How to Troubleshoot Input Devices

Click "Start," the arrow to the right of "Shutdown" and then click "Restart" to restart your computer. Sometimes a simple restart will fix problems.

Make sure all devices are securely connected to your computer. Unplug and plug device back in. For example, if you are having a problem with the mouse, unplug it from the back of your computer and plug it back in. If it is a USB mouse, unplug the USB device from the port and plug it back in. If you are still having problems, unplug the devices you are having problems with and completely shut down your computer. Plug the devices back in and then turn your computer on. Move the device to another USB port. Check the batteries if you are using a USB mouse.

Check for device conflicts. Click "Start, "Settings" and then click "Control Panel." Double-click "System" and click the "Device Manager" tab. Click the plus sign sign next to the input device you are having a problem with. If you see a black "!" point on a yellow field, it indicates the device has a problem. A red "X" indicates the device is disabled. A blue "I" on a white field indicates the "Use Automatic Settings" feature is not selected for the device. A green question mark means there is a problem with the driver for the device. Click on the icon and Windows will give you more information and a solution to the problem found.

Uninstall the USB device to update the drivers. Open Device Manager if it is not open, right-click the device you are having problems with and click "Uninstall." Then the uninstall process is completed, unplug the device from your computer and shut down your computer. Plug the device back in and turn your computer on. Windows will automatically detect the new hardware and install the drivers.