How to connect two mice to a computer

Typically, a single mouse is used to control a computer. But there are situations when an additional device is needed. In this case, it is not difficult to connect a second mouse.

To modern computers that have several USB connectors, you can connect two or more mice. An additional connection is necessary if:

1. One mouse is highly accurate and is used in games, and the second with simple technical characteristics is used to control other programs.
2. Two users work simultaneously at the computer, each of which needs a separate cursor.
3. The computer is used in a school or student audience.

IMPORTANT! Usually, when connecting several mice, the control arrow remains common. But there are special programs that allow you to set a separate cursor for each device.

If both mice are used to control the common cursor, the connection does not differ from the installation of one device - each of them connects to the computer via a separate USB port. In most cases, the computer itself recognizes the new device. If the system "does not see" the mouse, then you will need to install the appropriate driver.

IMPORTANT! Some old mice cannot work at the same time as new ones, so it’s better to connect recently released devices.

It is impossible to use two cursors at once without additional programs.. With the simultaneous use of two mice, the arrow will either freeze in place or will oscillate and move in the direction in which it is pulled harder. Programs created to solve this problem are mainly used for educational purposes. Here are some of them:

1. Peanut Butter Pointer.This program is designed for PCs, for which up to three users work simultaneously. After installation, an additional cursor appears on the screen, which can be moved independently of the first. But you cannot perform two different clicks with arrows - while one mouse is pressed, the second is inactive.
2. Mouse Mischief.The official addition to Microsoft PowerPoint. Designed to show presentations in an audience of up to 25 people. Each user gets the opportunity to use his mouse, but only the main cursor, intended for the teacher, can switch slides.
3. MultiMouse.This program from German developers realizes the ability to remotely control a central PC for work or study groups. A personal cursor with a signature appears on the screen. In total, up to 50 cursors can be involved, but they cannot be used simultaneously. But there is the ability to work directly on multiple keyboards, which is convenient when jointly editing a text file.

Programs that would allow different mice to perform actions independent of each other have not yet been developed. Moreover, all the above programs are paid. The Multi-Mouse Toolki library, created in Japan for programmers who want to develop applications in C ++ and C # with the ability to connect multiple cursors, is available for free. This library has not yet been translated into English and is suitable only for users who speak Japanese.