Space Navigator suddenly stops working

[JeePee]

Since a week or so my Space Navigator stops working out of nowhere. It keeps going when I'm using it, but when, for example, I'm walking to the printer, it doesn't do anything anymore when I get back. I have to unplug it from the USB port and plug it back in which makes it work for about an hour before it stops working again and I have to plug it back in and out again. It happens at random times. Really annoying the USB port is pretty hard to reach

Last week I was using SolidWorks 2008 when it started happening. Since monday I'm working in SolidWorks 2010 and the same thing still happens. When it stops working the LED's are still on, but the thing doesn't work in any other program. Not even in the 3D Mouse Home tutorial for example.

Since this morning I downloaded the latest driver, but that didn't fix it.

Already tried to plug it in with both buttons pressed for 15 seconds multiple times. Also didn't help.

Is there any way to fix this?

Using Windows XP Service Pack 3. Space Navigator worked fine on this system for 4 months.

Thanks in advance.

[Barbara]

Hello JeePee -

Is your computer going into sleep mode when this happens ?

If the hard drive function is suspended sleep mode, the 3Dconnexion software is not able to maintain a connection with the device. When this happens the executable - 3dxsrv.exe - remains in the Task Manager but is not able to communicate with the Space Navigator. If this is what you are seeing, there a couple of workarounds we can suggest.

If you are finding 3dxsrv.exe in the Task Manager when this happens , are you able to end the process and restart the driver?

Software that scans the USB ports - such as security software on a network - can sometimes interrupt the driver. In this case an IT admin would need to create an exception for it. Since the problem began recently, it is possible that something changed with a security update.

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Barbara

[JeePee]

Hey Barbara,

The computer isn't in sleep mode when this happens.

When the Navigator stops working, the 3dxsrv.exe can indeed be found in the task manager. When I end the proces and restart the driver nothing happens. But, when I press 'Stop Driver', the 3dxsrv.exe process pops up again. Every time I press 'Stop Driver' a new 3dxsrv.exe process starts. The 'Start Driver' seems to do nothing.

When I press 'Stop Driver' and then plug the device out and in the USB port, it won't start. But in this case the 'Start Driver' does make the 3dxsrv.exe (and thus the Navigator) work again (for as long as it lasts).

[JeePee]

No solution?

Already happend 4 times to me this morning. I'm getting pretty fed up with the thing.

I did a clean install of the drivers yesterday. Didn't help

[Fred]

Contact helpdesk you might have a Hardware problem.
http://www.3dconnexion.com/service/tech ... pport.html