Computer Mouse Issues: Common Problems And Solutions

People who work on a computer daily can tell you how important it is to use a mouse in order to improve their productivity. But when your mouse starts to fail, it can be very annoying and lead to bad efficiency consequences. Here is a recap of the most common computer mouse problems and simple solutions to fix them.

Standby Mode and Battery

Before starting panicking, let’s review some simple likely cause that are not proper problems but just inatention issues. Sometimes the most simple problems are the most annoying as they are so common that we don’t even think of it.

If you just got a new mouse and realise it is not working, check if it is equipped with a standby mode. Some new models just need to be clicked on a first time in order to be taken off their sleeping state. Then you can use it as usual.

Also, if you use a wireless mouse, try to clean the battery connections and check if the battery is not going week. If you use a wired mouse, just try to unplug and re-plug it as it could just be a problem of dirt or debris stuck in the port. Cleaning can do wonders!

Now if none of the above solution works, you may have a further look into the following symptoms to try to solve the problem.

Is The Mouse Pointer Movement Not Smooth?

If the cursor movement of your mouse is not smooth, it is most likely caused by a dusty sensor area or a dirty surface on which you use the mouse. Again, do wonders by cleaning and sweeping both these parts. Remember to always use micro fibre cloth without any chemicals, soapy water will do just fine.

Also, note that glossy surfaces such as glass or varnished wood, it can interfere with the good functioning of your mouse, especially if it works with laser and optical technology. Always use a good mouse mat or pad to optimise your mouse efficiency.

Is Your Mouse Cursor Frozen?

It happens that the mouse cursor just freeze and stops working. In the kind of situations, the problem is usually cause by an overworked computer rather than a faulty mouse. Try to close some applications running in the background of your computer. Sometimes you might not even be aware they are active. Ask someone who knows a little about computer to tell you which one you can close safely without disturbing the smooth running of your laptop or PC. Wait for a minute to see if the problem is solved.

If it is not, try to reboot your computer to see if it restores the goog functioning of your mouse. Sometimes closed applications need the computer to be restarted in order to fully stop using its power.

Is Your Mouse Simply Not Working At All?

Now if the above solutions did not resolve your issue, the problem could be caused by either software or hardware related issues.

Software

Try to reinstall your mouse driver. It might just have crashed. It could also be that the last update downloaded automatically by your PC was flawed. This might also need your computer to be restarted.

Hardware

Check your cables, connections and ports. A bad wiring, faulty USB or PS/2 port or bad IR wireless receiver could be the cause of your troubles. Try other devices on your ports to make sure they are working properly.

Is Your Mouse Movement Too Fast Or Too Slow?

Be reassured, this is not a serious trouble. It just comes from a bad adjustment. To solve this, just follow these few steps:

• Go into the « Control Panel »,
• Choose « Hardware and Sound »,
• Select « Mouse Options »,
• Click on the « Pointer Options » tab.

There you can adapt the speed of your cursor movement according to your likes.

Do You Struggle Double Clicking Properly?

Here again, we are not speaking about a proper issue but just an adjustment problem. Same as for the speed of the cursor movement, go to the mouse options into the control panel but this time, click on the « Button » tab. There you will be able to choose the speed level of the double click feature.

Now, if you still face issues with your mouse after trying all these solutions, you can use the commenting part of this page to describe the symptoms, we would love to help you find a solution. But to be honest, at that point, it is most likely that your best bet is to replace the mouse.