strange problem with my usb mouse and starting my computer..
 

i have a microsoft optical trackball. i used to have a usb- mouseport adapter on it but somehow the input plug got damaged and stopped working for any mouse. so, i took off the adapter and started plugging it directly into my usb port. the thing is, if the mouse is plugged in when i start my computer, it won't start booting up. i just stays in preboot mode frozen. however, if i unplug the mouse, then plug it in after its all started up it's just fine. i've downloaded all the latest drivers and software for the mouse from microsoft, but the problem persists. any ideas on whats going on here?

Drivers won't help you because your computer is freezing up long before they're ever loaded.

Check your motherboard manufacturer's web site for a BIOS update.

Yeah try a BIOS update, but if you're already at the newest one (or if the new one doesn't fix it), you might jump into the BIOS settings and disable any USB boot devices. Most modern motherboards support booting from a USB pen drive or USB floppy. It's possible that your mouse is getting detected incorrectly by the BIOS as some kind of drive, and that the system is trying to boot from it instead of the hard drive.

Sounds a bit far-fetched, I know, but I've seen some very strange BIOS settings in my years repairing PCs.