Yes, it's possible for a mouse to go bad. If this is one with the roller ball on the back, it may just need a good cleaning. Disconnect it from the computer, and I think you can open it to clean. If it is an optical mouse the cleaning isn't necessary. If you can try it on another computer, that would tell you whether the trouble is with the mouse itself. Replacing a mouse is not expensive as you can get a good optical mouse for $20 or less, if you watch the sales.

If the mouse started acting up just after the scanner install, it probably has some relation. Seems like you should get whoever installed the scanner for $75 to fix the problems for free as you already paid for a service you did not get.

Other than that, grandms advice is perfect.

Click Start/Settings/Control panel and double click on the mouse icon. Long time since using Win98 so look around for the ability to adjust and test settings.

As said above, you may well need a new mouse and/or the problem could well be to do with your expensive computer guy installing the scanner.

On the scanner, he only had to install software. You only had to place the CD in the drawer and follow along once the 'auto start' started the CD. Did the scanner work before? Or have you just aquired it? Click Start/Settings/Control panel/System/Device manager and see if there is a yellow exclamation mark or question mark beside the scanner.

Mine did that until I went to an optical mouse, it was just tired . To turn the computer off . press escape and control at the same time it will bring up the menue use the arrow keys to highlight turn off computer and hit enter when the window that says stand by , turn off, restart shows up use arrow keys to highlight turn off then hit enter . Gin

Hmmm - I've had this happen too but my curser "freezes". I have a Presario laptop and use the mouse pad on the computer. I noticed if I swipe it a couple of times with a clean cloth it seems to unfreeze it. What's going on?

Mouse freezes? Bring in out of the cold. Just kidding!

Freezes can have several causes, one being a virus that is usurping all of the mouse port's time. Sometmes a bad load of a service update for a virus checker or firewall can overload or mess up the scanning of the I/O ports. There other causes are:
1. Mouse is failing
2. Connector cable and connectors failing.
3. Mother board mouse port is failing.

Try this if you have another known good mouse, swap to a differnt mouse. If that cures the problem, get a new mouse.

If your mouse came with an adapter connector (on the computer end), try a differnt port, e.g., if you are connected to the PS2 port, remove the adapter and try the USB port, or if you are using the USB port, put the adapter on and try the PS2 port. If changing the port solves the problem, one of two thing are implicated: There was connector problem or the motherboard port is failing.

Thanks for your suggestions. I finally gave up and bought a new mouse. Works fine, now.