[SOLVED] Phantom mouse/keyboard inputs - even when hardware is unplugged?!

[AWright47]

Oft okay - hi, thanks for reading hopefully you can aid me in identifying the cause of my woes.

About a week ago I began noticing an odd input from my mouse on my PC. I only use it for games and not for general use/work.

It started on Warzone and the game thought I was trying to throw a grenade when I was not pressing the 'G' key. Then it wouldn't let me run because (as I see it) it thinks I'm pressing another key alongside shift.
I opened a word doc to see if it registered the phantom 'G' keystroke but nothing typed. I then noticed that the mouse would click and hold on things when I wasn't clicking, or NOT register clicks on windows I had open.
Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete temporarily makes the mouse click useable and has allowed me to test/use the PC in a very limited capacity to try and identify the issue. every time it becomes usable again, it will stop registering clicks and 'hold' down the click, or hold down middle click - seemingly all at the same time. It even happens in Safe Mode.

I tried using a different mouse - same issue.
Different keyboard - same issue.
No device plugged in at all - same issue. So clearly not hardware and 100% software.

I have since 'reset' the PC twice using the Windows reset function, both times I have chosen to delete all personal data on the C drive (D drive has not been formatted). First time I reinstalled Windows locally, second time I did it from the cloud. I have also deleted/uninstalled the mouse drivers and reinstalled them.

I am at a total loss as to what is causing this issue, a virus? I'm careful online and don't use it for downloading/porn/etc. I've ran a few virus scanning software, which identified and quarantined a few non-viruses but the problem persists.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Colif]

. It even happens in Safe Mode.

No device plugged in at all - same issue. So clearly not hardware and 100% software.

if it happens in safe mode, its not a driver.

does it happen with no device plugged in while you in safe mode?

what are specs of PC?
what USB devices do you have? any WIFI dongles?

 

[AWright47]

Thanks Colif.

It'll be hard to tell if it happens in SafeMode with no mouse plugged in because most of the symptoms require the mouse to be moving to check or to test click in places to see if it's working or not.

Specs can be found here: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/r7ykcf

I have a USB Bluetooth dongle connected. I've also tested this with a wired mouse and Bluetooth mouse.

 

[Colif]

Try a clean boot and see if it changes anything - make sure to read instructions and make sure NOT to disable any microsoft services or windows won't load right - https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows

if clean boot fixes it, it shows its likely a startup program. You should, over a number of startups. restart the programs you stopped to isolate the one that is to blame.

that shouldn't work since it also happens in safe mode but worth a try.

you could load into safe mode and only have mouse attached, I guess. would at least remove kb from blame, although you have used 2 different ones.

 

[AWright47]

Will do this and report back!

Unsure if the two Windows resets I've done will have refreshed the startup processes, but either way it's still happening so will give this a try.

My next port of call is to format the C drive and reinstall windows from a boot drive.

 

[Colif]

if you clean reset and wiped everything, it should have reset start up. Its just a shot in dark, it shouldn't make any difference if it also did it in safe mode.

Clean install would fix if its some random virus.

New version of win 10 due really soon so I would wait and see if its out in the next few days before reinstalling. Might just save getting some updates.

 

[AWright47]

I'm unable to format my D drive due to not having any space to move all the date to in the interim. Am I in danger of reintroducing a virus (if that is the cause) if I only format the C drive?

I'll be following this guide.

 

[AWright47]

After a full C drive format and reinstall... it seems to have resolved it!

Thank you for your help!

 

[Colif]

I'm unable to format my D drive due to not having any space to move all the date to in the interim. Am I in danger of reintroducing a virus (if that is the cause) if I only format the C drive?

I'll be following this guide.

no, if you have 2 hdd in pc, and all your data is on the 2nd one, you should unplug power from 2nd drive internally when you run the installer as then windows only has 1 drive to choose from. and it will ignore the 2nd hdd. Once pc boots fine after install with 1 drive in, then turn it off and plug other hdd back in and use info that is on it. That is normally how I do it.

I see you already done it

just scan the files on D drive before using them again.

 

[AWright47]

AAhh - so, it's not solved. I'm sorry I got our hopes up.

I'll hold my hands up and say that I didn't scan the D drive with any virus software before plugging it back in and using it after reinstalling, so it may be that...?

But about 24 hours after the reinstall, the mouse started to phantom drag again. And it was exacerbated specifically by trying to play call of duty, which is still unplayable.

Should I scan the D drive and then reformat again? (I have already scanned it and nothing has shown up, I just didn't RE-scan it before using it post format.)

Any other tips...

 

[AWright47]

Here is a video demonstrating what's happening because I struggle to explain it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jd5jD_7TS0jM4sDaNGz2jkC4GDj07nL0/view?usp=sharing

 

[Colif]

No device plugged in at all - same issue. So clearly not hardware and 100% software.

I am not so sure about that, it could be a hardware bug of some kind still. Since it happens in safe mode, it sort of shows its not software. Unlikely anyway. Since it survived a clean install it makes me think its hardware.

I don't think its anything on D drive, you could reinstall just to have it happen again.

so no other USB plugged in?

Is mouse plugged into back slot on motherboard? Have you tried another slot?

 

[Colif]

you could try to use procmon to track the mouse clicks but I don't know what process you would have to actually track.

Basic Steps for Making a Process Monitor (ProcMon) Capture

ProcMon is an indispensable tool that zillions of people have used. Here are some easy steps for starting, stopping, and saving a Procmon capture. Download ProcMon from Un…

thewindowsupdate.com

and thats assuming its a windows process.

I would boot off an Ubuntu live USB and see if similar problems happen in a completely different Operating System as that would likely confirm its hardware - https://itsfoss.com/create-live-usb-of-ubuntu-in-windows/