My problem is not solved. My mouse and keyboard still become unresponsive. (Sorry about this, but I can't find further fix suggestions).

A great many thanks to the FAQ re: issue 4.21 (My mouse/keyboard becomes nonfunctional after 5-10 minutes), though my issues remain.

• I have deactivated all mods.
  
• I have re-associated .mp3 and .wmv files with Windows Media Player.
  
• I have downloaded and installed the suggested codec (8.0.0)
  
• I have downloaded and installed the suggested codec (8.0.1)
  
• I have restarted my computer after attempting each of these fixes.
  
• I have attempted loading different saves and going to different locations.

The problem remains and happens with all characters and inventory screens after two or three minutes. No items in the list will highlight. I cannot left or right click or move the mouse. I can use the arrow keys to move up and down lists, but using the enter key is very touch-and-go. I have 58 hours of playtime since my purchase three weeks ago (it's a good game!), but I can't play it like this.

When I manage to exit the merchant inventory screen the situation seems to clear up for a few more seconds, but comes back again.

I am running the Steam GOTY edition with all the DLC activated. I have no mods activated.

My computer is an Inspiron laptop running Vista, my inputs are the laptop keyboard and a stylus (though the stylus does not malfunction outside of the game and can be treated as if it were a USB mouse).

Many thanks for reading.
-Boojamon

If it helps any, if I tab out of the window and back in, the steam overlay appears, and the in-game mouse pointer centers on my mouse.

The in-game pointer then moves quickly either left or right off the screen. Keyboard remained partially responsive when I tabbed back into the game, then the game crashed.

Re-installing the game now and will update if any positive effects come from this.

This did not fix the problem - however - it has revealed a further problem. If I alt+tab out of the game, then return to it, the menus will function correctly. However, clicking an item in this state causes the game to crash to desktop.

I will investigate other ways of dealing with a crash-to-desktop. It must also be noted that the game works better if not the same at a higher resolution.

If anyone can suggest further fixes for this, I would be pleased to hear them. I will update with further information if I come across a fix.

For what it's worth, I've never had any success alt-tabbing with Oblivion; this pretty much guarantees a crash/lockup.

You mention that you're using a stylus rather than a mouse... Does your laptop also have a touchpad active? (I'm just shooting in the dark here, wondering if Oblivion is getting confused somehow. You're obviously operating with some non-standard equipment.)

The lost input bug occurs before alt-tabbing, but I'll make note of the CTD circumstance. I haven't had trouble alt-tabbing before (or ctrl-tabbing for steam overlay) and I read from other crash reports that alt-tabbing will sometimes help issues. Though I'll add to my notes that it can cause crashes and can be treated as a separate issue.

The reason I'm using a stylus is due to the touchpad malfunction on inspiron laptops (the connections over-heat so the touchpad breaks after a few months). I have uninstalled the driver software and the touchpad does not respond or cause any conflicts. It is also deactivated in the input settings. (This was done some time 5 months ago, and I bought Oblivion less than a month ago).

I must reinforce that I have played 58 hours of gameplay with no trouble using a stylus, and no hardware or software changes have occurred. Nor do the input problems persist after quitting Oblivion.

Thanks for your input. More testing and (novice) buggering around to come.

PROBLEM SOLVED. (Problem isn't solved, but try this as it may work for you.)

The problem was with Oblivion.ini - a text file. Here's how I fixed it.

• To find it, search for Oblivion.ini in the start bar.

• Close Oblivion (if you do not close it, the file will not save when you edit it).

• Open Oblivion.ini in notepad.

• When it's open, go to EDIT>FIND... and type in bUse Joystick=1

• Change it to bUse Joystick=0

• Save the file.

• Run Oblivion again.

This information was in the 'tech support' of the Oblivion launcher. I will now 'extensively test the game'. If any problems occur, I shall inform.

EDIT:

Heya. Problem was temporarily solved but reoccurred, this time in a crash to desktop when I tried to take an item from a guard I was pickpocketing. The mouse wasn't reacting again. Back to the drawing board it'd seem.

Oblivion may be an elderly game, and that may well be a "new" laptop, but its age is no guarantee it has enough performance to run this game properly. The official system requirements were crap, also:

Release date March, 2006 (Corrected for Lies and Pie in the Sky Puffery)

Recommended:

* 3.4 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor (A64 3200)
* 1 GB System RAM
* ATI X800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 7800 series, or higher, video card

Minimum System Requirements:

* Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP/64-bit
* 512MB System RAM
* 2.4 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor (XP 2200)
* 128MB Direct3D compatible video card and DirectX 9.0 compatible driver;
( ATI Radeon X800 GTO, NVIDIA Geforce 6800 GT )
* 8x DVD-ROM drive
* 4.6 GB free hard disk space
* DirectX 9.0c (included)
* DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card
* Keyboard, Mouse

That still won't explain how I could play the game for 58 hours with no problems (no unresponsive input, no ctd) until this happened. I'll try fiddling around to lower the graphics and shaders. Rendering power shouldn't have an effect on input device reactions but may solve my ctd.

If the laptop had only the usual IGP, probably something of Intel's, it wasn't supposed to support games, and there's plenty of discussion across the gaming forums about failing laptops due to overheat from running games, for which they simply have inadequate cooling. If Oblivion was the only game you played, I would have thought it might have lasted longer than 58 hours of play before getting ready to die, however.

Overheating shouldn't cause the game to crash within the first five minutes of play and there's no noticeable rise in temperature. I totally agree, though, these Inspiron laptops are not for gaming.

I've got to try the unofficial patch for Oblivion before I run out of options, so I'll give that a go next.