Serial Port error / Serial Port - USB adaptors

[Michael2]

I've got Ozi Exp. on my laptop and an older Magellan GPS. I have an intermittent, but almost consistent problem, where the Lap Top thinks the GPS is a mouse. The mouse pointer flicks all over the screen opening & shutting programs, or just freezing up. That follows with a com port error and the com port has to be disabled and then reenabled for it to attempt to work again.

The GPS worked fine on a PDA with a home made switch over adaptor (serial cable to serial cable).

The problem has occured with 2 laptops (both running XP Pro).

Is there a fix for this?

or

Will a Serial - USB adaptor solve the problem?

or

Should I just go out and buy a USB GPS?

While the USB GPS is my preffered option, my treasurer tells me I have a current account defecit, so I'm looking for a cheaper fix.

Thanks in advance.

[Graeme]

Just a setting, in Device Manager IIRC, but my GPS is in the vehicle and as such the device doesn't show-up and I can't exactly remember what needs to be done. Someone will know.

[rmp]

Try booting up with, and then without the USB serial adapter connected.

[Michael2]

UPDATE

I kept getting inconsistent results with the 9 pin serial port, some days it worked all day without a problem, others it couldn't find the nmea data. The problem seems to have been solved by a 9 pin serial - USB adaptor.