README for DOS Mouse Driver
=============================
This file contains supplemental information for the DOS Mouse Driver.
Manual Installation
===================
Using the INSTALL program is the fastest and easiest way to set up
the driver software. However, you can also perform a manual
installation through the following procedure:
1. Copy the contents of the Install disk to a single directory on
your hard disk, as in this example:
md c:\imouse
copy a:*.* c:\imouse
2. Examine your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files for possible
conficts involving other pointing device drivers. These include
commands that load the driver, or that set the MOUSE environment
variable. Either remove such lines, or edit them to reflect your
new installation, as outlined below.
3. To load the DOS mouse driver automatically through AUTOEXEC.BAT,
use the following command syntax:
set mouse=c:\imouse
c:\imouse\imouse
Substitute the actual drive and directory where your driver files
reside. You may also wish to add this directory to your PATH
statement.
The optional SET MOUSE command specifies which directory the
driver should search for its MOUSE.INI settings file. This
example uses the same directory as the driver, duplicating its
normal behavior. However, you can use this feature to maintain
different MOUSE.INI files in separate locations.
These changes will not take effect until you reboot your
computer.
Uninstalling the Driver
=======================
To uninstall the driver, remove or remark out (REM) the following
lines from AUTOEXEC.BAT:
set mouse=c:\imouse
c:\imouse\imouse
You can also restore the file contents from the AUTOEXEC.BAK, a
backup copy created by INSTALL.
If you keep the IMOUSE directory and its contents intact, you can
easily restore the installation later, without needing the original
diskette. The next topic explains how.
Restoring Your Installation
===========================
During a first-time installation, the INSTALL program places a copy
of itself in the same directory as the driver files. If you
temporarily change drivers to use another pointing device, you can
then use this copy of INSTALL to restore your installation without
going back to the original driver diskette. All previous MOUSE.INI
settings will also be preserved.
This procedure works as long as you do not delete any of the
installed driver files. To restore your installation:
1. Run the copy of INSTALL program found in your driver directory. For
example, with the standard installation, use the following command:
c:\imouse\install
(You could also change to that location and simply type INSTALL.)
2. When INSTALL prompts you for a driver directory, be sure to
specify the existing driver directory (containing INSTALL and the
other files). In this case, no files will be copied. Instead,
INSTALL will simply update AUTOEXEC.BAT to use your existing
driver.
CONFIGURING THE IMOUSE DRIVER
=============================
The IMOUSE driver is preconfigured with default settings
that many people may find suitable for general use. However, it
also supports a wide range of hardware and software settings
to handle almost any situation.
You can override the default settings by adding option
switches to the IMOUSE command line, or through statements
in the MOUSE.INI configuration file. Command line options
are more convenient for temporary adjustments or frequently
changed items, while MOUSE.INI is a better place for your
long-term preferences. This distinction reflects the fact
that IMOUSE reads the MOUSE.INI settings only when you first
load the driver into memory. Therefore, any changes to
MOUSE.INI will not take effect until you either reboot the
system or remove the driver from memory and reload it.
Conversely, most of the resident driver settings can be
changed simply by issuing new IMOUSE commands.
During its initial load, IMOUSE normally looks for MOUSE.INI
in the same directory where the driver resides. To specify a
different location, set the MOUSE environment variable to
the desired drive and path (e.g., SET MOUSE=C:\BIN) before
loading the driver. This technique lets you keep multiple
copies of MOUSE.INI for different purposes, without wasting
disk space on identical copies of the driver.
TESTING YOUR INSTALLATION
=========================
From the DOS prompt, type IMOUSE TEST to run a simple
diagnostic test built into the driver. If the driver loads
successfully (or was already loaded before this command),
the following line will appear after the copyright and
status messages:
-- Test mode active: press a key to quit --
While test mode is active, a mouse cursor appears on the
current DOS screen, tracking the motion of your pointing
device. The test mode cursor also responds to button presses
by changing to the letter "P" (primary), "S" (secondary),
"A" (auxiliary), or "*" (multiple buttons).
