Mouse and Pointing Device Driver Overview

Windows 95 provides the following improvements in mouse and pointing device support:

• Supports Plug and Play for easy installation of pointing devices. For example, the VMOUSE driver interface supports Plug and Play.
• Provides smooth, reliable input when using the new protected-mode drivers.
• Supports multiple simultaneous devices; for example, when using PS/2® and serial devices at the same time.
• Eliminates the need to use separate MS-DOS – based mouse drivers.

  Windows 3.1 required that an MS-DOS – based mouse driver be loaded before starting Windows to use a mouse in an MS-DOS – based application running in a window or running in a full screen.

The protected-mode Windows 95 VxD mouse driver provides mouse support for Windows-based applications, MS-DOS – based applications running in a window, and MS-DOS – based applications running in a full screen. These improvements result in zero use of conventional memory for mouse support in the Windows 95 environment. (However, most legacy real-mode drivers will run in Windows 95.)

In addition to better mouse services, Windows 95 allows the use of serial ports COM1 through COM4 for connecting a mouse or other pointing device.

To see the improvements in mouse driver support

1. Be sure the real-mode mouse driver from such entries as MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS has been removed from CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT.
2. Restart the computer, and start an MS-DOS – based application that supports the use of a mouse.

   For example, use an application such as Edit, and try the MS-DOS – based application both in a window and in a full screen. Notice that the mouse is available in both modes.