 40degC for each core, GPU-Z lists about 45 for the GPU. Task manager shows nothing amiss in processes or services. Reloading mouse software didn't help, nor did changing the mouse (from a Logitech to a Microsoft); changing from a USB to a PS2 keyboard didn't help. Avira, Malwarebytes, MSE, Spybot, and Ad-Aware all come up clean.

System is Vista Home Premium 32, SP2
 

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Since my last Vista "update", about three weeks ago, I experience occasional lags in cursor movement and response, also in keyboard input. There's nothing common to the event and no warning of it occurring. I can be online, or typing, or playing a game, or the computer can be sitting there doing nothing (with just the desktop active), and suddenly moving the mouse gets no response for maybe ten seconds, when the cursor will instantly jump to the new position. Clicking anything also has a delay before any response. Typing produces nothing ...then half a sentence appears at once. The only thing I've found that clears this up is to restart windows; this irritant may recur ten minutes later or not for a couple of days.

It isn't a heat problem - CoreTemp shows about 40degC for each core, GPU-Z lists about 45 for the GPU. Task manager shows nothing amiss in processes or services. Reloading mouse software didn't help, nor did changing the mouse (from a Logitech to a Microsoft); changing from a USB to a PS2 keyboard didn't help. Avira, Malwarebytes, MSE, Spybot, and Ad-Aware all come up clean.

System is Vista Home Premium 32, SP2

Suugestions :

1. Do a system file check which will look for corruopted files, and if any found, it will try to repair them.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html

2. Do a disk check which will look for bad sectors etc and if any found, it will try to repair them.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67612-check-disk-chkdsk.html
 

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My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Looking through event viewer I found several instances of:

Log Name: System
Source: Service Control Manager
Date: 6/5/2011 11:30:17 AM
Event ID: 7026
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: POS
Description:
The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
i8042prt
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Service Control Manager" Guid="{555908D1-A6D7-4695-8E1E-26931D2012F4}" EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" />
<EventID Qualifiers="49152">7026</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-06-05T15:30:17.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>394116</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>POS</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="param1">
i8042prt</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

//////////////////////
researching the i802prt discloses it is the PS2 keyboard driver and must also be active for the usb keyboard to work; whether this would also affect the mouse isn't mentioned. I found the following "solution" on several sites, also several posts saying it didn't work ...and no consensus on exactly what it did (another thread said it set a polling interval and suggested setting it incrementally higher til the problem was resolved). I don't know who to believe; and am certainly not even sure this is my problem, but it's the only thing in the event viewer that even remotely seemed pertinent.
/////////////////////

"I've had the same problem on windows 2003 with a USB keyboard and mouse connected.

The reason why it fails is that there is no PS/2 device connected and therefore the driver gives the 7026 error in windows eventlog.

To prevent the load of the driver change the following value in this registry key.

Registry:

(Default)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Start = 1

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Start = 4

1 = load driver (hex)

4 = disable driver (hex)

Please note that you must change the value back again if you need to use PS/2 devices."

//////////////////////////
BTW, ran sfc about a week ago; it apparently found no problems. Have chkdsk scheduled for the next restart.
 

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Try running a full anti virus scan.
Download and run a full scan with malwarebytes.
Try the clean boot that I gave above.
Dont really have a lot of hope, but that incremental resetting is worth a try.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Avira, Malwarebytes, MSE, Spybot, and Ad-Aware all come up clean. (Ad-Aware only scanned the C drive, which took three hours; at that rate it would have taken another 15 hours for the remaining drives.)

Am somewhat leery of the regedit since it's implied this acts as a toggle for using either PS2 or usb devices; one person said they'd tried it and the keyboard stopped working. In my registry this value is "1" and either type keyboard works. But I have a backup...

The clean boot is a thought, though it could take some time, given the intermittent nature of this annoyance (it occurred 3 or 4 times Friday, not at all yesterday, and once this morning).
 

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Dont touch registry unless your are proficient in that area. Go with my clean boot and report back.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Just wanted to throw in my two cents: You said you found nothing wrong in your processes or services. Does that mean you didn't find unwanted programs? Or nothing hogging your CPU or RAM? To rule out those, I'd grab a free RAM and CPU desktop widget for your sidebar (I like mCPU) and run your browser windowed. Then if you get a lag again, not only will you be able to see if all you CPU is being used (and rule out bad drivers and file corruption) but if it keeps changing during your lags you will know it's just a mouse/keyboard issue and not an issue with your system.

If you already ruled that out, sorry :) I'm just trying to get a feel for this site and figured I'd share a little advice about what I'd do.
 

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System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 1545
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 @ 2.00 GHz
    Motherboard
    DELL - 27d90219 Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (DPMS), 15.3" (34cm x 19cm)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Internal 320 GB
    Portable 320 GB used for separate storage of media, plugged into USB port as needed.
    Cooling
    Single built in fan
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Touchpad, + Logitech wireless mouse (USB)
    Internet Speed
    ~150 kilobytes/sec DL
    Other Info
    Usually have low HD free space left (<10 GB), often left on overnight. I really push its capabilities.
I have task manager minimized so the cpu usage is in the system tray. When the lag appears there is no increase in cpu activity; switching to task manager I see no unusual items or activity. Idle time is typically 95%-98%.