When you are finished with test mode, press a keyboard key
to quit and return to the DOS prompt.
REFERENCE: OPTION SETTINGS
==========================
This section provides full details on all IMOUSE command
line switches and MOUSE.INI statements, including background
information and explanatory notes.
You can type IMOUSE /? from the DOS prompt at any time to
display a summary of the command line options. (This assumes
IMOUSE.COM is in the current directory or on your DOS PATH.)
Language
--------
International versions of IMOUSE let you select one of the
following languages for driver messages:
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ------------------
/L Language = English
/LD Language = German
/LE Language = Spanish
/LF Language = French
/LI Language = Italian
/LNL Language = Dutch
Mouse Type
----------
The MouseType setting and associated switches actually
describe the computer port where your mouse is attached.
Because these options address the same ports as the driver's
automatic search, their most common use is simply to speed
the loading process. Users with multiple pointing devices
can also use this method to specify which device should be
activated. The following list matches the search order used
by the driver:
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ -------------------
/Z MouseType = PS2
/C1 MouseType = Serial1
/C2 MouseType = Serial2
/C3 MouseType = Serial3
/C4 MouseType = Serial4
/I1 MouseType = InPort1
/I2 MouseType = InPort2
/B MouseType = Bus
If the driver does not detect a mouse on the specified port,
it continues from the beginning of the default search order.
For example, consider a laptop system with an internal PS/2
device and an external serial mouse which is not always
available. If you set MouseType=Serial1, the system will use
the serial mouse when it is present and the built-in PS/2
device otherwise.
Certain nonstandard ports may not be detected successfully;
in these cases, you must supply more information to the
driver. Use the information in this section to determine the
appropriate command line options. When you find the right
switch or switches (and verify that the mouse is working
properly), place the equivalent settings in MOUSE.INI to
indicate your configuration.
Before turning to the most general case, we must note a lack
of uniformity among the "standard" serial port designations.
Ports COM1 and COM2 are assumed to use the same addresses
and interrupts on all systems, but COM3 and COM4 are not:
Port AT-Bus PS/2 (Microchannel)
---- ----------- -------------------
COM1 03F8h, IRQ4 03F8h, IRQ4
COM2 02F8h, IRQ3 02F8h, IRQ3
COM3 03E8h, IRQ4 3220h, IRQ3
COM4 02E8h, IRQ3 3228h, IRQ3
If the driver does not recognize your use of COM3 or COM4,
it may be misinterpreting your system type. You can override
the automatic determination by adding the suffix "A" or "P"
to the serial port command line switch. For example, /C3P
specifies COM3 with PS/2-compatible addressing, while /C4A
specifies COM4 with AT-compatible addressing. If the
override works, you can supply the equivalent base address
and IRQ through MOUSE.INI, as described next.
The most flexible way of specifying a serial port requires
both a base port address (3 or 4 hexadecimal digits) and IRQ
number, using the following syntax:
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ -----------------------------
/BAx BaseAddress = x (hexadecimal)
/IRQn IRQnumber = n (2-5, 7, 10-15)
If you specify a base address, you must also include the IRQ
number. (In this case, any /Cn switch or MouseType setting
is ignored. However, you can still use the serial format
switches or CompatibleWith setting). Be careful with these
parameters, as incorrect values can disrupt other devices!
When specified without a base address, the IRQ parameter is
assumed to modify an otherwise standard port designator.
This usage also applies to the InPort and Bus mouse types,
provided that the hardware can be suitably configured.
Button Mapping
--------------
The following options let you swap or rearrange the
available mouse buttons to suit your convenience. With a
three-button mouse, you can also redefine the third button
to provide a click lock function (described next).
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ -------------------------
/KPnSm PrimaryButton = n (1-3)
SecondaryButton = m (1-3)
To describe the button actions seen by your applications, we
use the terms Primary, Secondary and Auxiliary instead of
Left, Right and Middle. This more precise usage emphasizes
the fact that applications do not read the physical buttons.
