Subject: Problem Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 - Bluetooth

Message: When the mouse is put on the charge pad its green light pulses 8
times slowly. Then a red light flashes continuously and rapidly. The mouse's
NIMH battery does not charge except for a few minutes of use. Even when the
mouse is left on the pad overnight. The obvious deduction, the mouse is only
charging during slow green pulses.

This problem started early in August when a Vista update included a prompt
to update the mouse driver software with a download from Microsoft. The
Microsoft download was run and stopped itself with a note that the driver
was not compatible. That is when the mouse stopped charging properly.

Then late August another Vista prompt to download the updated driver for
the mouse, and this time the driver installed. However, the mouse
continues to fail to charge for more than a minute when it is first
placed on the charge pad (green pulses).

The mouse battery charge anly lasts a very short while. If I take a half
hour to reseat the mouse on the pad every time the rapid red blinking
occurs, I can slowly build up the charge. The slow green pulsing lasts about
30 seconds, so in half an hour the mouse is reseated on the charger pad 60
times for about 20 minutes of operation. Consider that not all slow green
pulsing coincides with actual mouse charging.

Microsoft can direct me to a safe driver update, please. That would be
greatly appreciated. It would be really appropriate if Microsoft would
correct the error in its driver update (s) effecting the Laser 8000 mouse
(date of
manufature, 2007). I need more than that though!

If you are thinking I need a new battery, don't mention that here. I have
spent over $20 and tried out three new NIMH batteries.

If you are thinking, "Push the little reset button on the bottom of the
mouse and on the bluetooth tranceiver, just like it says in the user
manual", forget it, nothing happened. 8 slow blinks is because I tweaked the
mouse using various combinations of holding buttons while putting the mouse
onto the
charge pad.

A previous Microsoft mouse result was that I got emailed the complete tech
specs which included "button controls". In the beginning the rapid red
blinks started instantly without any green. Necessity is the mother of
invention - not necessarily efficiency, yes. Tech specs and tricks would be
most efficient way to solve this dillema. Otherwise, I just wasted $169.95
on what I thought was a secure and reliable mouse.

Mark Stewart, August, September, October 2007

ps: I am abandoning SharePoint for Linux because higher SharePoint software
cost parallels less cross platform compatibility and more office-only perks.
I really don't want to have to abandon Microsoft hardware. Sometimes the
simplest solutions are the best ones.