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Mighty mouse scrolling stops working
Apple's Mighty Mouse, despite its unique features, still uses a mechanical ball that is used for the navigation. Just like previous ball mice, this mechanism is prone to skip after a while of usage.
Apple Discussions poster mboughey writes:
"My mouse has stopped letting me scroll down , it lets me scroll up only. This has recently started , is this a known problem?"
The roller ball in the mouse is largely inaccessible, unlike old ball-mice where the ball could be removed by opening a hatch. Users could then apply alcohol cleaners to the roller mechanisms. For the Mighty Mouse, the ball will need to be cleaned in-place. Apple recommends taking a lint-free cloth and lightly moistening it to clean the surface of the mouse as well as the mouse enclosure. If the mouse has a noticeable piece of dirt that can be felt in the mechanism, users are recommended to turn the mouse upside down and roll the ball against the cloth rapidly until the dirt dislodges.
Apple has a quicktime movie of the process available here.
In addition to the steps suggested by Apple, users might try cleaning the ball with some over-the-counter isopropanol, which should help in clearing away finger grime that might have built up on the ball. Using a cloth or Q-tip, users can lightly moisten the ball with isopropanol (just enough to moisten, and not drip onto the ball) and roll it around with a clean cloth until the alcohol dries up. This step may need to be repeated several times depending on how dirty the surface is. If too much alcohol is used, allow it to dry (with the aid of an air canister if available) before using the mouse again.
Other users have found that the easiest way to dislodge dirt is to lay a piece of paper on a table or other flat surface to provide a slight friction surface, and then turn the mouse upside down and roll the ball rapidly around on the paper. This allows for more rapid movement of the ball than just using a cloth around one's finger. In addition, if users do this on a counter or glass surface they can try soaking the paper in isopropanol so it will run up into the roller mechanism during the rapid rolling action.
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I shut off my wireless Mighty Mouse, turned it upside down, and -- pressing down just enough to feel the 'click' of the ball-switch, rolled it firmly up and down the length of the paper. I then rolled it side to side.
In both cases, I varied from a very fast to a slow roll. I noticed a couple of very small bits of 'crud' fall onto the paper.
RESULTS: for now the MMouse scrolls smoothly in all directions, without hesitation. Next time, I might try the isopropanol.
Users should be aware that isopropanol is a skin-absorbed poison. Please treat it with some care, as I understand that its effects are cumulative. (I know, it's called 'rubbing alcohol.' It still needs to be treated with care.)
For those in the UK, methylated spirit works excellently. Put a few drops on a sheet of paper kitchen towel laid on a hard surface, roll the ball around on it and that will clean the ball up.
For example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jet7488UoSE
I was told there'd been no re-engineering of the scroll wheel, but I am hoping this one will last at least until my AC agreement runs out.
As a designer who does a lot of drawing, the Mighty Mouse is a travesty. It is NOT fit for its purpose. It is inaccurate and sloppy. My old Microsoft mouse was much better for pixel precision and always scrolled perfectly - but it looked horrible!
If I were a writer, I would say the same of the current Apple keyboard. Dreadful ergonomics. I have to tilt-up the back end with a strip of wood.
Joe, nobody is stopping you from buying a more specialized mouse that will better serve you in your work. You would have a more serious complaint if the Mac didn't work with third-party mouse/ball/pad devices.
The current mouse works well for millions of users.
It's all about price. You'd be the first to complain if Apple charged $50 more because it included your fancy mouse for everyone.
I've been using Macs since 1984. The Mighty Mouse is the only one I would complain about. The old mice, that were more accurate, cost less, not $50 more.
Millions more use Microsoft mice if you want to play the numbers game. Millions eat at MacDonalds and drink Coke. Doesn't make them good products, just popular. Not the same!
I too, had issues several times with the track ball on my Mighty Mouse. I just used a can of compressed air and blew it out. It's loose enough that the air will blow out whatever is causing it to hang up. This has worked for me several times.
Wow, this technique worked the best for me. Thanks.
I use a piece of electricians tape. I put a 6" piece on my desk sticky side up, and tape down the ends. I run the MM over the tape and it does the trick.
Three months ago, being tired of the tape trick about every 4-6 weeks, I purchased an iSkin cover for the mouse and haven't had any problems since.
http://www.iskin.com/store/i2shop_mouse.tpl
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Bought a Logitech USB/wireless mouse. So far it's working. And the "gyroscopic" scroll wheel is kind of neat.
Mighty Mouse has its ball on the top where everything on the finger can be grabbed by the ball and deposited inside the roller mechanism. The prevention here is to keep your hands/finger as clean as possible while working. An alcohol-moistened lint-free cloth on a regular basis will remove some of the sticky residue that transfers from the finger oils to the mouse ball.
Some sort of joystick device (as on some notebooks) might help to replace a ball but only if it does not allow access to the inner workings of the mouse. The sides of the mouse also allow debris to enter the mouse. It would help if there were a mouse that didn't have these openings- or protect them with a flexible cover.
1. I regularly use pre-moistened lens cloths to clean my eyeglasses. Most optical departments have them. Open one up and unfold it, but not completely, lay it on the table and run your inverted mouse over it as others have described here.
2. There are plastic toothpicks named "Doctor's Brushpicks" available at CVS or Walgreen's. One end looks like a knife blade and the other appears to be a small brush. The knife blade end can be carefully inserted between the ball and case of the mouse and gently moved back and forth, all around, to loosen crud. Remove the pick and clean the crud off it regularly. The pick is plastic and flexible, so it shouldn't damage anything if used gently.
...............Mike
- by ceo19 December 13, 2008 5:39 AM PST
>This is a reply to a previous comment by mstupinski
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (29 Comments)I have two of these mice, and they both are subject to getting crud on them. One thing that I've found effective is to take a Clorex cleaning cloth, the kind that come pre-moistened in a cylindrical container, and clean the mouse ball thoroughly. These cloths are lint free and seem to be effective in getting the ball to work again.