Mighty Mouse - Scrolling Problem

[rqh]

Mighty Mouse Scroll Problems

Just had a thought on some of the other entries on this page where people have had problems scrolliing within the first day or so.
Perhaps some of the mice returned to apple have'nt had their ball's cleaned and are simply re-packaged and shipped onto the next unsuspecting consumer.
I dont think there is a software problem and if it worked after re-booting it is simply a fluke.
If mine stops working while I am working, I simply un-plug it, go off and clean it as mentioned befor with a baby wipe and paper towel and a few minutes later, plug it back in and it works without re-booting.

 

[martinfinn]

Press and Push

Hey guys,
I tried the pressing thing. I pressed and pressed til I couldn't press no more!No joy. I was very close to opening the thing as described but I didn't have the time. So I pushed the ball in AND up. What do you know I'm back i business. Hope this helps. I registered especially to post this info.
Thanks,
Martin.

 

[MacTO]

Thanks for your posts everyone. I had the same problem that I couldn't scroll upward. So, frustrated, I was on the verge of calling Apple Care! The firm press solved it. Excellent!

Cheers.

 

[wazgilbert]

Really disappointed to report the first real problem with my shiny new iMac.
after just over two weeks ecstatic ownership, I get a problem with this MM, which I have previously loved, which is a jump back to 1995 with the first ball-equipped mouse I ever used. Damn. Whilst the solution of kitchen roll rolling worked, I am royally p*ssed at apple for making this mouse un-serviceable. Big mistake.

Warranty applecare style complaints are about to commence, and I'm gonna insist they gimme a razor 1.6 or something to placate me.

Here's hopin'.

 

[xmarchand]

Mighty Mouse Scrolling Problem

I recently developed a scrolling problem with my Mighty Mouse. It started to only vertical scroll in one direction. I reinstalled the software and it did not help. So, I called Apple tech support. While waiting on the line, I decided to press quite hard on the scroll button and try to scroll. That cured the problem, after that it only required the normal light touch to work properly. I do not know what was the cause of the problem, maybe dust(?), in any event it is working fine now.

I had the exact same scrolling problem with my Mighty Mouse (it could only scroll vertically and upwards), and I was able to fix this problem by pressing hard on the scroll button and trying to scroll at the same time. I had to repeat this 2-3 times but it eventually fixed the problem.
Thanks a lot for the tip. Very useful!

 

[Clyde099]

I've had this problem many times with my bluetooth MM.

I just grab a wet cloth, or any cloth and turn the mouse upside down and roll the scrolling ball up and down, making sure the ball is being cleaned by the rag.

That usually solved the issue.

 

[JimPlante]

Got mine about 3 weeks ago, and the scroll problem bit me. Came here looking for help. Doesn't look like there's very much one can do.

Apple should, IMO, redesign this mouse with a miniature track pad in place of that ball.

 

[daveslc]

Canned air

My mighty mouse would not scroll down. I pressed the button down hard, and used a can of compressed air to blow into the gap between the ball and the body of the mouse. Problem solved.

But, there is now a piece of dust floating around the inside of the mouse with nowhere to go...It's bound to repeat.

 

[M@lew]

What I finally did, and it seems to have worked very well, is to wet my finger and roll around on the ball. Then get a small pin and dig around the hole which should clean it up a bit. Then roll the ball around again and problem fixed.

 

[nilocalling]

I bought my first Mighty Mouse together with a 12-inch PowerBook G4 around 2 years ago. This one had the scrolling problem after 4 months and was replaced by my Apple reseller in October 2006. When you ask for a replacement, they look at the warranty of your computer. My PowerBook was still in warranty, so I got a brand new Mighty Mouse. But also the new one had the scrolling problem once in a while and last month I decided to buy myself a decent Logitech MX620 because I was tired of it (and its ergonomy isn't that great either).

I think Apple has to come up with a redesign, because the scroll ball is too fragile...

 

[davekarn]

I'm having that problem right now with my BT MM except that it won't scroll down at all and only up. The firm press didn't work for me, so I don't know what to do really...it's only 2 weeks old

 

[M@lew]

I'm having that problem right now with my BT MM except that it won't scroll down at all and only up. The firm press didn't work for me, so I don't know what to do really...it's only 2 weeks old

So you've tried all the options in this thread such as wetting it and rubbing it? And digging around the hole with a pin?

