how about under safe mode
"Clint Marshall" <cmarshall@forerivercompany.com> wrote in message
news:XHGef.3654$uC3.3211@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> I have a Garmin GPS that I connect to my IBM ThinkPad running Windows
> XP. Because the ThinkPad has no serial ports, I connect the GPS through a
> USB-to-Serial adapter.
>
> Whenever I connect the GPS, it is recognized as a "Serial Ballpoint
> Mouse" and XP installs the driver. Then XP starts seeing the GPS data,
> interprets it as mouse activity, and the cursor and screen go "crazy",
> with the mouse bouncing all over the screen and windows popping up and
> shutting down in fairly fast sequence. All of this screen and mouse
> activity happens so quickly that I can't get control of the mouse and use
> it in any way.
>
> Garmin recognizes that this problem can occur and they recommend that
> you go to "manage devices" and disable the "Serial Ballpoint Mouse", which
> then leaves the GPS data available to my navigation program.
>
> Unfortunately, I can't get control of the mouse for long enough to open
> manage devices and disable the "serial ballpoint mouse".
> - Is there a way to permanently block the installation of the "serial
> ballpoint mouse" driver?
> - Is there a way to permanently disable the driver? Even if I can get
> it disabled, it reinstalls every time I plug in the GPS.
> - Is there a way to automate something that I can run by a keystroke or
> will run automatically to programmatically disable the driver?
> Of course, I don't want to totally shut down the USB port or I won't be
> able to get the GPS data to my software.
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> -Clint Marshall
>