Karabiner-Elements puzzling behavior

[bomtailey]

I've been having difficulties with K-E since one of the recent releases of Big Sur beta versions. My modifications in karabiner.json are being modified somehow in real time. When I go through the sequence of uninstalling the virtualHIDDevice driver and then installing the beta update (version 13.1.0) my modifications for the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Mouse work for maybe 10-15 minutes and then a new device is somehow added (a copy of the MS mouse definition) which has the manufacturer set as Apple and the grabber (or something) stops responding to my actual physical mouse defined as a MS mouse. I cannot tell how that phantom mouse declaration is added or if it is responsible for the subsequent loss of perception of my actual mouse but I'd like to know how (and why) this modification takes place outside my own definitions. Thanks for any suggestions.

[tekezo]

I guess your issue is caused by using Microsoft's mouse driver.
Karabiner-Elements assumes Apple's device drivers, so it may not work well with third vendor drivers.
Check your driver.

[bomtailey]

Thanks for the quick reply but, unless I’m mistaken, MS doesn’t supply a driver for Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Mouse for Macs. If they did, there might not be a need to use K-E to map the Windows key.

…

On Oct 30, 2020, at 7:46 PM, Takayama Fumihiko ***@***.***> wrote: I guess your issue is caused by using Microsoft's mouse driver. Karabiner-Elements assumes Apple's device drivers, so it may not work well with third vendor drivers. Check your driver. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#11 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AEGKLMFGOTLKG4Y5FFZWGB3SNOQD5ANCNFSM4TFVDQLA>.

[bomtailey]

Well, I guess I'm mistaken. I didn't see any MS offers of Mac drivers via Google but, sure enough, there are some installed. Don't know when or how or why and they've never been a problem before. When I do the KE app + HID driver install correctly - and I'm not sure exactly what the sequence is - sometimes it works, mostly it doesn't, and when it does work, it's only for about 15 minutes or so, then that spurious definition of the mouse (citing Apple as the mfr) appears and Karabiner no longer sees the Windows button of the Sculpt mouse. And I don't know why the key phrase "is_karabiner_virtual_hid_device" is set to false, I don't know how it gets set at all. And is there a way I can get rid of the MS mouse drivers and still have the mouse connected. Any clarifying suggestions will be gratefully received.
Thanks

[tekezo]

Is there IntelliPoint UnInstaller.app?
https://serverfault.com/questions/9242/unable-to-uninstall-microsofts-keyboard-drivers-in-mac

[bomtailey]

Well, @tekezo, you are absolutely right, as usual. There was an Intellipoint uninstaller in Utilities but it is 32 bit and Big Sur won't run it. All the other orthodox methods I tried for removing the MS mouse driver failed so finally I just moved it to trash and restarted and, so far, everything seems stable and is working as I want it to and, so far, haven't seen any dire consequences from my brash action. Thank you so much for pointing the way out of my misery. The mysterious alternate declaration of the MS mouse hasn't reappeared in the EventViewer and so the grabber seems to be addressing the correct mouse declaration.