In other words, what they consider a "left click" comes from
whichever button you designate as Primary.
The mapping options refer to physical buttons by number:
3-button mouse: left = 1, middle = 2, right = 3.
2-button mouse: left = 1, . . . right = 3.
With a 2-button mouse, the driver also accepts references to
button 2 as the right button. But calling it button 3 has
the advantage of compatibility with all mouse types.
Turning to examples, one common use of button mapping
reverses the primary and secondary buttons for left-handers,
so they can perform most mouse operations with the index
finger. This is accomplished through the command switch
/KP3S1 or setting PrimaryButton = 3 and SecondaryButton = 1.
With 3-button mice, note that you do not specify the
auxiliary button directly. Instead, when you specify the
primary and secondary buttons, the driver automatically
assigns the auxiliary role to the remaining button. For
example, /KP1S2 moves the secondary role to the middle
button, so the right button becomes the auxiliary.
Click Lock
----------
Because few applications recognize more than two buttons,
the click lock option provides an alternate function for the
auxiliary button on a 3-button mouse (normally the middle
button, unless the buttons have been remapped.) This option
has no effect on a 2-button mouse.
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ---------------
/KC ClickLock = On
/K ClickLock = Off
With click lock enabled, pressing and releasing the
auxiliary button is equivalent to pressing and holding the
primary button. The primary button stays down (as seen by
applications) until you the next time you press and release
any button.
In other words, click lock makes the auxiliary button act
like a latched version of the primary button. It lets you
use the mouse to drag objects without having to hold any
buttons down.
Orientation
-----------
This option lets you rotate the apparent direction of mouse
motion, as viewed on the display.
Mouse users can simply experiment with different settings,
or take a more analytical approach: Imagine a "north/south"
line on your desk or mouse pad, in the direction that feels
most natural for up-and-down screen motion. Estimate the
rotation angle from this axis, proceeding clockwise to the
centerline of the mouse. The angle must be expressed as a
positive number. For example, 30 degrees counter-clockwise
would be expressed as /O330 (i.e., 360 minus 30). This
example setting might describe a right-handed user who
prefers holding the mouse with a slight inward twist.
Memory Regions
--------------
To maximize the amount of conventional memory (below 640K)
available to DOS applications, the IMOUSE driver attempts to
move its resident portion to other regions, if available.
These regions include expanded memory (EMS 3.0 or higher),
the High Memory Area (64K beginning at 1MB), and Upper
Memory Blocks (between 640K and 1MB).
As long as your memory manager or other necessary system
files are loaded before the driver, this relocation proceeds
automatically. You don't have to use the MS-DOS LOADHIGH or
DEVICEHIGH commands, or their third-party equivalents. In
fact, the driver's built-in relocator often succeeds in
cases where external loaders fail. It also has the ability
to split the driver between multiple regions.
The following options provide explicit control over the
driver's memory usage, letting you enable or disable access
to each of the supported memory types:
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ------------
/E Memory = EMS
/E- Memory = NoEMS
/HI Memory = HMA
/HI- Memory = NoHMA
/U Memory = UMB
/U- Memory = NoUMB
/LOW Memory = LowMem
You can specify multiple memory settings (separated by
commas) in a single MOUSE.INI statement. For example, the
following syntax will prevent all relocation attempts:
Memory = NoEMS, NoHMA, NoUMB
In the example above, the simple statement "Memory = LowMem"
or the /LOW switch would yield the same result.
Power Management
----------------
In some cases, the power conserving features of laptop
computers or energy-efficient desktop systems may interfere
with normal mouse operation. IMOUSE uses two strategies to
address this problem:
* Advanced Power Management (APM) is an industry standard
specification that allows hardware and software from
different vendors to cooperate in various power saving
modes. IMOUSE includes full APM support as a standard
feature, requiring no option settings or switches.
