Ok, so maybe pojo is right. This mouse could be indeed one of these dual-mode mice. This would also make the most sense.
Maybe it was aimed at Amiga users, but because this platform was doomed, it was nolonger worth to produce special hardware for it.
Can't think of another reason they've named one switch postion "PC AT" (meaning PC and AT) and the other "MS AM" (MouSe AMiga).
If it was MS Mouse, "MS MA" would have been more appropriated. If it supports bus mouse, you could use a mouse driver that supports bus mouse
over serial connectiion instead of that ISA card (if one exits).
Or you could try to get PC/AT mode working. I bet it uses Mouse Systems mode or similar then and not MS Mouse.

I believe this necro falls into the "have something important to add" category.
So I got the exact same mouse with the MS AM and PC AT switch (photo of OP's mouse in page 2)

I also couldn't get it to work in DOS with any mouse driver in my collection, ctmouse, ms mouse etc. Moments before walking it to the bin I read this thread and thought... two of them? Not impossible but a bit unlikely, unless they had a specific bad quality/failing component.

So I tried all the drivers I could find and from what I tried the damn thing works only with the Logitech drivers , I got it to work with v7.3 http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?file … menustate=26,24 and in MS AM mode.

Of course it should work with other drivers as well. My point is that this thing is so picky, pickier than any other serial mouse I've seen, that it might easily pass for dead and end up in the trash. So if anyone else has the same before tossing it try the Logitech drivers 😉

I am beginning to detect a theme.

My only non working mouse:

I also have one of these dual mode mice. Qtronix LYNX-96S. The settings are "MS" and "PC". I just leave it on MS mode as I've never got it to work in PC mode. Windows identifies it as a "Microsoft Serial Mouse".

It actually has three buttons but I have no idea how to get the third to work.

ETA: I see someone on U.S. eBay is selling NOS units of this model. If anyone here buys one, I would be very grateful for copies of any software or instructions it may come with.

Errius wrote on 2020-11-18, 22:44:

I also have one of these dual mode mice. Qtronix LYNX-96S. The settings are "MS" and "PC". I just leave it on MS mode as I've ne […]
Show full quote

I also have one of these dual mode mice. Qtronix LYNX-96S. The settings are "MS" and "PC". I just leave it on MS mode as I've never got it to work in PC mode. Windows identifies it as a "Microsoft Mouse".

It actually has three buttons but I have no idea how to get the third to work.

DSC_0008.jpg
DSC_0010.jpg

ETA: I see someone on U.S. eBay is selling NOS units of this model. If anyone here buys one, I would be very grateful for copies of any software or instructions it may come with.

Have a look at this driver

https://web.archive.org/web/19970722075553/ht … older/mouse.zip

3rd button seems to be for what they call "Window Lock"

That's very useful thanks. It explains that MS = Microsoft mode and PC = Mouse Systems.

The third button doesn't work like modern MOUSE3, but is used to lock the other button in the 'on' position, which apparently some people found useful.

I remember there was a program called Cool Mouse 97 (later Cool Mouse 98, and it looks like there was a Cool Mouse 99 as well?) specifically written to let you do things with the middle mouse button – "roll up" windows, minimize apps to the tray, that sort of thing.

Unfortunately it seems to be pretty hard to find nowadays (though there seem to be lots of cracks).

The box of the LYNX-96S has “Microsoft and PC-Mouse compatible” written on it. I assume that "PC-Mouse" is a reference to the mouse used by the Mouse Systems program PCPaint, hence the use of "PC" for Mouse Systems, which otherwise makes no sense.

So the Amiga and Apple II [mice] used the same 9-pin connector used by the IBM PC serial port?

Errius wrote on 2020-11-19, 08:27:

So the Amiga and Apple II used the same 9-pin connector used by the IBM PC serial port?

A bit of Googling suggests that the Amiga used a 25-pin RS232 port, but the Wikipedia page on Apple II serial cards doesn't say.

The 9-pin joystick port was pretty common back in the day, but they're the wrong shape and wrong gender for a PC mouse, and even if you got an appropriate adapter, they would use a completely different protocol. It looks like the Amiga mouse also used the joystick port.

I'm trying to make sense of the cryptic "PC AT" and "MS AM" settings on those other mice. AM = Amiga / AT = Apple II?

ETA: This is interesting. Presumably therefore

MS AM = Microsoft / Amiga
PC AT = Mouse Systems / Atari ST

Has anyone tested one of these "PC AT" mice with an Atari?

Jorpho wrote on 2020-11-19, 04:45:

I remember there was a program called Cool Mouse 97 (later Cool Mouse 98, and it looks like there was a Cool Mouse 99 as well?) specifically written to let you do things with the middle mouse button – "roll up" windows, minimize apps to the tray, that sort of thing.

Unfortunately it seems to be pretty hard to find nowadays (though there seem to be lots of cracks).

