Frequently Asked Questions

Expand All

• Why am I having connection problems with my touchpad hardware?

  Systems may be damaged if not powered off prior to disconnecting or reconnecting PS/2 port devices. With serial connections no damage will occur, but Windows may require that the system be rebooted to detect a new serial device. USB devices are designed to be "hot-swapped" so you may safely connect and disconnect USB touchpads with system power on.

• Can I adapt my serial or PS/2 touchpad to USB using a USB adapter?

  Cirque touchpads that were designed with connectivity as ADB, serial, PS/2 or combo serial-PS/2 devices can NOT be converted to USB. Hence Cirque has developed USB-only devices; view our current product line.

• Can I adapt my USB touchpad to serial or PS/2 using an adapter?

  Cirque touchpads that were designed with USB connectivity can NOT be converted to serial or PS/2 devices. Please view our current product line.
  

• GlidePoint® driver issues and questions

  a. Correct driver version required Two factors determine driver requirements: OS version (e.g. Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME or XP; Mac; Other). Touchpad model (i.e. new chipset vs. legacy/old chipset). To determine the proper driver and access specific instructions such as correct driver version, known issues (if any), and driver installation instructions; please go to the driver download area to access specific information for your system.

  b. Conflicting hardware issues (common on laptops) GlidePoint® touchpads are Microsoft mouse compatible. So in a standard mouse mode, the touchpad may typically share a port with another pointing device (for example, on a laptop system, the touchpad can be connected to the PS/2 port while the internal pointer is also connected through the PS/2 port). However, with the GlidePoint® driver installed, Cirque's touchpad changes from being in a standard mouse mode to becoming a touchpad device. In this situation, it will not coexist with another piece of hardware. To solve this issue, move Cirque's touchpad to an alternate connection point. Shut down the system, remove the serial-to-PS/2 port adapter from the touchpad cable, and then reconnect the touchpad though the serial port. Now, reinstall the GlidePoint® driver. Most laptops ship with their built-in pointing device connected internally to the PS/2 port. Several procedures resolve this type of conflict; some may require assistance from the manufacturer of your laptop: Enable your BIOS to automatically disable the internal pointing device when the touchpad is detected on the external PS/2 port. Disable the internal pointer in your BIOS. Connect the touchpad to a serial port (remove the PS/2 adapter). You may need a Cirque USB product for your OS: 98, 2000, ME*, XP. Note: Cirque Cruise Cat®, Cirque Smart Cat® and Cirque Easy Cat® USB touchpads are the only Cirque products supported under Windows ME, as shipped utilizing native Windows HID compliant mouse drivers.

  
  

  c. Conflicting software issues Windows won't support two mouse device drivers simultaneously. If other pointing device software is installed, the non-GlidePoint® driver may be safely removed, without loss of control from the existing/internal mouse. To remove the non-GlidePoint® driver from your laptop (you will not lose the ability to use your existing/internal mouse): START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. Scroll down until you find the pointing device software for your laptop. Double-click on the item to begin removing the software. This will remove the existing/internal mouse software, which will allow GlidePoint® software to load properly. GlidePoint® software will control both devices. To adjust the speed setting individually, go to the GENERAL tab (or DEVICES tab for current drivers) and click on the CHOOSE A DEVICE TO CUSTOMIZE drop-down menu.

  
  

  d. Windows XP: drivers and other compatibility issues These products are NOT fully supported under Windows XP or Vista: Touch-N-Tap (part number GPB120) GlidePoint® Portable (part number GPP100) GlidePoint® Desktop (part number GDB220) Touchpad 2 (part number GDB400) Cirque Smart Cat® (part number GDB410, manufactured before 1999) Cirque Power Cat (part number GDB450) Professional Keyboard (part number GKB320) Wave Keyboard (part number GKB330) Wave Keyboard II (part number GKB340) Cirque Input Center (part number CIC360)   These products function with limited support using GlidePoint® driver 2.6: Touchpad 2 (part number GDB400) Cirque Smart Cat® (part number GDB410, manufactured before 1999) Cirque Power Cat (part number GDB450) Wave Keyboard II (part number GKB340) Cirque Input Center (part number CIC360) All Cirque touchpads are designed as Microsoft-compatible mice—this means they are hardware-compatible and will function on any version of Windows as a standard two-button serial or PS/2 port mouse without the installation of GlidePoint® drivers. If you own a Cirque product which does not have drivers available for your Windows operating system, you may still use the product in its baseline compatible mode.

