You may receive messages that state that the battery level is low when you use Microsoft wireless pointing devices or Microsoft wireless keyboards

When you use one of the wireless pointing devices or wireless keyboards that are listed in the "Applies To" section, you may receive frequent messages that state that the battery level is low. You may experience this behavior even when you are using new batteries.

This behavior may occur if one of the following conditions is true:

• The batteries that you are using are rechargeable.
• The receiver is plugged into a port that is not working.
• The wireless device that you are using has trouble synchronizing with the receiver. There may be interference from other wireless devices.
• The color of the wireless pointing device pad is preventing the wireless pointing device from suspending itself.
• The batteries that you are using are low in power.

To resolve this behavior, use the following methods in the order they are presented. After you use one of the methods, determine whether the behavior is resolved. If the behavior is not resolved, use the next method.

Method 1: Replace the batteries

This behavior may occur if the batteries are low in power. We recommend that you use batteries that are designed for use with electronic equipment. Replace the batteries and determine whether this resolves the issue. Make sure that you have inserted both of the required batteries in the wireless pointing device.

Note We recommend that you use a new pair of alkaline AA batteries for the wireless pointing device. We recommend that you do not use rechargeable batteries because they have a tendency to drain quickly.

Method 2: Switch ports

Connect the receiver to different ports, and then test the behavior of the wireless pointing device. By this method, you can eliminate any issues with the port.

There are two kinds of connections:

• Both the wireless keyboard and the wireless pointing device work as universal serial bus (USB) devices. To connect the wireless devices as USB devices, connect only the USB plug (the small rectangular plug) of the receiver to the USB port. Do not connect the purple plug of the receiver, and do not use the green adapter. Disconnect the receiver's USB plug from the green adapter.
• Both the wireless keyboard and the wireless pointing device work as PS/2 devices.

To connect both of the wireless devices as PS/2 devices, insert the purple plug of the receiver (the keyboard plug) into the PS/2 port. Then, insert the USB plug (black) of the receiver into the green USB-to-PS/2 adapter. Plug the adapter into the wireless pointing device PS/2 port on the computer. Connect the receiver by using both the kinds of connections, and then test the behavior of the wireless pointing device. After each connection scenario, re-synchronize the wireless pointing device with the receiver. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press the button on the base unit. The green light should start blinking.
2. Watch the computer monitor for several seconds. If a dialog box appears, follow the instructions that appear in the dialog box. If no dialog box appears, go to Method 3.
3. Press the Connect Channel button on the bottom of the wireless pointing device five or six times.
4. Watch the green light on the base unit. It will be solid green if the synchronization was successful. If the synchronization was not successful, the light will be blinking. If the light is not solid green or if the wireless pointing device still does not work, follow these steps again.

Method 3: Test the receiver for interference

Additionally, experiment by putting the receiver in different positions. For example, turn the receiver upside down or on its side.

To test the receiver for interference, experiment with the different channels on the wireless device. Make sure that the wireless device and the receiver are a minimum distance of 3 feet away from any other wireless device.

Do not put the wireless pointing device, the wireless keyboard, or the receiver near any electrical devices. These include transmitters such as cordless telephones, cellular telephones, and other wireless pointing devices or receivers. We recommend a distance of 8 to 12 inches.

Do not put the wireless pointing device, the wireless keyboard, or the receiver on metallic surfaces or objects. These include long metallic rails or cables. We recommend that you keep the wireless pointing device and the wireless keyboard a minimum distance of 3 feet from metallic objects.

For more information about interference, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 4: Test the surface of the wireless pointing device

Sometimes the wireless pointing device will not work on surfaces that do not have visible detail. For example, glass surfaces or surfaces that have a reflection, such as mirrors or glossy surfaces, do not work well together with a wireless pointing device. Additionally, the sensor may have difficulty tracking on highly repetitive patterns such as a magazine or newspaper photographs. The following colors have been known to cause the wireless pointing device difficulty in tracking:

• Colors such as red or colors that have a red base, such as brown, maroon, and purple
• Colors such as flat black, dark blue, white blue-lined paper, and cyan blue

For more information about wireless pointing device pad surfaces, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Method 5: Examine the battery status in Control Panel

1. Click Start, click Run, type main.cpl, and then click OK.
2. On the Wireless tab, verify the status of the battery.