those kinds of adapters only work if they originally came with the mouse, mouse needs to support talking and being powered over serial
try cutemouse driver https://cutemouse.sourceforge.net/

Do you have windows 3.1 on your computer? It should see the mouse without needing any DOS driver. If not, I'd suspect something in the hardware.

Robbbert wrote on 2023-06-10, 00:46:

Do you have windows 3.1 on your computer? It should see the mouse without needing any DOS driver. If not, I'd suspect something in the hardware.

Yeah, I have Windows 3.1 installed, might consider an ISA card that adds PS/2 to this computer.

What does the label say ? Need to know the exact MS model number.
Typically If the MS PS/2 mouse does not say serial compatible on the bottom label then it will not easily work on an older serial port system.

gryffinwings wrote on 2023-06-10, 00:10:

I am trying to install drivers for a Microsoft PS/2 Serial-Mouse Port Compatible Mouse 2.0 whenever I try to install the microsoft drivers, it says the mouse is not connected. My computer does not have a PS/2 connector so I am using a PS/2 to serial adapter to connect it to my computer. Any ideas?

If this is 286 class computer then I believe you have the multi-io ISA card for COM port, am I right?
Does COM port come from socket soldered onto multi-io card or maybe it's on the separate bracket connected to multi-io card?
If the second case is yours than there are at least 2 different standards of wiring DB9 connector. Maybe your mouse does not work due to incorrect wiring on the DB9 connector.

^+1

A 9pin "mouse" port on a 286 PC is usually no real serial port (COM, RS-232).
It might be Bus Mouse, MS InPort or something proprietary.
I have such a 286, too and speak from experience.

Jo22 brought a valid point.
The best would be to see some photos of your setup

Alright here are some pictures to show my current setup, I am not sure why this is not working, maybe I really do need a controller card or something.

The adapter you're using is for a logitech mouse, it won't work with your microsoft mouse.
I'm fairly certain that is your problem right there.

Thanks for the photos! 🙂👍
Hm. Might be 2x serial (DE9, DB25) and parallel, but I'm not 100% sure (my weird XT compatible has a gender-switched serial port, for example).

What does MSD program say?
It usually can detect mice without mice drivers.
If there are two serial ports being reported, those might be indeed COM ports.

Edit: @weedeewee Good point! Boy, you have sharp eyes! 😃👍

So, if the adapter I have doesn't work, I'm not sure what would work or if I could find one, but at the moment I am considering an Microsoft Inport PS/2 ISA card.

Here's a picture of what I'm looking at getting.

Could you also post a photo of the pins of the mouse connector ?

I don't think that your mouse is a Microsoft Inport Mouse and thus would be incompatible with that card you're eyeing.

edit: looking up the fccid for your mouse, it seems to stem from 1995, so very likely the mouse port is a ps2 port. and with the correct adapter it's also a serial mouse.

edit2:
recurring problem with these mice...
Microsoft Serial Compatible Mouse only works in PS/2 mode
Re: Microsoft PS/2 to serial pinout?
both list pinouts for possible adapters.

gryffinwings wrote on 2023-06-10, 18:03:

Microsoft Inport PS/2 ISA card.

afaik its 'Microsoft Inport ISA card', nothing to do with PS2 other than vaguely similarly shaped connector

gryffinwings wrote on 2023-06-10, 18:03:

So, if the adapter I have doesn't work, I'm not sure what would work or if I could find one, but at the moment I am considering an Microsoft Inport PS/2 ISA card.

Here's a picture of what I'm looking at getting.

I think that weedeewee meant that your serial-ps/2 adapter is a Logitech model, meant for Logitech mice.

But you need a same looking one, but for Microsoft compatible mice.
Or a generic one without any label. MS Mouse was often cloned.

That's all because Logitech Mouse and Microsoft Mouse were different standards and used different pins on the COM port's DE-9 connector.
So an adapter must map the right serial pins to the PS/2 port.

Back in the day, there used to several different mice standards.
Mouse Systems and Microsoft Mouse were among the most popular.

There also were Logitech and Genius, two popular mice makers.

Many no-name mice could emulate another, popular mode by holding the mouse button pressed when the PC was switched on.

Bus Mouse and MS InPort were related to each other, but not the same.
The InPort was based on Bus Mouse, but pretty incompatible hardware-wise.