  
  

  e. Windows ME: known issues with installation of newer GlidePoint® drivers If a Cirque touchpad is connected to the serial port of a Windows ME system before the installation of GlidePoint® drivers, the system may fail to boot properly. To make the system identify the touchpad as a standard mouse: Disconnect the serial port touchpad prior to powering-on the system. After startup (with Windows ME fully loaded) connect to the serial port. CONTROL PANEL > ADD HARDWARE. Run the Wizard. Alternately, you may try the following steps to install the software: Shut down the computer and disconnect the touchpad device. Install the GlidePoint® drivers. Shut down the system and connect the touchpad. Or, avoid the issue with serial port installation completely by connecting to the PS/2 port using Cirque's serial-to-PS/2 adapter.   Windows ME inherent shutdown problems can be exaggerated by the installation of GlidePoint® drivers. If you experience this problem the only solution may be to uninstall the Touchpad drivers. Windows ME has difficulty with the application glidew32.exe, and does not always close the application properly during a shut down procedure. Ending the task of glidew32.exe prior to initiating a shut down is one method of bypassing Windows ME shut down difficulties. If you experience these issues, uninstall the GlidePoint® software and use your touchpad as a standard mouse replacement. Using the native drivers provided by ME, the touchpad will function in default mode. We recommend connection via the PS/2 port on ME. Testing at Cirque has revealed operations with Windows ME that are far different from Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT or XP. Microsoft appears to have made changes to support its own hardware peripherals. Some of the current problems experienced with our product have been tested with other manufacturers' products, with similar results. These results vary by fresh install, upgrade, with/without the Cirque device attached, with/without the Windows 98 drivers installed. At this point, Cirque is not making any projections regarding a fully ME-supported software release.

  
  

  f. Windows ME: steps to solve ME issues First, remove all drivers for pointing devices/mice from Device Manager: START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. REMOVE any pointing device software (GlidePoint®, Logitech, MS, etc.). Close ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. SEARCH your system for "glide"; delete these files, including .INF files. SEARCH for "cirque" and oem*.Inf; delete these files, including .PNF files. START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > DEVICE MANAGER. Remove everything listed under "Mouse" and "Other Devices". Second, shut down and disconnect any pointing device hardware: Press CTRL + ESC to SHUT DOWN (use ARROWS and ENTER to navigate). Disconnect any and all pointing devices/mice.     Third, remove remaining pointing device drivers in Safe Mode: Press the F8 key while powering on the computer. If you are given a warning screen about Safe Mode, press ENTER. Press CTRL + ESC. Use ARROW KEYS to go up to SETTINGS. Use the RIGHT ARROW KEY to expand SETTINGS. Highlight CONTROL PANEL, press ENTER. Use the ARROW KEYS to navigate to SYSTEM. If you can not see different items highlighting as you hit the ARROW KEYS, press TAB, and then try the ARROWS again. Continue to press TAB or ARROWS until you see movement. Navigate into the DEVICE MANAGER (tab at top). Using TAB and ARROW KEYS, navigate down to MOUSE. Press either the RIGHT ARROW KEY or the + KEY to see the mice listed. Press DELETE. When the screen says you are going to remove the device, first note the device name carefully. If it's a mouse, hit ENTER. If it's not a mouse, hit ESC. Finally, shut down and reconnect the Cirque touchpad: Press CTRL + ESC. Use ARROW KEYS to navigate to SHUT DOWN and press ENTER. Using ARROW KEYS, select the button next to "Shut down the computer?" Press ENTER. Reconnect the Cirque touchpad. Start the computer and Windows as normal. START > PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM TOOLS > SCANDISK. After running ScanDisk, install the GlidePoint® software. Allow the system to RESTART. Check the MOUSE in your CONTROL PANEL to verify touchpad installation.

