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

Of course the registry is writeable. Make sure you have administrative permissions.

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**

I trimmed the appropriate section (from usb connect to end of log) and uploaded it to my skydrive.

The issue seems to be that once the usb to serial converter is detected, driver loaded, and com port initialized, windows then checks on the newly added com port and identifies the serial device as a microsoft serial ballpoint, when in fact its a serial gps device

The gps works if i can correctly remove the ballpoint from the device manager, but on a touchscreen in my car it is pretty difficult since the incorrect driver moves my cursor and clicks mouse buttons as the NMEA data flows over the com port. if there is no proper workaround, even a script to check for the ballpoint in the device manager and remove it would be fabulous, though a way to exclude the device from being detected at all would be best

Thanks for your time, and since i didnt see the original poster provide a log, I did.

Mark, this has been a major issue with most dongle USB GPS devices for ages. I have a GlobalSat ND 100 dongle that every single time it has been plugged in to either my XP Pro laptop, OR my new Windows 7 Home Premium system, that it enumerates my GPS as a "MICROSOFT SERIAL BALLPOINT MOUSE". Now, here's the real problem:  With my old XP Pro system, you could open the control panel, open device manager, and expand the tree - and then open mouse and pointing devices, and wait...when the enumeration process began once you plugged the dongle GPS in, if you were really fast, you could select the freshly-enumerated "MICROSOFT SERIAL BALLPOINT MOUSE" line, right click it (before your cursor went totally NUTS from the GPS words) and then hit ALT-U (uninstall driver).  Then, you could get enough control to hit "OK" to confirm...once done, the GPS driver would enumerate properly...FOR THIS SINGULAR BOOT-UP.

Sadly, with Windows 7, you can try this trick, but the sorry-thing wants to keep checking enumeration, and within seconds, it overrides the GPS enumeration and goes NUTS again.  My $75 GPS dongle no longer works, as a result...Guess I'll keep XP Pro so I can actually work with my computer in the field!

Yes, it is all the fault of the GPS device manufacturer apparently conflicting with MS naming/enumeration...then again, what is so important about 'SERIAL BALLPOINT' that it has to cyclicly check enumeration for itself...XP didn't do this?!!! I mean, geesh, if I UNINSTALL the driver, Win7 should get a clue that I don't want that driver! How about being able to uninstall that complete driver? I mean, you can do that now...but as soon as you plug in the GPS dongle, it re-installs and prioritize-enumerates, overriding other drivers...what gives?

By the way, this is also a majority issue with anyone using plug-in GPS'.  Just do a GOOGLE search for "UNINSTALL MS SERIAL BALLPOINT" and you will see EVERYONE asking how to stop this insanity...dating back over 5-years....

If you get any actual, working, semi-permanent solutions - PLEASE e-mail me! My GlobalSat GPS dongle is EXCELLENT for use with Streets & Trips, especially when ATV and off-roading...but it is worthless when Win7 won't support the dongle to work!

I had the same problem, cursor sometimes jumps all over the screen  

 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.

I found this on a website for a program to help with gps . Worked like a charm for me.

There is a reg file that will do the editing for you also.   http://www.curioustech.net/downloads/reg.zip 

http://www.curioustech.net/xport.html