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If it doesn't have a socket, chances are that it won't have the necessary hardware for a PS/2 Mouse either.

You could get one of those old serial to PS2 mouse adapters if your mouse supports both protocols.

RichB93 wrote:

You could get one of those old serial to PS2 mouse adapters if your mouse supports both protocols.

This is your best bet, but I can see why he asked. With PS/2 you can use a semi-modern optical mouse 😀

But as has been said before, if it doesn't have the port, chances are it doesn't have the supporting hardware for the port either.

This all sounds like nobody knows the answer.

ratfink wrote:

This all sounds like nobody knows the answer.

Nope 😜

This all sounds like nobody knows the answer.

Of course nobody has a definite answer. We can't very well do any more than speculate without seeing the actual board, can we?

PS/2 mouse support requires two main things: the port itself, and a keyboard controller chip capable of running a PS/2 mouse. Usually when the port was left off, the keyboard controller was also changed in favor of the simpler (and cheaper) AT keyboard chip, which did not have mouse support. Additionally, any supporting components for the port... resistors, inductors and such... were also generally left off (again for cost reasons).

So, if the board has all the necessary supporting hardware for running a PS/2 port, then adding the port will work. If the board lacks any of the other components, then simply adding the port won't work.

That rigth Old Thrashbarg that how it works no PS/2 plug or 4 pins on the motherboard mean just that and it bit more then just a keyboard controller chip the bios as need support as well other components.
Your only option is Serial to PS2 mouse adapters.

If you aren't too fussy about mouse tracking quality, you can use a PS/2-to-Serial protocal converter from Vetra Systems. This way you can use any PS/2 mouse on your serial port, not just the few PS/2 mice that are bi-protocal.

http://www.vetra.com/327text.html

I personally found the tracking quality too low for my tastes. Anyone ever find another other, similar, company to make such a product?

FYI, even motherboards with PS/2 port headers don't necessarily contain working PS/2 ports. Anyone ever get the PS/2 feature working on a Shuttle HOT-433 version 1-3? Other users have mentioned that even adding the keyboard controller chip to the HOT-433 didn't enable the PS/2 mouse feature, even when using PS/2-supporting BIOS versions.

Also, not all 486 motherboards need that large keyboard microcontroller chip to have a working PS/2 port. The Biostar MB-8433UUD does without it and the PS/2 mouse port works fine.

USB mice tend to work on 486 boards with a PCI, USB card.

It would be highly irregular for a motherboard company to have support for PS/2 mice and not include the header. I'd say your chances of success here are next to 0.

You need spent $50 for Vetra Systen when this $7 http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F4A612-Serial-Ad … 6/dp/B00000J1U6 like is all they need.

That is a passive adapter, not a protocol converter. It would only work if you happen to have an old mouse that will do both PS/2 and serial natively. Which rules out just about any mouse made in the past 10 years.

So no, that cheap adapter probably isn't "all they need".