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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

58 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2016-04-15T17:01:52+00:00

    This value is over written  to "3" by OS in time and Serial Mouse starts up! or on restart. This problem still exists FTDI and others need to take MS to task and fix this dinosaur bug!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-22T11:26:17+00:00

    AMAZING!!!!

    =====================================================

     Here's the fix:  Open Regedit. Navigate to

          HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SerMouse, and change the value "Start" from 3 to 4.  Reboot.

    =====================================================

    Work 100%

    Just test on 3 systems

    This is first realy working solution for this crazy mouse with beliewed from M$ balls!!!

    Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!! Thanks!!!

    Was this answer helpful?

    7 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-11-22T18:23:08+00:00

    This is incomprehensibly reprehensible. The bug was detected in 2000. Millions of people in industry have encountered it. Millions of man-hours and $$ where wasted finding workarounds and getting serial-to-Ethernet converters.

    It has been 14 FREAKING YEARS and we still encounter this problem. 

    This is absolutely contemptible.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-26T07:26:26+00:00

    But not on Win8. Since 20 years I use PCs on my sailboat and since the very old days of Win4Workgroup, 89 etc this problem exists, the old MS-mice no more... Up to win7 pnpblocker performed well. Back to Win8, it is like pnpblocker loads to late, the mouse jumps already when booting. The only way out is a properly designed Multiplexer with its own driver or plug the serial connecter after win8 is properly booted.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2014-04-25T15:40:33+00:00

    There is a simple program to solve this problem.

    http://www.stentec.com/anonftp/pub/wingps/pnpblockersetup.exe ( freeware)

    Download, install, run and select available comport(s), restart and finished.

    So simple and great easy tool to solve this very old Windows problem, a must have for everybody using GPS or other NMEA sources, to start-up Windows without disconnecting NMEA data source at start up to avoid a jumping mouse.

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments