if its on the USB port, then it might be a problem with hardware and/or poor USB ports. Switch the mouse to PS/2 and see if it still happens.

The fact that the Mouse Properties setting changed definately sounds like a software problem to me. Some software changes the sound volume in a similar way. Rollercoaster Tycoon does something similar, it turns off the cursor shadow when it exits, and I have to re-enable via TweakUI :-(
 
As for turning off - are you sure it's turning off and not just dimming the light (which is normal)?
 
Regards,
R

i had the mouse turning off issue with th 248x builds with my intellimouse explorer usb. I have never had a problem in rc1 though
are u using the 3.2 drivers eddie or the ones that xp installs? I would recomend installing the 3.2 drivers

THC: i'd like to keep it on the USB port and only use the usb>ps2 adapter in emergencies, I'll probably try it anyway.
 
Russell: My cursur shadows get turned off as well, yes my light in my mouse dims, but i'm talking about it goes black and i get no response from the mouse.
 
420: I'm using the WinXP drivers, i guess i'll switch to the Intellimouse 3.2 drivers to see if that works.

My intellinmouse explorer works flawless with the 3.2 software, haven't had any issues with it in any games i've played. However I don't play the game you are playing.

Hello Eddie:
 
Well that has me stumped. This is a long shot and not quite related, but recently after moving some hardware around, Win2K decided to suddenly switch off my USB hub while it was in use (even between restarts). The solution was to remove the hub manually from Device Manager and then reboot. Problem fixed - maybe this *could* work for your mouse?
 
Anyways, let me know how it goes (via email if you like), I'd be interested to hear what is causing this and how you solve it.
 
Best Regards,
R
 
russell_wild@hotmail.com

i installed the 3.2 drivers and it works great now, also seems more responsive.