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Broken Scroll Ball on Mighty Mouse
I know a lot of people don’t like Apple’s Mighty Mouse, but I actually like the thing—at least the bluetooth version. It’s small, fits in my backpack and pairs with my MacBook Pro consistently (which can’t be said of all the Bluetooth mice I’ve owned).
The one I keep in my office, however had a problem: the scroll ball stopped scrolling up. Down, right and left all worked. It was annoying. I was wondering if I needed to send it in to be fixed (or simply buy a new one).
I fixed it. Turns out the sensor for scrolling up is particularly susceptible to dirt and dust. I took a wipe for cleaning screens and rolled it on the scroll ball vigorously for a minute of so and the problem went away.
Posted by windley on February 16, 2007 8:19 AM
Comment from Cid Dennis at February 16, 2007 9:20 AM
I get the same thing with my Mighty Mouse. I just rub it on my pants and it seems to clear it up also.
Comment from kris at February 16, 2007 4:42 PM
happened to me too. i took it to the Apple Store and they gave me a new one.
Comment from Connor at February 17, 2007 8:38 AM
Mine won't scroll down. Perhaps I'll be lazy and take it into the Apple Store for a brand spankin' new one like Kris. Nice.
Comment from Ellen at February 23, 2007 11:53 AM
THANK YOU for the cleaning tip, which fixed my mighty mouse in about 10 seconds! :) YAY!!!
Comment from tara at April 9, 2007 7:34 AM
This may have been terrible for me to do, but it worked. I was out of screen cleaner, so I used one of those microfibre cloths for eyeglass cleaning and a bit of fine saline spray. I dampened the cloth and then rolled the ball around as described - it worked like a charm and I can scroll up again!
Comment from kat at April 20, 2007 2:35 AM
yep, same thing happened to me. windex and a paper towel cleaned it right up. it took me a few seconds too. i guess it makes sense that with over time the dirt on your hands or dust in the room will collect and dirty it up.
Comment from Deetex at April 20, 2007 9:53 AM
I own a bluetooth mighty as well, but mine wont scroll down.
Up still works, but as I'm running Panther, it wont go sideways, regardless, I tried the rubbing-on-pants, tried the cleaning cloth, I even pried the thing open to clean in the inside, but nothing worked... any recommendations?
Oh, I forced it open, becuase the nearestApple store to me is still a goodd 60 minutes away.
Comment from Kel at April 23, 2007 7:17 AM
I had the same problem with both my might mouse. I tried the screen cleaner on both and one is working as good as new now.
The other one still has a problem scrolling to the left, but I'm still working on it.
Comment from moose at April 27, 2007 7:51 AM
thank you so much! my mouse couldnt scroll down since i dunno when and i thought i would never get it fixed, that i would just have to live with it, but now it works perfectly... BRAVO!
Comment from pablo at May 10, 2007 10:18 AM
I tried cleaning it in all recommended ways and nothing! Forced it open to clean in, put it together again but still no luck! Is my 3rd mighty mouse and the 3rd time this happens to me. they are too delicate it seems.
Also, I've noticed that when it stops scrolling in a direction, when you roll it in that direction it makes a different noise that when rolled in the direction(s) it does work.
Frustrated!
Comment from Nick at May 13, 2007 2:33 AM
I just had the same problem. I cleaned the ball and it didn't immediately work. Then, I tried to pry the mouse open from the bottom. I wasn't able to get the thing open, but for some reason I can scroll down again.
Comment from Jeff Carter at May 18, 2007 11:37 AM
I find that the simplest method is just to press on the ball as hard as you can while rolling it up, down, left right a few times - never fails to work for me. I think it just squeezes the crud off the rollers!
Comment from John Scott at May 21, 2007 7:38 PM
I like the mighty mouse too! But it does have a scroll ball that does not like dirt!. It's also not egonomically correct. Smaller hands work better with it. For all the added cost of laser performance is hardly worth it! When this breaks I will go back to a Logitech cheapo!
Comment from heather stratz at June 24, 2007 4:45 PM
You are a rock star - i have been trying every setting under the sun and thought we needed a new one... who would have known I would be able to get it to work with a few quick rubs on my yoga pants. Many thanks!
Comment from Lucy at July 5, 2007 11:15 AM
Tried cleaning. Used compressed air, wiping, cleaning, rubbing, scrolling and anything else any other site has recommended. Nothing. It doesn't make the same noise - no faint clicking. It's like it's not being sensed or something. :S
Comment from Ben at July 21, 2007 6:40 AM
Didn't have a wiper so I sluck my lips to the scroll nipple and blew hard... 2 seconds later she works... you beauty!!
Comment from Mads at August 30, 2007 11:43 AM
Thanks, that did it! Amazing what golden nuggets people put on their blogs :-)
Comment from Jamie at September 15, 2007 6:50 PM
Great! Worked like a charm. I was sure my mouse was a no-hoper. Now I'm back in action in less than five seconds. Thanks so much.
Comment from Nick at September 24, 2007 10:40 AM
Phew! Thanks for the tip. Last Friday my mouse stopped scrolling down — a huge detriment, as, in my current job, the ability to scroll down is a great help. I was ... severely annoyed, let's say.
But now, with that tip, it works perfectly. I was considering taking it apart and cleaning it (or otherwise fiddling with it), but if this worked perfectly and took less time.
Comment from Javier at October 7, 2007 5:50 AM
Miine did not scroll down, but after reading all these tricks, I decided to lick the buttom a bit and rubbing it on my jeans. IT WORKS !!!! I was almost to go to the nearest Apple store to get a new one... Thanks for the many tips!
Comment from David at November 5, 2007 8:29 AM
Great tips all, I was starting to worry I'd need o crack my mouse, but a bit of alcohol and a paper towel cleaned up the gunk. Not much came out, so I guess it's all still in there, but having my up scroll back is key.
Comment from oleg at November 17, 2007 4:03 AM
yes javier is right - you gotta lickit!!! crazy but it works - i tried all this with more or less success - but I licked it once and now it works and works and works..... not rubbing on my jeans but on a microfiber. i tried it spontaneously and now find this via google.
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