  
  

  g. "Digital Signature Not Found" when installing on Windows 2000 or XP Cirque products that support Windows 2000 or XP with GlidePoint® driver version 2.6 will display an error message during installation. To install the GlidePoint® 2.6 version, simply choose the CONTINUE option regardless of Windows' default warning message. Currently the 2.6 driver release "developed for Windows 2000 compatibility" is not WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs)-certified, hence Windows will display this warning message during install (perhaps several times).

  
  

  h. With driver 1.08, my system reports "kernel processor usage is 100%" The method that this version of GlidePoint® software utilizes to interact with Windows 95 or 98 may cause a memory-test to be misreported. Neither the Cirque touchpad nor the GlidePoint® 1.08 driver utilizes the amount of system resources reported. The actual typical usage ranges from 2% to 5% when the touchpad is in use. This misreported memory report is typically "cosmetic." Our conclusion regarding the cause of this issue is that some computer systems may not properly go into power-saving modes, if the method to determine an idle state is system usage. In no way does the GlidePoint® 1.08 software cause any performance degradation other than the 2% to 5% actual usage mentioned above. This version of GlidePoint® software is ready to interpret data from the touchpad at any point, and in doing so sends a "hook" out that will allow it to respond instantly to a request by the operating system. Windows will latch onto this hook with all available resources when a memory test is initiated. The GlidePoint® device does not hold onto these resources. GlidePoint® driver version 2.6 was developed for Windows 2000 and XP support. Version 2.6 is backward-compatible for most Cirque touchpads on Windows 95, NT and 98. The miss-reported memory usage is not present in this version. Note Some Cirque devices are not fully supported by the GlidePoint® 2.6 driver. View the information in the driver download area pertinent to your specific hardware. All previous versions of GlidePoint® software, or other input device software (e.g. Microsoft Intellipoint, Logitech Mouseware, Kensington Mouseworks, etc.), must be uninstalled and removed prior to installing version 2.6 software if you choose to update.

  
  

  i. Instructions to remove and reinstall GlidePoint® software START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL > ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. Follow the instructions in your touchpad's user manual.

• Macintosh Systems: Does the touchpad install and operate smoothly on a Mac?

  Currently, the Cirque Easy Cat® for USB (part number GP160U-xxxx) and the the Cirque Smart Cat® USB (GP410U-xxxx) are our only touchpad designed to be supported on the Macintosh platform. Both of these touchpads require Mac OS 8.5 or later. The vertical scrolling feature requires Mac OS X or later to function without third party driver software. 
  
  The Cirque Smart Cat Pro® USB (GP415U-xxxx) will work on a Macintosh as plug-and-play touchpads, but it is not recommended for use with Mac. The GlidePoint driver is designed solely for operation on Windows systems. Cirque Easy Cat® USB (GP160U-xxxx) and Cirque Smart Cat® USB (GP410U-xxxx) are currently the only products specifically recommend for Macintosh users —without GlidePoint® drivers installed. Cirque has not developed, and has no plans to develop, GlidePoint® software for USB products for Macintosh. Advanced features will not be available on Macintosh. 
  
  Cirque's GlidePoint® Desktop for Mac (part number GDA230) has been discontinued for several years; it is only supported on Mac OS 7.0-8.0. 
  
  Cirque products for USB can NOT be adapted to ADB, PS/2, or serial port connections. They are specifically designed to be USB only. Again, only the Cirque Easy Cat® for USB and the Cirque Smart Cat® for USB are designed to be supported by Mac.
  

• Linux and Unix: Does the touchpad install and operate on Linux or Unix?

  Cirque desktop touchpads are designed to be compatible with Windows operating systems only.

• In the touch control features, what are each of the button assignments?

  CLICK LOCK enables the programmed button to lock onto an object (icon, text, etc.) and maintain the lock until the button is pressed again. HORIZONTAL ONLY restricts movement to the X-plane when the button is pushed; cursor will only move left/right until the button is pushed again. VERTICAL ONLY restricts movement to the Y-plane after the button is pushed; cursor will only move up/down until the button is pushed again. SLOW MODE allows the cursor speed to be greatly reduced for precise movements; normal motion resumes when the button is pressed again. CLOSE APPLICATION closes the currently active window. MAXIMIZE WINDOW maximizes the currently active window. MINIMIZE WINDOW minimizes the currently active window. RESTORE WINDOW returns the active window to its previous state. WINDOW CENTER moves cursor to the center of the active window.