As I write, with 52 processes, windows explorer, Firefox, and task manager running, there is 1% cpu usage and 49% memory; yet the lag might hit any time. OTOH, I've run system intensive software such as MS Flight Sim for hours with no problems; so system load apparently isn't a factor.
 

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Well I doubt it's a bad hardware connection... Is there any way you can tell of it's just the mouse/keyboard that freeze up or if it's your whole system? For instance a clock or CPU meter widget that changes every second or so would be a good indicator of a system-wide lag if they stop changing during the lags also. I don't know how well the task manager minimized thing would work for determining this, but whatever works is fine. That way we can know whether to focus on just your mouse/keyboard hardware, or if we need to know why your whole system is having a problem.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 1545
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 @ 2.00 GHz
    Motherboard
    DELL - 27d90219 Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (DPMS), 15.3" (34cm x 19cm)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Internal 320 GB
    Portable 320 GB used for separate storage of media, plugged into USB port as needed.
    Cooling
    Single built in fan
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Touchpad, + Logitech wireless mouse (USB)
    Internet Speed
    ~150 kilobytes/sec DL
    Other Info
    Usually have low HD free space left (<10 GB), often left on overnight. I really push its capabilities.
The system doesn't freeze up. Everything is still functioning, there's just a 5-10 second lag. For example, if I'm typing nothing appears as I type, several seconds later everything I typed appears instantly. When I move the mouse, several seconds later the cursor jumps to the new position; so when this occurs it's a case of move the mouse, wait for the cursor, move the mouse, wait... until I zero in on the start button. Press the start button, seconds later the menu appears, etc.; continue this laborious procedure until I "OK" the restart. Keyboard commands exhibit the same lag.

Haven't noticed if the clock is in this time warp also; usually too busy inventorying my stock of unacceptable language as I maneuver the cursor to the start button.

This began after my last Vista "update", which also wiped out my last restore points, screwed with my vid drivers such that I had to reinstall them, and lost the sound in flv files. (And no doubt this "update" applied to some software or services I don't even use.)
 

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When you get the lag
Right click on the bottom task bar.
Go to process
'Look for the process thats hogging resources cpu and memory
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Is it a laptop or desktop? Do you prefer to use built-in hardware (ie mousepad and keyboard in the laptop) or an external mouse/keyboard (attached to either your desktop or laptop)? For instance I have a laptop, but I use the built in keyboard and a Logitech wireless USB mouse. If your system is still running normally in the background it's probably an issue related directly to your hardware, such as messed up drivers. Also, try ctrl+alt+delete when this happens and see if that lags. If it's not a system-wide lag, and you tried reinstalling the software, there's not much else I can think of that it could be... but tell me what you're using and I'll give you a few more things to check.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 1545
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 @ 2.00 GHz
    Motherboard
    DELL - 27d90219 Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (DPMS), 15.3" (34cm x 19cm)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Internal 320 GB
    Portable 320 GB used for separate storage of media, plugged into USB port as needed.
    Cooling
    Single built in fan
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Touchpad, + Logitech wireless mouse (USB)
    Internet Speed
    ~150 kilobytes/sec DL
    Other Info
    Usually have low HD free space left (<10 GB), often left on overnight. I really push its capabilities.
When you get the lag
Right click on the bottom task bar.
Go to process
'Look for the process thats hogging resources cpu and memory

When you do the above, make sure to tick show process from all users.
Is this what you did when you were given the advice previously?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
When you get the lag
Right click on the bottom task bar.
Go to process
'Look for the process thats hogging resources cpu and memory

"Task manager shows nothing amiss in processes or services"

System idle will be around 98%, memory at 45%; normal for this system when not running intensive software. This is from all users. That was my first thought, but nothing is hogging any resources.

System is desktop using usb mice and keyboard. Initially using a Logitech mouse; swapped it for the Microsoft mouse from my XP system, didn't help. Using default windows mouse drivers or mouse specific drivers made no difference.
 

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So strange... well I'm gonna have to leave this one up to the more experienced guys here. Sorry about that. I'm out of ideas. My only other advice: Google is your friend. Enough time there will solve 99% of all your problems. Hope you get it figured out!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 1545
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 @ 2.00 GHz
    Motherboard
    DELL - 27d90219 Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A05
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (DPMS), 15.3" (34cm x 19cm)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Internal 320 GB
    Portable 320 GB used for separate storage of media, plugged into USB port as needed.
    Cooling
    Single built in fan
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Touchpad, + Logitech wireless mouse (USB)
    Internet Speed
    ~150 kilobytes/sec DL
    Other Info
    Usually have low HD free space left (<10 GB), often left on overnight. I really push its capabilities.
Thanks for the input. I had spent a couple of evenings searching the net before posting here, but most of what I found was either quite application specific or pertained to a consistent problem. Very little mention of a global intermittent issue.
 

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