At my Wit's END!!!$#$WRWEF#%! Advice for a lethargic mouse?

[Dover]

My computer mouse...or very possibly my computer itself is acting strangely. It's like my mouse has sticky stuff in it which causes it to seem stuck and hesitant. I have to click and click just to get it to do anything and then finally it will do it. It doesn't follow when I drag it most of the time or it hesitates, and I have to repeat the simplest things several times just to get it to respond.
I've cleaned the mouse by taking out the rubber ball and wiping with a little alcohol and blew out the case as well, so maybe the problem is in my computer. Do I have a bug?

I am SO FRUSTRATED!!!!

[Allah Akbar]

1. If you look into the cavity

where the ball goes, there are three little wheels in there. Many times gunk will build up on those and have to be scraped off.

If that still doesn't work, just go buy a new mouse. You can get an excellent one for as low as $10.

[Dover]

4. Thanks. I cleaned the wheels which turn freely and checked the mouse

connects too. No improvements. So it's definitely my mouse and not indicative of a computer bug or glitch?

[Bossy Monkey]

5. Almost certainly hardware, not software

but running your antivirus software (updating it first if you can) is never a bad idea.
Hey, wait! Are you absolutely sure it's completely plugged in? It's just odd for more than one function (clicking, tracking) to fail at one time. Any way, just one more suggestion before you run out and buy a new one.

[Raster]

2. try this...

...if you use a mousepad you are prone to get very small fibers that wrap around the little wheel-goodies (very scientific) inside the mouse. Remove the ball and look at the three little bracket-type devices that have a wheel-like part attached. Is there a bunch of gunk wound around the brackets and wheels? If so, get a pair of tweezers or hemostats and GENTLY remove the deritus. Blow out your mouse, replace the ball and give it a try.

[comradebillyboy]

3. get a microsoft optical wheel mouse

they don't get stuck cause they have no balls (kind of like rush), and love em or hate em microsoft hardware is very good and very reliable. about 30-40 bucks. dont need a mouse pad at all.

cheap mice don't hold up

[trof]

6. love my optical

Used to have to dig the cat hair and fuzz out of my old ball mouse.
Optical is the way to go.

[thermodynamic]

10. I wonder who they license... and another good brand to use

Logitech.

I think Microsoft has mice made for them by a different company, under their own specification.

I'll admit, they're nice mice and I use one.

But now that Microsoft sees the need to send American jobs overseas, I want as little to do with as possible and they are not getting another cent from me.

[nuxvomica]

7. I have that problem every so often and I just reinstall the driver

That was true of my mechanical mouse and my optical. I bought an optical after replacing the mechanical every 6 months. Had it a couple of years now and except for the occasional driver reinstall, I haven't had any physical problems with it.

[Moosenose]

8. dissect your mouse....

and clean the guts up. you can get hair and other goodies stuck in the works.

I clean my mouseballs monthly, and cut my mouse open every 3-4 months to clean it. I've had the same $10 mouse for 5 years. My mouse has outlasted 2 computers.

[Warpy]

9. Simple steps:

1. reboot
2. clean the gunk out of your mouse
3. check all connections
4. bite the bullet and get an optical mouse. You'll never have this
problem again.

[ForrestGump]

11. Try this kind of mouse

I use it a lot......sometimes even when the computer's turned off.