* Mouse Power Management is an IMOUSE option intended for
older systems (primarily laptops) whose power saving
modes are not APM-compatible. It allows the driver to
detect and recover from power interruptions that may not
fully restore the hardware state. This option is normally
disabled, because few systems require it.
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ -------------------------
/MPM MousePowerManagement = On
/MPM- MousePowerManagement = Off
If your mouse behaves erratically after returning from
"sleep" mode, try the /MPM switch. If the problem goes away,
you can then edit MOUSE.INI to change the default setting.
Sensitivity
-----------
Sensitivity settings define how much the on-screen pointer
moves in response to physical motion of your mouse or
compatible pointing device.
As shown below, you can set different sensitivities for
horizontal and vertical motion. This feature can be helpful
in specific situations, such as navigating spreadsheets.
However, a uniform setting for both dimensions (specified by
the /S switch) usually feels more natural.
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ---------------------------------
/Hn HorizontalSensitivity = n (5-100)
/Vn VerticalSensitivity = n (5-100)
/Sn - n/a -
Each setting takes values from 5 to 100, in steps of 5.
(Other numbers in this range are rounded to the nearest
valid step.) The default values are 50 in each dimension.
Smaller values make the pointer easier to control, while
larger values let you cover more of the screen with less
hand motion.
Acceleration
------------
Acceleration profiles provide a dynamic adjustment of the
current sensitivity settings. In other words, sensitivity is
concerned only with how FAR you move the physical device,
while acceleration also depends on how FAST you move it.
The driver includes four built-in acceleration profiles,
which you select by number (profile 2, the default, gives
"Medium" acceleration):
Switch MOUSE.INI Description
------ ----------------------------- ------------
/P1 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 1 Slow
/P2 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 2 Medium
/P3 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 3 Fast
/P4 ActiveAccelerationProfile = 4 Unaccelerated
The descriptive names also appear in MOUSE.INI, along with
data tables that define each of the standard profiles. By
editing the data, serious hackers can create their own
custom profiles. (This is not a project for the novice!)
Pointer Appearance
==================
Forcing the Default Text Cursor
-------------------------------
Enabling this option prevents applications from changing the
standard inverse-block "software cursor" used as a mouse
pointer in most text-based programs. It has no effect on
graphics-based programs, or on those using the text-mode
"hardware cursor" provided by the video adapter.
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ------------------------
/M ForceDefaultCursor = Off
/M1 ForceDefaultCursor = On
Some applications use different mouse pointer types to
provide useful status information. Therefore, this option
should be restricted to specific programs whose changes make
the pointer too difficult to see.
Display Delay for LCD Screens
-----------------------------
This option addresses a common problem with passive-matrix
liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Rapidly moving images, such
as the mouse pointer, may seem to disappear because the
display responds too slowly for each intermediate position
to become visible.
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ -----------------------------
/Nn CursorDisplayDelay = n (0-10)
Increasing the delay between screen updates gives each image
more time to register on the LCD display. On the other hand,
large delay values tend to make the pointer feel sluggish
and less precise in its response. The best strategy is to
use the lowest delay setting that keeps the moving pointer
from getting lost.
Pointer Color Options (Graphics Only)
-------------------------------------
Several color-related options affect the way the mouse
pointer appears in most graphics-based applications.
First, the PointerColor options are effective in all
graphics video modes. Assuming the current program has not
replaced the standard mouse pointer with its own design,
these options produce the following results:
* Normal (the default setting) gives a bright white arrow
pointer with black outline.
* Reverse gives a black arrow pointer with bright white
outline.
* Transparent gives a "see through" pointer that changes
color depending on the material it passes over (an effect
similar to the standard text-mode mouse pointer).
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ---------------------
/PCN PointerColor = Normal
/PCR PointerColor = Reverse
/PCT PointerColor = Transparent
Additional control is available in 16-color and 256-color
graphics modes, provided that the pointer is actually being
drawn by the mouse driver (not the underlying application).
