Had this problem 2 years ago, windows 7 overall just stopped working no matter if I did reinstall, it saw my laptop as not enough memory even though I have 8 gigs, went to Windows 10 and those problems went away as Windows 10 I am told takes less resources and mouse works great.
Looks like it's a mechanical problem. 1. First try to use a mouse pad that's not transparent or glassy. Always use a mouse on a smooth opaque mouse pad. And if that still doesn't solve the problem, then try the additional solutions below. 2. Try to see if there is any dirt on any of the 4 round kinda like support spots at the bottom of the mouse. Sometimes when there is too much dirt on any or all of those support spots, the mouse can get sticky and mouse slower. Just scrape off the dirt and the mouse will perform better. 3. If you still have those old ball-bearing mouse that literally has a ball inside the mouse that controls the coordinates, you can open the bottom up and take out that ball and clean it. Many times when that ball gets too much dust on it, it will affect movement. 4. If you have the newer mouse where there is a laser light at the bottom, chances are the mouse mechanism is just broken. Time to get a new mouse. 5. If it's a wireless mouse, you may need to change its batteries or the USB key adapter is not working anymore. If you also notice that your PC is just running really slowly with CPU and/or RAM going through the roof, chances are you might have a malware.
Not to stay off-topic but Windows 7 is the best OS that Microsoft has ever created. Personally I wouldn't upgrade for the world. I HATE those new "APP" OS starting with Windows 8 which was totally crap. Windows 10 is a slight improvement upon Windows 8 but really all those APP's are just redundant and takes up so much desktop space. And honestly it doens't run much faster. If you want an OS that runs fast, get an SSD. I recently installed an SSD, my OS loads so fast that I hardly see the logo anymore LOL.
Maybe your computer is mining bitcoin/monero in the background. https://qz.com/1085171/how-to-tell-...ining-cryptocurrency-and-what-to-do-about-it/
Go to www.ninite.com loads of quick to install and free spyware removers, try that, Spybot still my fav, my pc does that at times. Also windows 8.1 is horrible, install classic bar, get back your start button
You're going about it quite logically, and my own first-thoughts have been covered by others. I have one last idea: check the memory cache allotted for your major activities, and make sure that they're not bumping up against their allotments. For IB's TWS, this is a single line in a plain-text file. https://www.interactivebrokers.co.i...guidebook/priceriskanalytics/custommemory.htm and/or http://www.tradinggeeks.net/2014/05/interactive-brokers-performance-optmization/ When things get gnarly, your computer might be set up to prioritize TWS and take resources away from mouse.dvr -- so you try to "fix" the mouse, but miss that it's a symptom. Let us know how you make out!
If you have dogs/cats and your mouse has an optical/laser sensor opening .... you might check to make sure there isn't a hair in there. 1 hair is enough to make the mouse act wonky. If so, just blow it out. Happens to me all the time.
Thanks for your response. No pets, but cleaned the interior of the mouse & the trackball again just in case. Still no improvement.