Wierd mouse!

Discussion in 'Windows Virtual Machine' started by Callumr, Dec 13, 2009.

  1. Callumr

    Callumr Bit poster

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    2
    Ok i have windows 7 running on my macbook pro and basically i have my external monitor and a usb mouse+keyboard plugged in

    ive set it up so that the windows 7 sreen runs on my external monitor and the usb keyb and mouse only work in the virtual machine

    the problem i have is that the mouse works but you cant see a cursor at all like i can click on things as normal but i have no idea where the actual pointer is

    if i use my macbook touchpad and go onto the virtual machine i can see the cursor for that but not at all for the usb mouse!

    help please!

    thanks!
     
  2. Shaddam IV

    Shaddam IV Forum Maven

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    I have the same problem when I "tie" my Mac's keyboard and trackpad to the VM. I guess there is a problem with the way that Parallels handles the mouse. (Something similar happens when you turn off SmartMouse in the VM settings and try to play a game with a custom mouse cursor in full screen... the mouse clearly is active but there's no cursor, so you don't know where you're pointing).
    Can you in the meantime NOT bind the keyboard and mouse to the VM? You'd lose the ability to have 2 independent mice but at least you'll be able to work in the VM.
     
  3. Callumr

    Callumr Bit poster

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    ive gone back to using my laptop + old PC till i can get this sorted tbh!

    its really frustrating and 1 mouse defeats the purpose of it atm
     
  4. tacit_one

    tacit_one Pro

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    Hello Callumr,

    It's all not that difficult. Your use-case is rather specific: you want to have a dedicated mouse and keyboard for the virtual machine. The problem with "invisible mouse" is caused by our special service called "mouse synchronization". It allows you to easily transfer mouse between Mac OS and Windows.

    In your use-case you obviously don't need that service, so you can just disable it, as described in the following KB article: http://kb.parallels.com/5667

    Let me know if it doesn't solve your problem for you.

    Regards,
    Max
     
  5. Shaddam IV

    Shaddam IV Forum Maven

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    This reply doesn't help... in the Parallels 5 configuration, you can't 'Go to "Services" node -> uncheck "Automatically capture and release the mouse pointer" checkbox." - there is no such checkbox.
     
  6. tacit_one

    tacit_one Pro

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    434
    Sorry, i confused different product versions.

    Go Configuration -> Options Tab -> Services -> SmartMouse and set it to "Off".

    You can change that option only when virtual machine is not running, so please shut your windows down before doing that.

    Regards,
    Max
     
  7. Shaddam IV

    Shaddam IV Forum Maven

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    Turning SmartMouse off doesn't help me with games that run in full screen and have their own mouse cursor... the cursor's just not visible in that case. Try it with Warhammer 40,000 - Dawn of War (the 2004 game, not this year's game) - or Battle for Middle Earth - or Star Wars Republic Commando.
     
  8. Tyhja

    Tyhja Bit poster

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    So after a year, there is still no reply?
    I have the same problem and apparently even parrellels 6 doesn't solve this problem (as a search would show), what gives?
    I'm using parrellels 5 BTW.
     
  9. CengizY

    CengizY Bit poster

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    Solution now?

    Dear Parallels Support Team,

    in case you read this: this issue seems to have been appearing over and over again and has been reported by zillions of users/customers. For years now! And also Parallels 6 does apparently not solve the issue. Every thread I read in the boards regarding this problem ends up in "NO ANSWER/NO SOLUTION".

    This cannot be the quality standard that you are targeting for: neither with your product, nor with your support services.

    So would you please either fix this now or tell the customers that this is a functionality that you do not and will not support rather than making people try this and that!?

    Thx in advance
     
  10. alev

    alev Parallels Team

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    462
    Hello, CengizY!

    To be clear let me describe issues as I see them:

    1) I want to use one of my mouses in Virtual Machine only. VM doesn't show it's cursor.
    It is known issue. Workaround offered in this post http://forum.parallels.com/showpost.php?p=396872&postcount=6 works.
    We didn't think this is a big issue for time, as there is workaround which works well and this situation looked like rare case. But now we see that this is reasonable and we are going to make it work in upcoming update.
    Dedicated mouse could have more functionality in VM, it visually has better reaction and it is very comfort to use if you have multiple monitors, with VM running on one of them in fullscreen mode.

    2) I want to play game using mouse, but cursor is not visible.
    Not visible cursor in games is a complex problem. We keep fixing issues there, but we still face some of them (for instance Age of Empire 1 - as workaround you could Disable 3D acceleration. Fix for this current game will be included in next update).

