Have mouse pointer, but mouse can't click. K7S5A

[Klosters]

I've had a K7S5A for six months. Before this mouse problem, it's been a solid mainboard.
After fdisking and formatting a new HDD, I started installing Win98SE. Everything went normally--until I discovered that I have a mouse pointer, but it can't click on any virtual buttons. After shutting down and connecting a known-good mouse and rebooting the box, the no click problem is still there.

But a new unpleasantness happened, too. Now the Power LED blinks constantly, just as if it was waiting for you to hold the power button down for a few seconds, in order to shut down the machine.

The Power and HDD LED's worked normally before the Power LED went wacky, btw.

Thank you very much if you can suggest a solution to this problem!

 

[tenoc]

PS2 or USB mouse connection?

Check all connections carefully. If I had a buck for every time I've knocked
something loose when I've been mucking about in the innards ..........

 

[Peter]

hmmm ... peripheral no work and power LED acting funny, that makes me suspect your PSU is acting up. Check the voltages.

regards, Peter

 

[Klosters]

Thank you for the suggestions, everyone! It turned out that the ECS K7S5A didn't like a mouse that has only four pins in its PS/2 connector. Fancy that. My olde 440BX doesn't mind the abbreviated pinout, but the K7S5A flashes its Power LED in disgust.

I'm glad that the mystery of the constantly blinking Power LED is solved! Alas, either the mouse's PS/2 plug with the normal pinout simply wobbles too much, or the mainboard's own mouse plug is broken. It clicked once while I held the mouse's plug out of whack. But I can't hold the plug off kilter exactly the right way again. Don't get me started on I/O shields that come with mainboards that don't match up exactly right. Could this have been my installing the mainboard incorrectly? Maybe. Naturally, I'd rather blame my pos Enlight 7237!

 

[Peter]

Well then you clearly got a mechanical connection problem there, looks like you can't get the
mouse plug fully inserted. Try aligning the stuff better - loosen the mainboard and connector
face plate, and then try to shift the stuff around until you get a better fit on the connectors.
Careful not to shift around too much, since especially the center one of the nine mainboard screws
has signal traces running quite closeby.

regards, Peter