USB Mouse Drivers

A USB mouse is a pointing device used to facility human computer interaction via a Graphical User Interface (GUI). USB, an acronym for “Universal Serial Bus”, is a modern industry standard specification for connecting peripherals to a host controller (typically a personal computer). The USB protocol establishes communication between devices and their host controller via a high-speed serial connection Nowadays, most pointing devices connect to PCs via a USB port. Mice are no exception. A similar situation applies to more exotic pointing devices, such as trackballs, track pads, touch tablets, etc. Although basic USB communications are similar, each device has their own unique differences.

Why we need USB mouse drivers

USB mouse drivers are essential for proper mouse operation. Without USB mouse drivers, one’s mouse simply cannot function as all operating systems must communicate with USB-based peripherals using the USB protocol. For example, when the mouse is moved or a mouse button is clicked, these physical events are sent to the computer’s USB port as electrical signals. The USB port sends these signals to the USB controller. The USB controller interprets these events and packages them into a formatrecognizable by the USB mouse drivers. USB mouse drivers receive these messages and translate them into operating system-level events. The operating system uses these events to determine where to display the mouse pointer and also to notify high-level applications that the mouse was moved or a button was clicked.

The average 2-button USB mouse usually installs its drivers automatically upon insertion into a USB port. Because USB peripherals are automatically detected upon insertion, the operating system will attempt to locate the drivers for you. If the operating system already contains the driver, it will be automatically installed. If the drivers are not there, it will prompt you to insert the install disk.

How to handle common USB Mouse problems

USB mice are extremely reliable. Contrasted with their older serial and PS/2 versions, they are plug and play and highly adaptable. They tend to be generally problem-free but can face several common driver problems. The USB standard was intended to replace legacy serial and parallel ports commonplace in earlier computing days. It was intended to bring greater reliability and ease-of-use to peripherals, but such benefits come at the price of simplicity. USB mouse drivers are considerably more complex than their legacy serial- and parallel-based counterparts.

Although drivers for a typical two-button USB mouse are generally packaged with the operating system, most aftermarket mice (and particularly those with additional features such as extra buttons, scroll wheels, joysticks, and optical tracking mechanisms) require additional drivers from the manufacturer. Manufacturers often develop drivers too quickly, releasing them to the public before they have been properly tested. If your USB mouse fails to operate properly, consult the product’s website to determine if updated USB mouse drivers need to be downloaded and installed.

If your mouse continues to have problems despite being properly recognized by the operating system, open the mouse’s control panel and edit its settings. It may be the USB mouse drivers simply haven’t been configured yet. Many advanced mice require calibration and proper initialization of their advanced functions.