Found CM97SET thru archive org, not sure if allowed to post the file so will post the archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/19980210181227/htt … rals_utilities/
added: here is the .DOC converted to .rtf for easier viewing...and it does say: Freeware.
added2: Fixed my link 🙁

Horun wrote on 2021-03-26, 04:54:

Found CM97SET thru archive org, not sure if allowed to post the file so will post the archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/19980210181227/htt … rals_utilities/

Neat. How did you find that?

A Google search for "shelltoys" "cool mouse" turns up lots of hits. It looks like they were still trying to sell it for $25 before their domain name vanished in 2016. (It is probably not worth that much.)

(Also, thank you for providing the readme.)

Got lucky. Found the original file name and that lead to places and articles, one mentioned it could be DL'd thru pcworld so checked my bookmarked ftp archive and found it.
Also found CM99 but it is not freeware

So for the PC Accessories mice with a switch, I have the floppy original disk I got with the mouse new when it was made coming up from 30 years ago.

The easiest mode to work with is to set it to MS mode. Should work out of box without the dos driver on Windows from what I remember. PC mode (Mouse Systems Mode) could work in DOS/Win (and you can see it does in the test program on disk), but I think it's not commonly used, I don't think that mode is well supported. However, Linux supports Mouse Systems Mode, and will even work with a standard functioning third button.

So I have one of these too. I found it recently, and it was the first time I'd seen one of these switches. I've just tested it on my 386.

In DOS, using the same CTMOUSE command that I use for my MS serial mouse, and Eric Rodda's MOUSETST.COM:

• PC/AT mode: All working fine, including middle button.
• MS/AM mode: Moving the mouse actives the button inputs. No cursor movement. And curiously, the Esc key to exit the test wouldn't work until I switched the mouse back to PC/AT.

In Win3.1:

• PC/AT mode: No mouse function - not even a cursor.
• MS/AM mode: Fully functional apart from the middle button, which I guess needs a driver.

Pierre32 wrote on 2021-03-27, 23:06:

In DOS, using the same CTMOUSE command that I use for my MS serial mouse

As per the documentation, you will likely have to invoke CTMOUSE with a different switch to get it to work in Mouse Systems mode.
http://home.mnet-online.de/willybilly/fdhelp- … ase/ctmouse.htm

It was just a quick test TBH as this mouse isn't in active service. But since you mentioned it, it turns out using the options /Y /3 allows you to leave the switch in MS mode, and not have to worry about changing it between DOS and Windows. Good to know.

Some small differences between that page and my version of CTMOUSE, btw

1CuteMouse v2.0 alpha 4 [FreeDOS]
2Options:
3  /P       - force PS/2 mouse mode
4  /S[c[i]] - force serial mouse mode at COM port c (1-4) with IRQ line i (1-7)
5  /Y       - prevent Mouse Systems mode
6  /V       - reverse search: find PS/2 after serial mouse
7  /3       - force 3-button mode (for Microsoft and PS/2 mice only)
8  /R[h[v]] - horizontal/vertical resolution (h,v=0-9; missing option R, no
9             arguments or 0 as argument after R mean auto resolution, missing
10             second argument means same value as for first argument)
11  /L       - left hand mode (default is right hand mode)
12  /B       - cancel run if mouse services are already present
13  /N       - load CuteMouse as new TSR, even if CuteMouse is already loaded
14             (useful for batch files which unload CuteMouse at end)
15  /W       - prevent loading TSR into UMB
16  /U       - uninstall driver
17  /?       - show this help

Hey sorry to hijack the thread but I've been having issues of my own with a serial mouse , the mouse in question is an old Mitsumi
and everything works except for the right mouse button no matter which drivers I use even the official ones , any ideas?

Hi, yes, you could try running a test program.
My old Genius Mouse (GM6), for example, had one that ran in text-mode and displayed a mouse.

Whenever you clicked a button, the picture of the mouse changed accordingly.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid the Genius mice aren't MS Mouse compatible, so you perhaps can't use that test program.
Or maybe it works nevertheless (uses driver instead of direct access)? Not sure.

Anyway, maybe diagnostic programs like MSD or NSSI show more information about your mouse model.

If nothing leads to success, you could try exam the insides of your mouse.
The screws, if there are any, might be located underneath that label and inside the housing of the mouse ball.

Perhaps the right button's switch (metal pin?) is bent somehow or has contact issues.

Jo22 wrote on 2021-04-14, 04:10:

My old Genius Mouse (GM6), for example, had one that ran in text-mode and displayed a mouse.

Whenever you clicked a button, the picture of the mouse changed accordingly.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid the Genius mice aren't MS Mouse compatible, so you perhaps can't use that test program.

I remember that one. In fact, it did recognize a mouse in MS mode. (Occasionally my Genius mouse – or possibly the driver? – would randomly switch to MS mode, which pretty much randomized the cursor response and button presses.)