dada wrote on 2024-04-03, 09:53:Hey all. I've recently bought a USB mouse with PS/2 compatibility to use on my Windows 98 PC, a Kensington Pro Fit Full-Size Mou […]
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Hey all. I've recently bought a USB mouse with PS/2 compatibility to use on my Windows 98 PC, a Kensington Pro Fit Full-Size Mouse.
However, I think the information on the site where I bought it might have been wrong or something, because when I attached it via a USB-PS/2 converter it doesn't work. The mouse itself works on another computer, and when I connect it to the PS/2 converter it's powered on just fine, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Even though the mouse is sold as being PS/2 compatible on the shop where I bought it, I can't find any indication that it actually is PS/2 compatible on Kensington's own site. So I think I actually maybe just bought a USB only mouse by accident.
But just in case I'm just being stupid, can someone tell me if a USB/PS/2 compatible mouse should just work in Windows 98 without needing any drivers? I actually don't have any other PS/2 mouse to test it with. But my understanding is that some mice have USB and PS/2 protocol compatibility and when that's the case you should be able to use a converter and it should just work, right?
Thanks for your thoughts 😀
EDIT: Looks like my memory is playing tricks on me, please disregard what I wrote below about how a PS/2 compatible USB mouse detects being connected through a passive adapter.
Maybe I missed something, but what leads you to believe that the mouse you linked to has PS/2 compatibility ? I don't see anything about that in the description on the site or the manual .
That being said, modern USB mice can have non-disclosed PS/2 compatibility.
Additionally, to clear things up the overwhelming majority of USB to PS/2 mouse adapters are passive AND they ARE NOT all wired the same way. AFAICR, those meant for Logitech USB mice are not interchangeable with those meant for Microsoft mice. There maybe other variations too.
If a PS/2 compatible USB mouse is not paired with a compatible passive USB to PS/2 adapter, it will not work on a PS/2 mouse port.
Incidentally, the way these passive adapters are designed to work is typically by connecting 2 pins on on USB mouse together or possibly by connecting a specific pin to ground (not too sure which it is from memory), which tells the mouse to switch to PS/2 mouse and redefines to by redifinig remaining pins on its USB port to PS/2 compatible signals. Consequently, for it to work with a given mouse, a USB to PS/2 passive adapter must connect together or to ground the proper pin(s) and connect each of the remaining USB pins redefined to USB to the proper corresponding PS/2 pins.
Then there are active USB to PS/2 converter that convert any USB mouse for PS/2 use. These are quite rare AND much more expensive. They are also not reversible. Active converters to turn a PS/2 mouse into a USB one are common and inexpensive (but not all without issues) and ARE NOT reversible or interchangeable with the aforementioned active USB to PS/2 converter that convert any USB mouse for PS/2 use.
Here is an example of a "modern" (2017) USB mouse with undocumented PS/2 compatibility that happened to work with one of the passive adapters thactive USB to PS/2 converters that I own:
USB mice still available in retail stores/online with PS/2 protocol compatibility