[ The PC Guide | Troubleshooting and Repair Guide | The Troubleshooting Expert | Troubleshooting Specific Components | Troubleshooting Mice ] I have a PS/2-style mouse that I want to use on a serial port but it doesn't work when I use an adapter to convert it from the PS/2 6-pin mini-DIN connector to the 9-pin serial connector Explanation: You have a mouse with a PS/2-style 6-pin mini-DIN connector for connecting to the PS/2 mouse port. You want to be able to use this mouse as a standard serial mouse so you connected it to an adapter that takes a 6-pin round mouse and converts it to a standard 9-pin DB9 serial connector. However, the mouse does not work when connected this way. Diagnosis: The problem is that the PS/2-style mouse and the serial mouse are not just different in terms of the connectors they use, they are different electrically as well. The signaling levels are different, so just using an adapter will not always work. What complicates the matter so much is that there are some mice that are called "combo" mice, which will automatically use either the PS/2 or the serial signaling depending on what sort of system they are plugged into. This type of mouse, when used with an adapter of the sort mentioned above, will work in a serial port. However, not all PS/2-style mice are combo mice, and this is what causes all the confusion. To make matters worse, most mice do not have printed on them whether they are "combo" or not, and sometimes even the documentation is not very helpful. (Buying a mouse with a PS/2 port that comes with a PS/2-to-serial adapter is a good hint that it is combo, of course!) Recommendation:
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