What causes erratic scrolling on XP?

I also have this problem. I disabled scrolling and that has
solved 90% of the problem. I went to control panel -> keyboard -> SetPoint Settings, clicked on the ponter button and set scrolling size to "none". Of course, now
I can't use the wheel, but at least I CAN use my computer
now. I still have erratic scrolling of drop down menus, and I
guess I'll have to live with that for now. I hope this helps.

Kathy D
September 2010

Stu41 - No one has an XP disc and re-installing an Operating System is bound to destroy most of my applications. It's just a faulty mouse scroller - when I did my accidental system restore it took months to get my PC back to how it was before!

gspace - You don't know what you're talking about.

Goatlips
February 2010

If you have the XP disc, try this, it worked for me.
Place the CD in your drive, restart your PC and Boot up from the CD.
At the first screen, press Enter to access the setup window options and hit F8 to accept.
Select the drive Windows XP is installed on and
press R.
Hope this helps.

stu41
January 2010

It seems like it only affects ps2 mice. Unplug the ps2 mouse and plug in a usb mouse and it will stop the problem.

gpace
January 2010

Still no answer!?
I had a wireless mouse originally installed, but went back to a wired mouse because the wireless one constantly tells you to change the batteries - a month or 2 before they run out!!!!!!!!!1 (This is another unresolved issue - You can't prevent the "replace mouse batteries" message from being displayed).

I recently, accidently, did a system restore and the scroller fault was cured - but it's returned!

Windows XP, HP mouse.

Goatlips
January 2010

Do you have a remote control device for your pc?
Had the same erractic scrolling for the past 2 hrs and discovered the remote control was activating on its own. prob a low battery or a dead controller.
Anyway if you do have a remote then disconnect the receiver and see what happens or just take the batteries out.

Osiris_Set
August 2009

I also have this problem and I'm on Windows 7, it also does it on xp and vista.

Fresh format hasn't cured it either.

Any ideas.

Oh, it's any window that's selected, so if I click on messenger, it'll randomly scroll through my contacts, also, sometimes it'll back or forward a webpage, makes typing on forums really hard.

Wayne
April 2009

None of the above are fixes for my scrolling issue. Is it possible that some combination of keys struck at one time might cause it. It started when I was typing a document, and was jumping around a bit. Right after using spell check I might add.
Could it be a key has failed to pop back up. It is weird for sure.

Suzanne Piscapo
November 2008

Sounds Like a bad or outdated Video driver Check to make sure that your Video driver is working and is up to date

Browning.9mm
September 2008

I have seen the same problem as well. I have scanned for Viruses, etc. with Norton, McAfee, spydoctor, and they all say my PC is clean. It scrolls intermittantly it is annoying. I have a macbook with XP running on it with dual boot and I am connecting to internet with comcast cable and I use linksys wirless keyboard and mouse. The problm is not restricted to IE it also happens on other windows apps.

same problem here.
May 2008

I have started getting erratic mouse wheel scrolling also, when browsing webpages I use the wheel to scroll and if I am scrolling down I notice it will randomly sometimes jump up before it carries on going down, sometimes I have managed to leave it erratically jumping up and down by itself whilst not even touching the mouse. It could be hardware but it started happening after I had a long starcraft session so seems a big coincidence.

Chris
May 2008

this is an old post, but still a valid problem... mine does this from time to time also. I was told to update video drivers, change scroll rate etc. I even bought a new wireless keyboard mouse combo... What I have noticed is this. If you take a battery out of the keyboard while problem is happening the scrolling stops. But as soon i as i replace the batt, same thing happens again.. also, my curser may jump up 2 lines, and if not paying attention, will overwrite on written text. very annoying...

greg.
January 2008

Hi I to have this problem. Did you manage to find a solution after such a long time to actually fix the problem? regards, Phillip

Phillip
January 2008

Hi I to have this problem. Did you manage to find a solution after such a long time to actually fix the problem? regards, Phillip

Phillip
January 2008

I have the same problem since last Thursday!! My computer is nearly unusable. HELP

Valerie Chau
June 2004

Do you mean the contents of the windows themselves scroll up and down, or do you mean the whole picture rolls? If the contents of the windows scroll, you may have a malfunctioning scroll wheel on your mouse. Borrow a good mouse from someone, unplug the old one and plug the good one into the port and see if that fixes the problem. If it does, replace your mouse.

If the whole picture rolls, you may have a faulty monitor. If it's an older monitor, look for knobs or settings that adjust the picture and try turning them. If you have a newer monitor, or turning the knobs don't help, I'd suggest you try to find a computer geek to help you take a look at it.

Lovely Lillith
May 2004