Using a mouse on computer with only serial and parallel ports. No USB

[mindfreak]

Someone gave my dad a computer that was between 4 and 6 years old. He is no techie so he gave it to me. There was no disks,or manuals of any kind. I was able to install win 98se on it and use the keyboard with shortcuts to move around in windows. Even the keyboard has an odd connection I've not seen before.

My dad says the guy told him he had a mouse working with it but didn't give it to him. Only gave him the keyboard. How can I get a mouse to work with it and which one should I get if that matters?

 

[aye29]

Does the conputer have a PS2 port? USB mice usually come with an adapter that lets you plug a USB mouse into a PS2 port.

 

[mindfreak]

no PS2 ports either. as i said just serial and parallel.

 

[chalk]

Use a serial mouse? There are probably bundles of 20 being sold on e-bay hehe. There are adapters too.

You could more than likely find a bin full of old serial mice at a warehouse somehwere. I remember when it was only serial mice, then came ps2 and usb... Microsoft serial mice were pretty good, pre-optical, and the bottom cover comes off easy for 'ball cleaning.'

I'm sure there are adapters, so you can get a ps2 to serial adapter or a usb to serial http://www.cablesnmor.com/usb-serial.html for the newer mice. I just looked in my inventory, don't have one - just 3 usb to ps2, otherwise I'd post you one.

The other option you could go (but I don't know about compatibility with an unkown older machine) is to get/buy an usb add-on card to plug into the motherboard, and run the mouse of that? I'm just guessing it would work with an unknown old machine, but it is at least running an OS that woud likely support it.

chalk

 

[mindfreak]

ok thanks for the link. Now I know what to look for. Let me run this by you real quick.

Most mice need some sort of software or device drivers to work. Am I correct?

If so, then install that and use the adapter. The computer should recognize and be good to go right?

 

[chalk]

yeppers! the basic serial mouse driver should be built into W98se, and be seen automagically

...if not, just add a serial mouse manually

 

[chalk]

They way I'm reading his post and the follow ups is that he probably has a ps2 and/or usb mouse and can't find a usb port or ps2 port, hence, the need for an adapter for the ability to have the usb/ps2 mouse with a roller, and ergo etc. The old ms serial mice had two buttons and a ball that got clogged way to often, and plugged in straight away. From his response, it doesn't sound like I'm reading it wrong, but yes - You are correct. The need for an serial adapter for a serial port would, in fact, be silly - so the government is probably buying them.

Cheers

 

[blair_cse]

you need to get a serial mouse or a connector that converts a different type such as ps/2 or usb to serial

 

[akj104philly]

I know the serial mice are very hard to find. However there is this one company on the internet that still have them for sale. It is called HardwareCooling.com I had purchased 3 of the serial mice from them at $4.99 each and it works fine. I tried using the ps/2 serial adapters for $4.00 but they don't work at all for me.

You might want to give them a try.

 

[Ares]

Hmm. I still have some old serial mice. Got tons of adapters too that i bought from the office store recently for converting ps2 to serial and serial to ps2. It came with some of those old 5-pin keyboard adapters too.