    3) And the most annoying one - some games doesn't react on special mouse movements as expected.
    It could happens while rotating camera or moving with hold down buttons. Sometimes it could be "fixed" by disabling sliding mouse. It is detected that dedicated mouse works well with such movements, but it's cursor is not visible due to 1) or 2).
    This problem is very hard at catching while testing. We hope that fixing the 1st and the 2nd problem will give customers at least a workaround - using dedicated mouse. But we also keep trying to fix it in general way. At this moment it is not and so I could not promise that it will be soon, but we are working on it.

    What is your case, CengizY?
     
  11. mH2

    mH2 Member

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    Finally a decent response...

    I have a similar issue with online games (the dragging mouse issue).
    I have opened ticket #1098567 and received NO help -- and the insult of "Resolved" within Minutes of asking a question...(most of the question is actually answered in my data, see the ticket).

    I attempted to use a dedicated mouse with Invisible results...
    I will try again with the information you gave.

    Let me say, Alev, If it were not for YOU, I would have abandoned PD and gone back to VMFusion!
    I noticed that you took the time to answer other people's questions in other threads; so, I searched all your answers and found this!

    THANK YOU!
     
  12. mH2

    mH2 Member

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    test 1 results

    First I set Smart Mouse to (Off) ...
    I started the VM, clicked inside to acquire the mouse and start the game (LOTRO).

    The display almost worked...
    As you move the mouse, it momentarily flickers into visibility -- along with data from an old frame (old video frame)...
    The mouse appears to be redrawn on the wrong video layer and not swapped in on the next frame; however, if you move the mouse, the video frame where the mouse is being drawn shows.
    Top that off with, if you click and Drag the mouse the video refreshes smoothly (but no mouse; invisible)...

    There seems to be a video frame bug in either the Microsoft Dx driver or the emulating of it.
    In bug #1098567 I referenced a forum post that has some data on this... Can you (Parallels) respond to that data please?
     
  13. mH2

    mH2 Member

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    Test 2 results

    I replaced the Logitec scroll wheel mouse with an old mac scroll wheel mouse, and started the VM (SmartMouse still OFF)

    I waited until after boot to plug the Logitec mouse into the back of the iMac.
    I've plugged it in there before, so, no dialog box announcement; and, mac now has 2 mice...

    I use the USB symbol on the bottom of the running VM to Connect USB Mouse #2.
    Now, I get the Parallels dialogue box to assign mouse? and I click (Yes).

    The mouse stills spends 98% of the time invisible...

    It is interesting to note that the mouse shows fine, if, no animation is happening. This may be a Microsoft Dx bug or (cough) feature.

    Parallels is going to have a lot better time debugging this at home, in a controlled environment, where they can capture the "messages" that Microsoft sends flying around their "operating system"...(one massive collection of Case Statements more like...(sorry, debugging in Microsoft is no fun, I know.))

    You may need to get a hold of one of these software houses that write 3D games and find out what calls they are making to update the mouse and what Dx calls that translates into. You may even need to intercept the mouse calls and an overlay layer (good luck) and put out your own mouse...(yikes)

    I tried turning off Dx 3D acceleration in XP before running the game and the game would not come up...so again, the solution will probably involve intercepting something that Microsoft does Not want intercepted... :(
     
  14. mH2

    mH2 Member

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    can't reproduce almost-near-almost-working

    I was able, with Smart Mouse Off and running PD windowed and the game 'full screened', to get the mouse to show while moving it (with the side affect that some old frame flashed on the screen with the mouse, with the exception of two rectangular areas that seemed to be updating correctly (small blocks, < 10% of the screen, taller than they were wide).

    Now I can not even reproduce that...
    (I even tried Stopping the Coherence service...no change; can't stop the other Parallels service (Tools I believe) as then the keyboard is not available, and adding a second keyboard is a little too much.)
    Should I try renaming the prl_... mouse device driver?

    I'm losing hope... ... ... PD...
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2011
  15. mH2

    mH2 Member

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    Official response ... so far...

    (this is a duplicate of a response I left to:Mouse Sensitivity and Spinning and Mouse use in Parallels MMO gaming )

    I have run this "up the flag pole" with an exhaustive list of detailed information in tickets #1098567 and then 'second level' ticket #8098142 (filed on version 11994). It has now been passed up to the Developer level.

    I hope this means they feel they now have the information necessary to reproduce and finally fix this annoying bug...

    Here's to hoping!
     
  16. SebastianM

    SebastianM Bit poster

    Messages:
    2
    Same Problem here.
    I have to say that the performance of Parallels is really great for playing LOTRO on a VM, however it is IMPOSSIBLE to use it without a fully functional mouse.
    Hope it will be fixed ASAP.
     
  17. SebastianM

    SebastianM Bit poster

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    Any news on that point?
     
  18. Oclair

    Oclair Junior Member

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