No Mouse cursor in Windows

[LJS]

I don't know if I have hardware problems right now, or if my computer has a virus. It froze up on me suddenly and the biggest pain is I don't have a mouse at all once Windows starts. I reloaded setup.exe from an emergency start up disk and the original Windows 98 CD and I had a mouse available to do all that. It restored my video and a few other things, but as soon as Windows starts up the mouse cursor is gone and clicking it does nothing. In order to run an online virus scan (because the one I have isn't current...I know, I know...) I have to click the box and without a mouse, nothing on the keyboard will work in checking that box. Any ideas as to what I can try to get my mouse working again or what the problem could be?? My computer shows the mouse is there and working...

[VONetwork]

Hi
First you can check check boxes using Space bar on the K/B.
Then
Are you sure your mouse did not stop due to a sudden hardware failure of it? Or Has it become loose at the port?
I hardly believe disappearance of cusor has anything to do with a virus. But it is possible that a virus has corrupted the system as a whole.

[LJS]

Thanks for your response!!! I have tried the spacebar and in the window I need to use it does not work. I have tried every single key on the keyboard (even tried shift, Alt, and other keys together)...
Your comment about losing the cursor not necessarily meaning I've contracted a virus makes me feel a lot better!
I have two mice. One is uses a USB port, and the other a regular connection. Neither mouse will work, in fact my second one I tried appears on my computer as not working. When I try the regular mouse, it says it is working properly but there is no cursor. I am agreeing with you that it may be a hardware problem. I'm leaning towards a faulty video card because my sound isn't working right now either and the video display was messed up before I reinstalled Windows setup.
If you have any other ideas, please pass them along! Thanks again for your input!!!

[jdc2000]

If your mouse was working when you ran setup to reload Windows, then your hardware is probably OK. Have you tried booting into Safe Mode? Does the mouse work when you do that?

[LJS]

No. The only time I have seen the mouse even appear on the screen was when I booted up using the emergency start disk (which I had to go through five disks until I found one that my computer would accept) AND reinstalled setup (I should clarify that the mouse was present and worked until during the end of setup when windows restarted, and then it disappeared as soon as it went into Windows). Otherwise the mouse cursor doesn't appear at all no matter what I way I try.
Any ideas??

[VONetwork]

Hi
If the cursor doesn't appear even when you boot into Safe mode,
either your system files are so corrupted that even windows standard(generic) drivers are not loading properly(in safe mode) - do a fresh install not reinstall.
Or your hardware is faulty, it may be that mouse is not functioning because of failure in another part.

Best Rgds

Nirosh

[LJS]

I was finally able to run an updated virus scan last night and there isn't one responsible for my problems. I just noticed last night that I don't seem to have sound right now either. I forgot to mention in the other posts that I've had some (very few) problems printing a full page from Word, and every once in awhile my keyboard will act up and not work at all...but these problems happened so rarely over the past few months that I wasn't overly concerned at what was going on. I'm going to back up a few newer files tonight and format the C drive and start all over...but does this sound like more of a driver problem, (possibly sound card?) than a software problem? I've received opinions pointing to both...
Thanks for your advice!!!