Windows
Erratic mouse input from a wireless dongle
The computer was bouncing around on screen and clicking an email would open it instead of deleting it. Removing the mouse dongle/receiver stopped the behavior and the computer worked normally afterward.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2025-10-28.
Affects
Hardware
- wireless mouse dongle/receiver
What you see
- Cursor or screen movement jumps around unexpectedly
- Deleting an email opens it instead of deleting it
Why it happens
Suspected Suspected bad input or interference from the wireless mouse dongle/receiver
When it shows up
A Windows PC has erratic pointer behavior and the symptoms stop after the wireless mouse receiver is removed.
You are in this case if:
- USB wireless mouse receiver/dongle attached to the PC
- Erratic pointer or click behavior stops when that receiver is unplugged
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
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Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2025-10-28. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.