Often when there is a USB mouse issue it could be fixed by "enabling USB devices", or setting "legacy USB support" in your bios. Also, try to have the mouse be the only device plugged into the USB ports and see if that helps.
I tried your fixes: the mouse is the only device plugged in. My bios setup doesn't offer the choices you list, but both the USB Controller and the Front USB are shown as "on." The mouse is plugged into a USB plug in the rear of the GX520 Dell computer.
I know that not every Linux OS is compatible with every machine; maybe this is one of those mismatches.
Thanks again for responding.