Booting today, the PC turned a blue screen. After Ctrl-Alt-Del -> Taskmanager -> Applications -> New Tasks -> explorer.exe everything came up and looked quite normal.
The mouse however now has a peculiar behaviour, clicking on a button will give no effect at all until the mouse is also moved.
The above procedure has to be used after each reboot.
I have tried to run the W2k CD Repair, but got the answer that no hard disk was found, apparently because the Asus board uses a driver that is unknown to W2k. Is there any way to get rid of this annoying problem (short of installing everything anew, pooh pooh)?

A long shot...

If you haven't installed the recovery console do so; afterwhich run it and see what options you can invoke to repair the system (check/repair/replace damaged System files etc.)?

Mouse problem: check it's properly plugged in; check its cable etc. is sound (not intermittent). Is it nice and clean inside - all parts? Also does a replacement rodent behave the same way?

Less likely but not totally improbable - you may a RAM stick failing...? If two at least installed then reduce to one a (min of 128Meg) and try each in trun to see if problem persists/goes away? Perhaps also borrow/beg/s....l a known (to be) good stick and try that too?

the recovery console had a good sound about it, so I installed it, but there came the dreaded message no boot device, i.e. could not find the hard disk because driver is unknown.

The mouse is Logitech optical, nice and clean. The RAMs I have not tested in any special way, but are they not tested at boot?

Everything has to be suspected, but once the desk top is up and running, there seem to be no other problem than that the mouse click does not take effect immediately when running certain programs. For examplem when running something from the web, like web mail, then the function is quite normal.

Is there a way to tell the PC what program it should start automatically at boot?

Not really at all sure about what's going on overall...

I presume all was well for a long time before this problem arrived; no major/minor changes to the sytem in any way (hardware/software)?

RAM gets a notional test at boot up; memtest utils are often alleged to be better as they (allegedly) do a thorough bit by bit check.
Personally I had mixed results with the one memtest util I used in '98 days. I tend to favour using fresh (known to to be good) RAM as test by substitution.

Also any input on the Asus site re' the W2K OS and/or Logitech kit?

One other possble fix; a registry restore (from an earlier date?). This presumes that you have an earlier copy around; that this situation arrived after some change (very recently/immediately prior) to the problem arriving?

How to know what starts up at boot-time, also how to add/remove start-up items:
msconfig (part of '98/XP) is missing in W2K, The version for XP will (allegedly) work with W2K. It can be found/downloaded on the www. A search/trawl via google or teoma.com (use the string: windows 2000 msconfig) will bring up assorted links/sites.

Also the start-folder has a few itmes listed and is configurable... (access via start\settings\task-bar & start-menu)

Typically when installing W2K (and also NT/XP) if there is a driver for the drive required it goes in very early on in the setup. I seem to recall there is an option to provide the driver at the hardware stage? I think you press F6 at the appropriate time (as per:

http://www.tburke.net/info/misc/bootdevice.htm)

Sorry to be so vague on this bit - I don't access to all my usual references etc. just now.

I would perhaps consider running a repair installation (effectively an overwrite of existing version) - but first save all data off the system; also any other critical info... A repair installation is done via a standard W2K setup (CD or floppies + CD boot) - not from within/via the recovery console, viz:

http://www.windows2000.windowsreinstall.com

http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic8356.html

http://www.mytechsupport.ca/support/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2918

(Note this last reference includes the "how to install missing drivers" for hard-drive).

Personally I'd be a little inclined to perhap install a parallel version of W2K and see if it works OK (you get a dual-boot W2K/W2K). If it does then add in the utils/apps etc. Verfiy it all still works OK and then delete the original version. reboot to verify second version still OK; presuming so empty recycle-bin and defrag drive (to tidy up the scene).

Make a fresh ERD and keep safe/current.

You will need to re-apply your current sp if you go the repair installation; likewise for the parallel version - apply the current sp.

The parallel install is more of a test of the system overall, and a possible (albeit a long way around) fix? It may be what's needed?

Last thought at this time - try another rodent???

Possibly others will/may have some ideas to offer here too?