HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Troubleshooting Wireless Keyboards and Optical Mice Hewlett Packard Customer Care Email

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Troubleshooting Wireless Keyboards and Optical Mice

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This document pertains to HP and Compaq Desktop PCs with wireless keyboards and mice.

Use the steps in this document to solve a wide variety of wireless keyboard and mouse issues.

NOTE: If your wireless optical mouse flashes when it is not in use, this is the normal activity of the mouse. The mouse is not defective.

Figure 1: Examples of some wireless mouse and keyboard products

If your wireless mouse or keyboard is not working properly, check the following:

1. If the wireless mouse jumps or does not track well, it may be due to the surface you are using. Place the mouse on a light-colored mouse pad or white sheet of paper, and then check its operation.

   NOTE: Use the wireless mouse on an opaque surface. The wireless mouse may not work properly on a glass, grooved, translucent, reflective, or see-through surfaces.

2. Restarting the computer may resolve the problem, at least temporarily, so that other troubleshooting steps can be applied.

3. The mouse is designed to enter a suspend mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. Try to reactivate the mouse by clicking the left mouse button.

4. Verify that the batteries are correctly installed in the keyboard and mouse. If possible, use a fresh set of alkaline batteries.

5. If the receiver is a USB receiver, unplug it, wait for five seconds, and then plug it back in. Wait about five more seconds and then test the mouse and keyboard again.

   NOTE: Disregard any steps that pertain to a reciever if your computer does not have a visible receiver. Examples of HP computers that have receivers built into the case are some TouchSmart PCs and Digital Entertainment Centers.

6. Reset the keyboard and mouse connections:

   NOTE: The following connection sequence must be completed within 60 seconds.

   1. With the receiver plugged in, press and hold the Connect button on the receiver until the activity LED flashes.

      Figure 2: An example of a receiver

      

      1 - Connect button and LED activity light

      Figure 3: Another example of a receiver

      

      1 - Connect button

      2 - Num Lock LED

      3 - Alpha Lock LED

      4 - Scroll Lock LED

      5 - Activity LED

   2. Press and hold the recessed connect button on the underside of the keyboard until the activity light on the receiver stops flashing. When you release the button, make sure it does not stick in the depressed position.

      NOTE: If problems persist after resetting AND there is another wireless keyboard or mouse near, use these steps again, holding down the keyboard or mouse button for ten seconds. Doing so may give the keyboard or mouse a new ID number in case the other keyboard or mouse was using the same number.

   3. Press the Connect button on the receiver again unitl the activity light flashes.

   4. Press and hold the recessed button on the underside of the mouse until the activity light on the reciever stops flashing. Make sure the connect button does not stick in the depressed position.

7. The wireless receiver that comes with the Keyboard and mouse is either a PS/2 style or USB. Perform the following steps to reconnect the receiver cables, depending on which style of receiver you have:

   • USB: Unplug and reconnect the USB cable (or dongle) into one of the USB connectors on the computer. If your computer has four (or more) USB connectors on the back of the PC, connect using one of the lower two connectors. Connecting the receiver into one of the higher USB connectors may cause the computer to not recognize the mouse and keyboard. Windows should automatically recognize the receiver when found.

   • PS/2: Turn off the PC and reconnect the wireless receiver cables to the mouse and keyboard connectors on the back of the PC. The keyboard cable is purple, and the mouse cable is green. Windows should automatically recognize the receiver when found.

8. Make sure that the receiver is at least 20 centimeters (8 inches) away from other electrical devices (PC, monitor, keyboard, etc.).

9. If you are using the mouse or keyboard around large metal surfaces, remove the metal surface or move the receiver, mouse, and keyboard to a new location, away from the metal surface.

10. Remove any other objects that are between the keyboard, mouse, and the receiver, especially speakers.

11. Make sure that the keyboard and the mouse are within 100 centimeters (39 inches) of the receiver and on the same level surface.

    Figure 4: Typical wireless device placement

    

12. If possible, move the keyboard, mouse, and receiver to another computer to see if the problem is isolated to the computer.

13. If keyboard error messages display, remove old keyboard software before the keyboard can be used. To do this, click Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, and remove any item in the list that relates to a keyboard. You can install any new keyboard software after the computer is restarted and the new keyboard is recognized by Windows.

14. If, after performing the previous steps in this document, the computer still cannot consistently detect the keyboard and mouse, download and update the BIOS for the computer.

After performing these steps, the wireless keyboard and cordless mouse should now function correctly. If not, some other wireless device may be interfering with the receiver or the hardware may be defective.