• Why won't my feedback sounds work (audible clicks with touchpad)?

  The sounds you hear after installing the software are designed to give you audible feedback, similar to clicks you hear when pressing mouse buttons. Sounds can be disabled in MOUSE PROPERTIES > OPTIONS.
  
  The audible feedback from GlidePoint® drivers utilizes the system speaker, run by the motherboard. Some computer manufacturers disable the system speaker or connect it via the sound card, which prevents the sound from coming through your computer. Because .wav files are needed to play sounds through your sound card (which consumes more system resources), Cirque chose to use the system speaker for the sake of speed.

• What are GlideExtend® and Drag Lock?

  GlideExtend® allows you to keep an item selected (when dragging an item or selecting text) when you reach the edge of the touchpad. You will have three seconds to reposition your finger after reaching the edge of the touchpad. The Drag Lock feature keeps an item selected until you tap on the touchpad a second time.

• What are autojumps?

  An autojump (or the Snap To option) is designed to move the pointer to a predetermined location when you open a new window or dialog. This feature is on the Option tab and has the following selections:

  • NONE is the default setting, which leaves the cursor at its current position regardless of the active window; the feature is disabled.
  • DEFAULT BUTTON makes the cursor jump to the Default button—the one usually highlighted when you open a window.
  • SYSTEM MENU BOX makes the cursor jump to the System Menu Box, the small icon in the top left corner of most windows.
  • WINDOW CENTER makes the cursor will jump to the center of a newly opened window or dialog box.

• How do I increase/decrease cursor speed?

  In MOUSE PROPERTIES, click on MOTION. On this page you will notice settings for RELATIVE SPEED and ACCELERATION. RELATIVE SPEED increases or decreases pointer movement in relation to how far your finger moves across the touchpad. ACCELERATION increases or decreases the movement of the pointer in relation to how fast your finger moves across the touchpad.

• Does Cirque still manufacture a keyboard/touchpad combo?

  Cirque no longer manufactures a keyboard/touchpad device. We apologize for any inconvenience this may bring you. You may try to initiate an Internet search for similar devices built by other manufacturers, such as Adesso.

• Are Cirque products compatible with my Macintosh system?

  Of Cirque's current product line, only the Cirque Easy Cat® USB (GP160U-xxxx) is designed to be fully supported on the Macintosh platform.  The Cirque Smart Cat is not fully supported but does provide a larger touch area.

• My USB touchpad works on Mac, but it came with software for Windows.

  The Cirque Easy Cat® USB and Cirque Smart Cat® USB are currently the only products specifically recommend for Macintosh users—without GlidePoint® drivers installed. Some features of the Cirque Smart Cat® USB will not be available on the Macintosh platform, depending upon the version of Mac OS in use.

  Although the Smart Cat® GP410U-xxxx and Smart Cat Pro® GP415U-xxxx models will function on a Macintosh as plug-and-play devices, Cirque has not developed any GlidePoint® software for USB products for Mac. They are not recommended for use on this platform and should be avoided by Mac users.

• Which Mac operating system supports the Easy Cat® USB?

  The Cirque Easy Cat® USB requires Mac OS 8.5 or later. The vertical scrolling feature requires Mac OS X or later to function without third party driver software.

• My product shows the GlidePoint® brand. Why isn't it listed on this site?

  Cirque Corporation originally developed GlidePoint® technology. The name "GlidePoint®" refers to the underlying technology and brand of numerous quality touchpad products, but does not necessarily mean that Cirque manufactured them. 

  Many other manufacturers — including ALPS Electric, Fellowes and Adesso — integrate GlidePoint® technology into their own products. Those products are often incompatible with the driver software developed for Cirque's own line of desktop touchpads. If you own a product that is not manufactured by Cirque, please contact its vendor directly.