Unstable Mouse Cursor - with small Hour-Glass attached and blinking.

I have received this PM from Tony (sassofalco) and I am posting it here verbatim for possible responses:

sassofalco said:

G'Day Dwarf,

I've come to you because of uncertainty about where to post details of a problem that I am currently having with my mouse cursor. Briefly;

• Mouse cursor appears on page as the usual arrow, but with a small 'wait-time' hour-glass, normally static if I don't move the cursor, but blinking if I do. Even now as I type, the hour-glass is blinking.
• It shows like this whenever I have a webpage open [as in Vista Forums etc], but if I open WLM, or a PDF, or a page in Win.Expl over the top of the open webpage, stability returns and the hour-glass disappears. However, if I 'slide' the cursor off the edge of WLM etc., and onto the webpage underneath, the blinking hour-glass immediately reactivates.
• On the clear Desktop, normal mouse arrow appearance, behaviour and stability apply.
• I have not lost control of the mouse cursor, and for all other functions it still operates as normal....it's just this damned blinking hour-glass, and it has only been happening intermittantly for the past 2-3 days.
• The other thing that is happening in conjunction with this [and this really worries me], is that the Ethernet indicator light on my Modem [My Laptop is hardlined at home], is continually showing activity during these times, even though the Activity LED on the Notebook, shows no activity at all.....not one sign of polling.
• I've run Spybot......all clean. My AV etc. Windows Live OneCare has come up clean, and not detected anything unusual. Generally the system is pretty much working as usual. It's got me beat.

I want to do a post at Vista Forums, but cannot figure where......Software, Internet, or Security??? Your recommendation please.

I'm about to hit the sack, but before I do, I'm going to start to run a full scan using MS Malicious Software Removal Tool - Jan 09 Version. Takes about 4hrs.

Sorry to drop this on you, but any pointers as to where to post? Cheers.

Tony.

Click to expand...

Dwarf said:

I have received this PM from Tony (sassofalco) and I am posting it here verbatim for possible responses:

Click to expand...

Problem Resolved - It's a Firefox3 Thing!

In another PM sent to Dwarf, I told of my discovery of the 'problem'. It would seem to be an indicator, or method by which Firefox 3 lets the User know of available updates......Here verbatim is the resolution to the problem as I described it to Dwarf..warts and all.

Mouse and Hour-glass, and all that nonsense.
G'Day Dwarf,

Rein in them horses Pardner!!! I think that I've found the culprit.........Firefox3 letting me know that there is an update for one of my add-ons.

As soon as I tried to bring up MS Mal. S'ware Remov Tool, up popped this jolly ole update window for FF3, telling me that there was one for 'Speed Dial'. As soon as I had done the update, the webpage for MS Mal. etc. loaded, and NO MORE BLINKING hour-glass, and ethernet indicator on and steady......THAT'S why no activity LED polling too!!

And then my scrambled brain remembered that a similar happening [hour-glass ceased blinking and disappeared] took place a couple of days ago after I completed an update for another FF3 application or function or add-on or what-ever. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!

Still wonder though how many others are troubled by this little quirk?? Might be worthy of some sort of post.......[thinks to himself (a rare event - this thinking!)..maybe I should post the problem, and then reply to myself and provide the answer, then give myself some Reps for giving such help to myself] The mind boggles!!

All I need to do now is remember about this when next it happens.....and that's a bloody tall order.

Cheers Mate. AND THANKS FOR MY HELP!! Tony.

PS. Here, have 400 Reps.....keep the change!