Windows 7: USB Optical mouse error 43

I have a Dell Inspiron laptop, brand new, that since yesterday won't recognize the Dell optical mouse. It gives an "error 43". I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the driver without success. I got on Dell on-line tech support and their guy worked on it for over an hour and 3 reboots without success. What is going on? We plugged the mouse in when we took it out of the box and it worked for over a week just fine.

Have you tried another one? These things do break down and die sometimes...

It works fine - as do the 2 others we have tried. The red LED is on...and I am not a computing rookie by any stretch, having built several machines for home use.

Of course you must assume some of us here can read your mind as you reply with reference to information not contained in your first post as if we should have somehow guessed what you'd already tried.

I'm pleased to hear you're not a rookie, but would also point out that the device might not be compatible with Windows 7 or that you may not have loaded it's driver, or your mainboards chipset/USB drivers need updating.

Understood. As I said, the mouse worked fine when we plugged it in last week, and worked for several days. It stopped working yesterday and in spite of the Dell on-line rep's best effort to download and install other drivers we are still not able to use any USB optical mouse with the machine. Now, I understand that criticism of MS on these boards is not kosher, but why the #%*#%^ is this happening with a brand new OS? I have noted several other threads where people are having problems with Windows 7's USB port recognition. If this wasn't a Christmas present for my outstanding student son it would be on its way back to Dell tomorrow.

The USB problems many are having seem to be based around Nvidia Chipsets, and if there's any blame to be cast it's actually about time people aimed it at the drivers as opposed to the operating system.

I'd forget the mouse itself and examine your chipset drivers foremost

The Dell Inspiron 1545 uses the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD. The Dell on-line rep downloaded at least 2 variants of Intel drivers and installed them without success. So it is not MS's fault, rather the hardware guys and their drivers? I mean, its not like MS didn't send them a copy of Windows 7 that they could use to test all their drivers with, as if they'd even do that...

I'm sure you can understand the frustration on this end.

If you complete your system spec's in your profile it'll help you to get help from the members here - we can't always Google for what you have under the lid...

Try going to Intels website instead of relying on Dells updates, you might well find a newer driver or patch for your chipset...

Sigh. The Dell guy downloaded drivers directly from the Intel website. Guess my son will just have to use the touchpad mouse...until I have Dell ship me a new machine.

I'm surprised you're not wishing to use a Bluetooth or USB wireless mouse...