Maybe you have an optical mouse and the working surface reflcts the light.

Try using another kind of mousepad.

[edited by: Lexur at 7:19 am (utc) on May 21, 2008]

Lexur yes it’s an optical mouse but I don’t use a mouse-pad. The mouse is kept on my wooden table.

Like Lexur said, it is common with optical mouse on reflective surface...

I had the same effect several time.

Thank God it happens with others too! I was feeling alone.

Sometimes my mouse pointer moves on its own, without me moving my mouse.

Did using a different surface sort the problem?

If not... does it move slowly or a sudden jump? Are you touching the mouse at all when this happens? Sometimes I see the mouse pointer moving, but the mouse is actually moving because of tension in the tail!

Penders, no I did not change the surface. The pointer still moves on its own, slowly very slowly till it reaches the end of the screen. No I am not touching the mouse when it moves – absolutely no tension in the tail.

Just wanted to mention that I have a customer the claims that the CIA and FBI have infiltrated their computer due to the same issue...I recognized the "effect" immediately and tried to explain that however he's SURE their watching his every move and have taken control of his system. He tries to explain it away by saying that "they" accidentally move their mouse and it shows up on his computer...lol

oh well...some people huh?

the CIA and FBI have infiltrated their computer ... and have taken control of his system.

May be this has happened to your system KFish?!

Or possibly a 'loose diode'?! (Sorry, just plucked that one out the air, but sounds convincing eh?!) Personally I'd go for the surface issue as mentioned above - have you at least tried it on a book or something?

maybe you've left a piece of cheese on your table, and the mouse has seen it

Loose diode

is that a diode that travels from mouse to mouse looking for a good time? :)

Any cat(s) around? I have two, and occcasionally experience mouse pointer moving when tiny hair sticks between LED and surface. Don't know exactly the mechanics, the pointer moves slowly and steady, got me frightened the 1st time it happened :)

I have found that my cell phone interferes with my cordless mouse (Logitec), resulting in all kinds of "mouse artifacts" - not to be confused with mouse droppings. This happens when I am using the bluetooth headset and set the phone down in close proximity to the mouse's USB adapter, which is plugged into the side of my laptop.

Not sure if it is the phone or Bluetooth causing the problem.

...mouse pointer moving when tiny hair sticks between LED and surface.

Light refraction?

...This happens when I am using the bluetooth headset and set the phone down in close proximity to the mouse's USB adapter...

May just be the enormous quanties of radiation oozing from the phone?! Or may be that your wireless mouse is using a frequency close to the bluetooth standard 2.45Ghz? Wireless (non-bluetooth) devices tend to operate on a number of different freqs, but not always. Apparently, newer bluetooth devices can use Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) technology to help minimise interference with other wireless devices?

Gravity.

Mouse pointers are heavier now than in the past, so when not being used they tend to fall off the screen.

However owing to the magnetic properties of the monitor sometimes a gravity well appears on your screen and the mouse moves in unusual directions.

You can see the direction of gravity by dropping your monitor off a building while still plugged in, if you have a gravity well it may fall up.

KFish: desktop or laptop?

No I am not touching the mouse when it moves �

A rarity.. I have had the situation, along time ago, when sunlight shining on the mouse caused it to behave erratically (or not at all)! The moment it was in shade it was OK. Sensitive to the increase in temperature may be? Weird.

Vibrations also. There's a lot of construction going on around me lately. I can watch the pointer dance along the screen as pile drivers down the street are digging into bedrock. And when they blast I usually get a half-second or so warning as the pointer POPS! before I feel or hear the boom.

smallcompany its a desktop.

CIA and FBI have infiltrated their computer due to the same issue

Are they so efficient? Should I start worrying too? ;-)

You guys have really interesting views.

I asked because I know about issues with laptops that overheat. The solution is to disable internal laptop pointer or touch pad if using external mouse.

Unfortunately your story is different, since you have a desktop. Have you tried different mouse?
I can’t think of anything inside your desktop that could cause this.

The mouse is working perfectly ok. Only thing – as soon as I leave it free, the pointer starts moving in some direction (mostly towards left) until it reaches the end of screen.

Now we have become friends and if by chance it does not move I feel worried.

Very old mouse BTW and there is some emotional attachment too. Don’t want to change as of now.

it's when your computer moves by itself, or the monitor -- that's when you have to start worrying

Londrum great one! ;-) I hope that day doesn’t come else I will have to keep running behind my computer and beg her to stay wherever I keep her and explain to her that my home business will suffer if she keeps moving. I am sure my computer is mature enough to understand (its 6 years old now) and cooperate. Though right now my pointer isn’t cooperating and moving @ 45 degrees up towards left.

Hi guys it’s a common problem.

When I searched Google,

[google.com...]

I learned that there are many people like me who have the same problem.

So I need not worry and it’s not weird. Thanks for your views anyways.

You should try a cloth mousepad. Even if your pointer drifts to the corner of your screen and stops, the computer is probably still receiving input from your mouse which can stop the screen saver or putting monitors to sleep. The longer you use a mouse on a hard surface, the smoother the surface. The smoother the surface, the more light it will reflect. The more light it reflects, the more pronounced this effect will be.