for Dec. 24, 2003

Hi, All;

This week: The trouble with Mice

Hi Robert
Got a problem. My hp infrared wheel mouse has started a new thing. If I roll the wheel away from me it works OK and scrolls to the top of the page. ........no problem there. If I roll the wheel back towards me ...........nothing. It will not scroll downward at all. Also, no holding down Ctrl and rolling the wheel to enlarge or shrink type. Help............!!! Greg
PS: I have done every "Install" thing and/or "Settings" thing I can think of several times. Don't see anything at hp website to help. I had this problem a couple years ago with a Microsoft "cordless" wheel mouse and merely reinstalled it and the problem went away.

Greg;
I would think that this is not a software problem and would say that the wheel has a hardware problem. Dust and dirt get in the rollers and wheels and cause problems. The only thing I can suggest is to get a can of compressed air and try to blow the insides of the mouse clean. If it is a ball mouse, you can remove the ball by twisting the cap counterclockwise and exposing the rollers and the wheel to get a good shot at blowing the dust off. Other than that, a new mouse is probably your best bet. Mouse and keyboard longevity has always been an issue but one that nobody complains about due to the relative low cost of replacing them. Microsoft used to have lifetime warranty for their mice, but quit that within five years when they had to replace more than they,d anticipated. They do not last as long as they should.

Robert-
This is a no-ball infrared mouse so I figured the entire unit was sealed from dust and fiber.................tilt.........wrong! I took it apart and it was all but jammed up with fibers. Did a masterful job of cleaning the thing out and the results were zero. I think you are absolutely correct that after all that a new mouse is the answer. Thanks for heading me in the right direction.
Greg



Robert

 

Please send your questions to

Dec. 24, 2003 The Trouble with Mice

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