Referring to the normal arrow pointer and its outline as
Foreground and Background, you can change the colors used
for these elements through the following syntax:
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ------------------------------------------
/PFn Foreground = color (default: Bright White)
/PBn Background = color (default: Black)
n Color Name n Color Name
--- ----------- --- --------------
0 Black 8 Bright Black
1 Blue 9 Bright Blue
2 Green 10 Bright Green
3 Cyan 11 Bright Cyan
4 Red 12 Bright Red
5 Magenta 13 Bright Magenta
6 Yellow 14 Bright Yellow
7 White 15 Bright White
If you use the command line switches without numeric
arguments, they revert to the default values /PF15 /PB0.
Pointer Growth Options
----------------------
This option group lets you enhance the mouse pointer
visibility through various forms of static or dynamic
growth.
Switch MOUSE.INI
------ ---------------------
/PSS PointerSize = Small
/PSM PointerSize = Medium
/PSL PointerSize = Large
/PG Growth = On
/PG- Growth = Off
/PZ Zoomable = On
/PZ- Zoomable = Off
/PTn Threshold = n (1-100)
/PDn Delay = n (1-100)
The most important setting in this group is PointerSize,
which selects a small (default), medium or large pointer.
What you see on-screen will vary depending on the current
application (its video and mouse handling strategies) and on
the remaining settings:
* Small (the default setting) entirely disables all pointer
growth features, regardless of the other settings.
* Medium changes the text-mode mouse pointer to a tall and
wide cross shape. Depending on the Zoomable setting, the
standard graphics-mode pointer will either grow by 50% or
acquire a shadow highlight.
* Large changes the text-mode mouse pointer to a hollow box
shape, three times taller and wider than the small
setting. Depending on the Zoomable setting, the standard
graphics-mode pointer will either double in height and
width or acquire a shadow highlight.
The Growth setting controls whether the PointerSize effects
described above are static or dynamic:
* Growth = On applies the Medium or Large settings only
while the pointer is moving. When motion stops, the Small
pointer returns.
* Growth = Off (the default) keeps the specified size
constant, whether the pointer is moving or not.
The Zoomable setting controls how the Medium and Large
pointers actually appear in graphics-based applications.
This setting has no effect in text mode.
* Zoomable = On selects a "true growth" strategy, drawing
the Medium and Large pointers as magnified versions of
the Small pointer. This strategy provides the maximum
possible emphasis for difficult viewing conditions.
* Zoomable = Off (the default) substitutes a shadow effect
for the Medium and Large pointers. This strategy provides
less emphasis than zooming, while still making it easier
to follow the moving pointer.
Threshold and Delay values control the timing of PointerSize
effects when growth is enabled. When growth is disabled
(preventing the pointer from changing size), these settings
are ignored.
* Threshold specifies how fast the mouse can move (on a
scale of 1 to 100) before pointer growth occurs. A low
threshold triggers growth very easily, while higher
values require more motion. The default value is 20.
* Delay specifies how long pointer growth lasts (on a scale
of 1 to 100) after mouse motion stops. Low values cause
the pointer to shrink back quickly, while larger delays
allow more "settle" time. Each unit equals roughly one
tenth of a second. The default value is 3.
Command line switches make it easy to experiment with
various combinations of pointer settings. For example, try
"IMOUSE /PSL /PG /PZ /PF4 /PB12" to give your graphics-based
DOS programs a large, dynamic zooming red pointer with a
bright yellow outline. When you find the combination you
like best, translate the switches into MOUSE.INI settings,
where you can store them to replace the built-in defaults.
HOW TO CONTACT KENSINGTON:
=========================
Kensington Technology Group
2855 Campus Drive
San Mateo, CA 94403 USA
800.535.4242 (US and Canada)
650.572.2700
650.572.9675 (Fax)
email:
info@kensington.com (For general information)
tech@kensington.com (For technical support robot)
help@kensington.com (For technical support human)
America Online: Kensington
World Wide Web:
http://www.kensington.com
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.