Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center doesn't recognize Sculpt Comfort Keyboard (Windows 8.1 x64)

Still does not work, my keyboard model does not appear in Keyboard and Mouse Center: KGR1173. Too bad, Microsoft.

The written instructions that came with the Microsoft keyboard and mouse I have specifically stated that drivers must be installed before the hardware is plugged in.  I always had problems if I plugged the dongle in before installing the drivers.

In other words, your comment had exactly zero to do with the subject matter of the thread since it turned out that your hardware died.  Or, so it would appear from your latest comment.  OK.

To be blunt, your reply seems to be the same old suggestions regurgitated.  Not helpful.

It was a hardware problem: the mouse died earlier than I expected.  Unlike the trackballs on my other computers, it gets moved around a lot, so I should have expected it not to last as long.

I tried to buy a new Microsoft Sculpt Comfort (MSC) mouse in San Antonio but none were available.  I was on the phone with Microsoft sales and they checked local stores for me.  They provided excellent support.  I had to purchase a SMK-Link Bluetooth Rechargeable Mouse as a temporary solution.  It paired immediately with the Acer internal Bluetooth hardware and on restart Win 8.1 installed new drivers and it has been working very well.  After the installation, neither my Bluetooth keyboard nor mouse are supported by the Keyboard and Mouse Center!  So I did not get to try KMC 2.6.

Also, in trying to resolve this problem, my review of 200 plus postings on various sites turned up many comments that the MSC mouse had failed after prolonged use.  I bought it in 2013 so 2 years of use is probably not all that bad.  It thought the MSC mouse was great when it worked.

Question:  Did you re-pair the devices after upgrade? Do you need to re-pair the devices before the devices can be detected by the drivers? I ask because the model I am familiar with (there are a couple revisions or so of this device so my information I have may vary and I myself do not directly own one of these devices) required pairing with the Bluetooth receiver before they would work.

There have been problems reported with Bluetooth devices after and/or during upgrade.  Check those and make sure they all are up-to-date with the newest drivers as well to ensure they are working properly.

If none of the above is required in your case, be aware that installation of a dongle device with your mouse is the wireless mouse device that requires the driver you mentioned that you attempted to disable.  If you have a separate Bluetooth device in your computer, try removing the USB dongle device and pairing directly with the Bluetooth device, if your device is capable of doing that, and see what happens.  I am curious.

One other thing:  Do you get the following message?

No Device Detected

Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center cannot detect a Microsoft device connected to your computer.

This may be because Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center does not automatically detect and configure PS/2, Bluetooth, and some USB devices.

If so, not sure where to go next for your situation.