Windows detects USB GPS as Serial Ballpoint - please suggest permanent modification to prevent any serial mouse detection

Anonymous
2010-02-23T15:33:38+00:00

Using Win7 ultimate on a variety of machines, when I plug in a 'USB' GPS the system does two things: it installs the support for the USB-Serial device, and then it (using 'serenum' apparently) begins mistaking the GPS for a serial mouse, and 'detects' and installs the microsoft serial ballpoint.  I have editted /windows/inf/msmouse.inf, adding a line after line 28 (guessing at the syntax, copying from the alpha excludes)

ExcludeFromSelect.NTx86 = *PNP0F0C,*PNP0F08,*PNP0F09*PNP0F01,*PNP0F0A,*PNP0F1E

This does *NOT* do the trick.  The GPS is consistently being enumerated by the system as a "serial ballpoint mouse".

This has been reported by numerous people in numerous forums on numerous configurations over multiple windows versions.

When is Microsoft going to fix this?  This is not a GPS issue.  This is not a serial device issue.  This is not a USB issue.  This is, pure and simple, a Microsoft issue.

Removing the 'upperdrivers' entry for serenum might do the trick, but the registry keys are not writeable now in Win7.  Sweet.  Thanks, Microsoft.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-06-06T07:04:54+00:00

    I agree with this. Over the years this technique has had the best results for me too. I have had it reoccurring though. I wish that Microsoft would fix this issue on such an ancient problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-06-05T22:57:41+00:00

    This is still a problem in Windows 10 and I am using the technique:

    let the mouse go crazy for 2 mins then power of GPS

    using right click windows symbol - Device Manager - (View - show hidden devices [only if you failed to keep port open and it will not allow disable if its hidden]) - expand mouse and pointers

    to expose the Microsoft Ballpoint mouse - properties - driver - now Disable it.

    Repeated on all my available COM ports.

    I have another 4 computers with 4 ports on each to do. Luckily I was asked to remove the two 8 port PCI boards which I had Windows 10 installing 2 drivers for each card and creating double the number of COM ports one using each driver.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-03-23T01:20:26+00:00

    It IS THE SERIAL ENUMERATOR PROBLEM AND IT DOES HAPPEN TO LAPTOPS WITH BUILT IN SERIAL PORTS.

    The Devcon utility can be used at boot time to disable and remove the Serial Ballpoint Mouse,

    which I have tested on Win 98 Thru Win 7, to temporarily get rid of the pest. But if the system is left idle for an unknown amount of time the Win OS's will reinitialize the Serial Ballpoint Mouse

    from the data present on the Com Port. So after disabling and removing the Serial Ballpoint Mouse the next thing to start on the system is the User Program that uses the Com Port.

    Sample Devcon Usage:

    Add String Keys to the Registry At - MyComputer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

    Key                                                 String

    DisableSerenum                        devcon disable @Serenum\\

    RemoveSerenum                       devcon remove @Serenum\\

    The above keys will kill the Serial Ballpoint Mouse, at the completion of system startup start your

    Software Which Uses the Com Port with the streaming data.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-01-13T16:23:59+00:00

    Au contraire - this is a MICROSOFT problem - not a general USB problem.

    I have been dealing with this problem for a long time - NSIL Mike, I hope you will not take these remarks as offensive, since your remarks have some useful insight in them...

    First, this problem occurs on ordinary, on board serial ports.  If you attach many different models of Weigh Scales which communicate via RS232, the computer MAY determine that this is a mouse.  This has been a problem since Windows 2000, but prior to Vista, Microsoft released a patch called "ComDisable" which cause the Operating System (Windows), not to detect the device as a Mouse.

    Secondly, with respect to USB specifications - Microsoft is major player at the USB organization - they would have provided and approved the specs for determining that a device is a mouse.

    Third - and this relates to point one - GPS, weigh scales and a number of other serial devices are mistaken by the OS as specific types of mice (Ballpoint mice, early model MS Mice) - NOT ORDINARY MICE!  Also, the weigh scales that we work with do not communicate bi-directionally - they just send data to the PC.

    Fourth:  The outputs from serial weigh scales considerably PRE-DATE Microsoft Mouse outputs!

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  5. Anonymous
    2010-02-28T18:40:59+00:00

    Tom - Why do you think that line you added will help?  Is that based on info you've seen on other forums?

    None of the ID's you mention is a USB ID.  So they shouldn't do anything here.

    What's the specific device that you are using?  Are all of the people reporting the issue with the same device?

    Also, it would be helpful if you could create a public folder on http://skydrive.live.com, and copy c:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log to that share.  This should allow me to see what exactly is happening during the driver install process.

    Want to know if your current hardware & software will work with Windows 7? Check out these links: **Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor ** **Windows 7 Compatibility Center**

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