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Troubleshooting Wireless Keyboards and Optical Mice

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This document pertains to HP and Compaq Desktop PCs with wireless keyboards and mice.
Use the steps in this document to solve a wide variety of wireless keyboard and mouse issues.
Figure 1: Examples of wireless mouse and keyboard products
Image of wireless mouse and keyboard products.
NOTE: The wireless optical mouse can flash when it is not in use. This can be the normal activity of the mouse.
The mouse or keyboard does not work at all
If your wireless mouse or keyboard is not working properly, perform each step until the mouse and/or keyboard work:
  1. If the underside of the mouse has an on/off switch, make sure to set the switch to the "On" position.
  2. Restart the computer. This can resolve the problem, at least temporarily, so that other troubleshooting steps can be applied.
  3. Move the mouse or keyboard closer to the receiver. Make sure that the keyboard and the mouse are within 100 centimeters (39 inches) of the receiver. If the receiver is attached to a cord, position it so that it is on the same level surface, close to the mouse and keyboard.
    Figure 2: Typical wireless device placement
    Image of typical wireless device placement.
  4. Replace the batteries with a fresh set of alkaline batteries and make sure they are correctly installed. If the mouse or keyboard is not working, then replace the batteries, even if the mouse/keyboard software indicate the batteries still have a charge.
    Remove the battery cover to access the batteries. For keyboards, the battery access cover is found on the underside of the keyboard. When replacing the batteries look for the positive symbol (a plus sign +) imprinted near the battery compartment or battery cover. Make sure the positive end of the battery is oriented to the positive side of the compartment.
    Figure 3: Examples showing mouse battery insertion for Mice. Your mouse may look different
  5. If the receiver is a USB receiver, unplug it, wait for five seconds, and then plug it back in. Wait about five more seconds and then test the mouse and keyboard again.
  6. Resync the keyboard and mouse connections . Resynchronizing the keyboard and/or mouse causes the devices to reconnect to the receiver using new identification numbers. Use the following steps to resync the devices:
    NOTE: The following connection sequence must be completed within 60 seconds. If the sequence is not done in 60 seconds, start over.
    1. With the receiver plugged in, press and hold the Connect button on the receiver until the activity LED flashes.
      NOTE: Some HP computers have receivers built into the front of the computer; such as TouchSmart 700 Series PCs and Digital Entertainment Centers. Look for a small connect button built into the case. If you have a TouchSmart 500 or 800 Series PC, the receiver plugs into a USB port on the underside of the case and does not have a connect button - skip this step.
      Figure 4: An example of a receiver
      Image of a wireless receiver.
      1 - Connect button and LED activity light
      Figure 5: Another example of a receiver
      Image of another wireless receiver.
      1 - Connect button
      2 - Num Lock LED
      3 - Alpha Lock LED
      4 - Scroll Lock LED
      5 - Activity LED
    2. Press and hold the recessed connect button on the underside of the keyboard until the activity light on the receiver stops flashing. When you release the button, make sure it does not stick in the depressed position.
      NOTE: If problems persist after resetting AND there is another wireless keyboard or mouse near, use these steps again, holding down the keyboard or mouse button for ten seconds. Doing so may give the keyboard or mouse a new ID number in case the other keyboard or mouse was using the same number.
    3. Press the Connect button on the receiver again until the activity light flashes.
    4. Press and hold the recessed button on the underside of the mouse until the activity light on the receiver stops flashing. Make sure the connect button does not stick in the depressed position.
  7. If your mouse and keyboard have a USB receiver, unplug the USB receiver, wait 10 seconds, and then insert into another USB port - preferably into a USB port that is closer to the mouse and keyboard. For example, if the USB receiver was plugged into a USB port on the back of the computer, unplug it and plug it into a front USB port.
  8. If problems persist, use Microsoft System Restore to go back to time when it was known to work properly:
  9. Download and install the latest keyboard and mouse driver from the HP Web site. For more information, see Obtaining Software and Drivers .
  10. If problems continue, move the keyboard, mouse, and receiver to another computer to see if the problem is isolated to the computer.
  11. If keyboard error messages display, remove old keyboard software before the keyboard can be used. To do this, click Start , Control Panel , Add/Remove Programs , and remove any item in the list that relates to a keyboard. You can install any new keyboard software after the computer is restarted and the new keyboard is recognized by Windows.
  12. If, after performing the previous steps in this document, the computer still cannot consistently detect the keyboard and mouse, download and update the BIOS for the computer.
After performing these steps, the wireless keyboard and mouse should now function correctly. If not, one of the items in the hardware set (mouse, keyboard, and receiver) may be defective or is not transmitting a signal that matches the other devices. This is more likely to happen if the devices are new or you have just replaced one of the three devices. Some types work together as a set, it may be necessary to replace the entire set of devices.
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The mouse does not track well (skips)
If the mouse pointer does not track well, stopping frequently as the mouse is moved, do the following:
  • Change the surface under the mouse. Place the mouse on a light-colored mouse pad or white sheet of paper, and then check its operation. Use the wireless mouse on an opaque surface. The wireless mouse may not work properly on glass, grooved, translucent, reflective, or see-through surfaces.
  • Replace the batteries . Remove the battery access cover and replace the batteries.
  • Move the keyboard closer to the receiver.
  • Remove any other objects that are between the keyboard, mouse, and the receiver, especially speakers.
  • If you are using the mouse or keyboard around large metal surfaces, remove the metal surface or move the receiver, mouse, and keyboard to a new location, away from the metal surface.
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Keys do not type, characters appear seconds later, or wrong characters appear when typing
Most likely the wireless signal is weak. Do the following steps:
  1. Move the keyboard closer to the receiver.
  2. Replace the batteries . Remove the battery access cover on the underside of the keyboard and replace the batteries.
  3. Remove wireless devices that were recently added near the area to see if another device interfering with communications. If so, set the device to another frequency if it is capable or resycn the mouse and keyboard .
  4. Remove any other objects that are between the keyboard, mouse, and the receiver, especially speakers.
  5. If you are using the mouse or keyboard around large metal surfaces, remove the metal surface or move the receiver, mouse, and keyboard to a new location, away from the metal surface.
If the you press a key and the character you typed pops in a second later - this is a lag or buffering problem in the communication/software. The wireless keyboard communication can become interrupted by other communications in the area. It may also be slow to respond if the computer is busy performing other low level tasks - such as scanning for viruses.
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Increasing battery life
Use the following tips to get more life out of your keyboard and mouse batteries:
  • Move the keyboard and mouse closer to the receiver when it is not in use.
  • When replacing batteries, use alkaline batteries. Rechargeable batteries, or other types, might not last as long.
  • Do not use the mouse over a dark surface. Instead, use the mouse over a lighter colored opaque surface.
  • If the mouse has an on/off switch, make sure to set the switch to "Off" when the computer is not used for extended periods of time (30 minutes or longer).
    Figure 6: On/Off switch on the underside of some mice (not all wireless mice have this feature)
    Image of the underside of a wireless mouse, showing the on/off switch.
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» HP and Compaq Desktop PCs -- Obtaining Software and Drivers
»  -- Updating the BIOS (HP and Compaq Desktop PCs & Workstations)
» HP and Compaq Desktop PCs -- Troubleshooting Mouse Problems
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