I think best option is a USB to Serial mouse convertor...
https://github.com/LimeProgramming/USB-serial-mouse-adapter

SuperDeadite wrote on 2026-10-14, 10:56:

I think best option is a USB to Serial mouse convertor...
https://github.com/LimeProgramming/USB-serial-mouse-adapter

Thanks, but I need some quick temporary software solution, until I decide which "hardware path" I will take.

I know another more elegant variant, but it will also take its time for me to find the exact same model mouse, to order and receive the PCB for the conversion, to assemble the thing...

i have a mousekeys tsr for dos that i can't find at the moment. i will post if i find it or maybe someone else can provide.

stanwebber wrote on 2026-10-14, 20:02:

i have a mousekeys tsr for dos that i can't find at the moment. i will post if i find it or maybe someone else can provide.

Thank you. But if it is the same program as "MOUSKEYS" by Bret Johnson, please, do not waste your time to search for it. I already downloaded MOUSKEYS ver. 3.05 and found out, that it is not the thing, that I need, since it works with real mouse to mimic some keyboard clicks in DOS programs with TUI and no mouse support.

I need something, that turns keyboard's key strokes in mouse cursor movement and mouse buttons clicks in DOS.

Which games?

Hi, you can use a joystick as a mouse. There's "JoyMouse", for example.
It can be found here (not tested) I think.: https://ftpmirror.your.org/pub/misc/dos/RbbsI … D5/JOYMOUSE.ZIP

Thanks for your suggestion, Jo22, but I received a PM from another forum member and now I have not one, but three perfectly working DOS "virtual mouse" TSRs 😀 They are freeware, but I'm not sure if I should attach them here, since all the three program are with Russian origins.

P.S. Just found what "ХИРЭ - ПМ" means and it is "Харьковский институт радиоэлектроники - прикладная математика" ("Kharkiv's Institute of Radio-Electronics - Applied Mathematics"), so the two out of the three programs are with Ukrainian or rather UkrSSR's origins, sine they are made before 26-th of December 1991 and USSR's dissolution. The third program is from 1993 and still seems like Russian made to me.

If they're freeware and solve your problem, please post them for others who might want to benefit from the information. I also have this problem, but it's on a "modern" laptop where DOS does not recognize the trackpad as a "mouse".

I've been looking for a virtual mouse program which allows the keyboard to simulate the mouse, but was unsuccessful.

zyzzle wrote on 2026-10-16, 03:17:

If they're freeware and solve your problem, please post them for others who might want to benefit from the information. I also have this problem, but it's on a "modern" laptop where DOS does not recognize the trackpad as a "mouse".

I've been looking for a virtual mouse program which allows the keyboard to simulate the mouse, but was unsuccessful.

I'm afraid, that if I attach such freeware with Russian "interface" here, my post might be mass reported and my profile might be restricted or even banned.

Here are the three freeware virtual mouse TSR programs for DOS, that work fine for me (all tested on 286 rig). Their messages are in Russian language, but I translated them to English and made small patcher-executables for all the three programs. All of these virtual mouse TSRs work with loaded driver for real mouse and I'm using Genius Mouse driver for DOS ver. 10.43, which loads fine without any real mouse attached. All three TSRs do not work in programs, which handles the mouse with direct calls to hardware. Some users wrote in other forum, that these three programs might work for old notebooks with non-working trackpads or trackballs and no option for PS/2 or USB mouse to be attached.

Download:

Some more explanations on how to use these TSRs:

For English patch to be applied just run EN_PATCH.COM in the same directory with the corresponding original program executable. Mind, that EN_PATCH does not create any backup of the original non-patched file! For those, that have no problem with using CP866 and Russian language, just skip this patching part.

First you have to load some DOS mouse driver, which works without any real mouse attached (like Genius Mouse DOS driver), then there are three options - for each virtual mouse program.

1. Load NOMOUSE.COM with "NOMOUSE". Use <Left Shift>+<Right Shift> keys to toggle active/non-active, <Arrows> for mouse cursor movement, <Esc>,<Enter> and <Ins> for right, left and both mouse button clicks. If NOMOUSE is still the last loaded TSR in the chain, use "NOMOUSE" again in command prompt to unload it. Than it could be loaded again and so on.

2. Load MMOUSE_R.COM with "MMOUSE_R" or "MMOUSE_R ?" ("?" also shows "help screen" while loading/unloading), which looks like an newer and improved version of NOMOUSE. <Right Ctrl> key to toggle active/non-active, <Arrows> for mouse cursor movement, <Esc>,<Enter> and <Ins> for right, left and both mouse button clicks. If MMOUSE_R is still the last loaded TSR in the chain, use "MMOUSE_R" or "MMOUSE_R ?" again to unload it. Than it could be loaded again and so on.

3. Load EM_MOUSE.COM with "EM_MOUSE /L" ("EM_MOUSE" just shows "help screen" without loading/unloading). Use <Scroll Lock> key to toggle active/non-active, <Arrows> or <NumPad Numbers> (diagonal movement included) for mouse cursor movement, both <Shift> and both <Alt> for mouse button clicks. If EM_MOUSE is still the last loaded TSR in the chain, use "EM_MOUSE /U" to unload it. Than it could be loaded again with "EM_MOUSE /L" and so on.

Personally I prefer EM_MOUSE, since it has the smoothest cursor movement and also uses NumPad's <1>, <3>, <7> and <9> keys for diagonal cursor movement.

Currently I'm searching for the smallest DOS mouse driver, which could work without any mouse attached, since Genius Mouse driver ver. 10.43 eats about 20KB of conventional RAM on my poor 286 system.

Thank you very much for the patches and the drivers! 😃

analog_programmer wrote on Yesterday, 07:28:

Currently I'm searching for the smallest DOS mouse driver, which could work without any mouse attached, since Genius Mouse driver ver. 10.43 eats about 20KB of conventional RAM on my poor 286 system.

Hi, I remember using a very small driver.

Re: CuteMouse not working properly

I think it installs no matter what, but my memory might be playing tricks on me.
Because for a while I'm using the latest Logitech driver due to its Cloaking support (Helix Multimeda Cloaking, Netroom etc).

That Cloaking doesn't work on a 286, unfortunately, so it's of no help here.
Hm. I think I'm using free UMBs and some of the standard mouse drivers here, such as MS Mouse 6.24BZ.

Another alternative might be Novell DOS 7, which has DPMS support.
It's related to how Helix Cloaking works, the Logitech driver even works with that DPMS, too.
But I'm getting a bit off-topic, too! 😅 ND7 probably needs an 80386, too to be fully functional. Never mind.

Thank you for appreciating my effort to translate this handy programs, Jo22, and also for the link to this small DOS mouse driver! I don't think, that a discussion on most suitable mouse driver, which could be used with these virtual mouse programs, would fall into "off-topic" category. I'm open for even more suggestions on better DOS mouse driver. My 286 motherboard with Suntac chipset has hardware option for 64 KB HMA + 320KB of XMS memory, but I'm not sure if this cloaking technology could work, so I have to try this Logitech mouse driver too.

P.S. I just saw what's inside your attached archive from the link to other thread. It's a serial & PS/2 mouse DOS driver ver. 1.16 from PhysTechSoft's - the creators of PTS-DOS. I already have this one (I mean exactly the same mouse driver), but never tried it before.