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-10, 19:20:

I think that weedeewee meant that your serial-ps/2 adapter is a Logitech model, meant for Logitech mice. […]
Show full quote

gryffinwings wrote on 2023-06-10, 18:03:

So, if the adapter I have doesn't work, I'm not sure what would work or if I could find one, but at the moment I am considering an Microsoft Inport PS/2 ISA card.

Here's a picture of what I'm looking at getting.

I think that weedeewee meant that your serial-ps/2 adapter is a Logitech model, meant for Logitech mice.

But you need a same looking one, but for Microsoft compatible mice.
Or a generic one without any label. MS Mouse was often cloned.

That's all because Logitech Mouse and Microsoft Mouse were different standards and used different pins on the COM port's DE-9 connector.
So an adapter must map the right serial pins to the PS/2 port.

Back in the day, there used to several different mice standards.
Mouse Systems and Microsoft Mouse were among the most popular.

There also were Logitech and Genius, two popular mice makers.

Many no-name mice could emulate another, popular mode by holding the mouse button pressed when the PC was switched on.

Bus Mouse and MS InPort were related to each other, but not the same.
The InPort was based on Bus Mouse, but pretty incompatible hardware-wise.

Well, that's kind of confusing, what would be the recommended route to take, would you recommend an adapter (part number might be helpful), or would you recommend ditching this one and find a real serial mouse?

Yes that MS mouse must use a specific MS adapter. Best option is find a real serial mouse. Many can be found for about $10-$15 on Ebay.

or make MS compatible serial-ps2 adapter yourself

^- This

The wiring is available in the two posts I've linked to in my previous post.

gryffinwings wrote on 2023-06-10, 19:38:

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-10, 19:20:

I think that weedeewee meant that your serial-ps/2 adapter is a Logitech model, meant for Logitech mice. […]
Show full quote

gryffinwings wrote on 2023-06-10, 18:03:

So, if the adapter I have doesn't work, I'm not sure what would work or if I could find one, but at the moment I am considering an Microsoft Inport PS/2 ISA card.

Here's a picture of what I'm looking at getting.

I think that weedeewee meant that your serial-ps/2 adapter is a Logitech model, meant for Logitech mice.

But you need a same looking one, but for Microsoft compatible mice.
Or a generic one without any label. MS Mouse was often cloned.

That's all because Logitech Mouse and Microsoft Mouse were different standards and used different pins on the COM port's DE-9 connector.
So an adapter must map the right serial pins to the PS/2 port.

Back in the day, there used to several different mice standards.
Mouse Systems and Microsoft Mouse were among the most popular.

There also were Logitech and Genius, two popular mice makers.

Many no-name mice could emulate another, popular mode by holding the mouse button pressed when the PC was switched on.

Bus Mouse and MS InPort were related to each other, but not the same.
The InPort was based on Bus Mouse, but pretty incompatible hardware-wise.

Well, that's kind of confusing, what would be the recommended route to take, would you recommend an adapter (part number might be helpful), or would you recommend ditching this one and find a real serial mouse?

I'm not sure what to recommend.
From what I remember, though, is that most PS/2 mice from the 90s were MS Mouse compatible and had support for both serial and PS/2 ports.

That was useful, because manufacturers could serve both type of customers that way (just one electronic/firmware needed) .
Some mice of the era looked same with the exception of the connector (serial or PS/2).

(Note: After 2000, the dual-mode feature was kept, but it now was PS/2 + USB.
Not sure if there were COM + PS/2 + USB models.
Anyway, your mouse is not affected.
It's an older model from the early/mid-90s and predates USB.
The lack of a wheel button also indicates this.
Edit: The use of a ball, too, maybe.
In the USB days, optical mice were more popular.)

But if you need a definite answer..
There's an eBay seller from Latvia that sells generic/no-name adapters (item no. 125861347036),
which are likely meant for Microsoft mice (what else?).
Or MS Mouse compatible mice, which should use same wiring.
Anyway, better ask the seller if it works with a Microsoft mouse. Asking doesn't hurt, after all.

Good luck. 🙂🤞

Edit: Found a chart.

https://tldp.org/HOWTO/XFree86-Second-Mouse/protocol.html

Logitech really is its own thing.
So it makes sense if a Logitech adapter doesn't work with a Microsoft Mouse.