 

[thomasp]

I found quite a good way to "clean" my scrollball on my mighty mouse:

Get a sheet of paper (ideally clean - inkjet paper seems to work quite well!). Turn the mouse upside down. Push down quite firmly and run the scrollball VERY vigourously over the paper in all directions. You should be able to see the results as a load of streaks on the paper!


It might be best to turn the mouse off first, as it can make your pages scroll very quickly

 

[macchappy]

Disconnect the mouse, then use dry unwaxed paper to push the ball in and roll it in all directions. Kitchen roll is perfect for the job. You'll see blobs of grease start to break off. Wipe these away with the paper to make sure they don't go back down the hole. Do this in all directions for a few minutes until the mouse ball feels rough (You should then remember this is how it felt in the beginning before you got your greasy mitts on it ). Repeat if necessary. Now when you move the mouse ball normally, you should hear the clicking noise to show it's working correctly with the rollers. Plug it back in and the scroll action should work again.

Remember, dry unwaxed paper. Don't use a moist cloth as Apple suggests.

I would NOT suggest doing this. I followed these instructions, and I was amazed by how much stuff was on the paper. Unfortunately, the vigorous rubbing made some of the plastic on the mouse melt and go into the trackball's hole, where it then hardened. This means that my mouse will no longer physically scroll upwards, nor does expose work.

 

[obibobi]

It's a Apple mouse, great design, but you need to take care of it.
Most people older than 12 that used the non-optical mouses know they get dirty on the bottom.
The glidepads get some black goo stuck to them and the ball skips.
Just remove the disc holding the ball, clean the ball and use a tweezer to remove the dirt and cat hair/lint/tiny strings from sweaters from the rolls.

The Mighty Mouse doesn't have the disc on top to hold the ball, that would ruin the design, so you need to find another solution.

Like Halcyon said before, use scheduled maintenance, don't call it a flaw.
Or do you complain to your parents that you're teeth are a flaw, you need to clean them everynight ?

If you don't want or can't take care of a great mouse, buy a Logitech.
But then you can only use it with your right hand ...

 

[Attonine]

I always have the scrolling problem on my 1 yr old bluetooth MM. Vigourous rubbing on a rag eventually solves the problem, though it is becoming more and more of a problem and more and more difficult to solve. Definitely a design problem as it is obvious the scroll ball will get clogged up so it should be made easy to clean.

Another problem I have is that the right click stops responding so the MM acts like the traditional one button mouse. Only way to solve this is switch it off and on again and reconnect. Has already happened several times today and is happening now again!

 

[paulbaker]

I tried cleaning mine, but that did not fix it.

I got a new one and am glad that I did.

My old wireless MM had a lot of slack in it that bother me. This new mouse is tight, feels good, and the click sound itself sounds better and is not as annoying.

ANyone noticed the click sound made by the wired mouse? It is terribly annoying to hear.

Thanks world...

 

[AppleBecks]

Right Click??

I guess it only makes sense that I would need to clean the ball but that doesnt make it frustrating. I have had this problem before and so I Googled it and of course like another member said, I should have known that I'd get the answer here. I tried the pushing hard trick and it worked. I then took a diaper wipe and ran it around the ball. I was surprised how much junk came out. I still might take it back to Apple because I am just under the one-year warranty and if they will replace it, why not let them. ANOTHER problem I've had and I've seen a few other people talk about it (maybe Im not on the right thread) but my right click button has NEVER worked properly. If I right click it might work one time in fifty. Does anyone have a "MM" where the right click has always worked for them?

NEW POST: I just answered my own question. Maybe this will help others with the right click problem. So far its worked every time. http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2006122109112943
Just leave your finger off the left button.

 

[old cholo]

i cleaned mine with a smal drop of bottle water and just rubbed the hell out of it but im gonna look for a new mouse and i really like this mm

 

[Consultant]

SIX DAYS on my replacement mighty mouse, and I couldn't scroll up. I thought the bluetooth model would fix this, but apparently it hasn't. I rubbed it furiously, and it temporarily fixed it, but I'm sure I'll have the problem again.

This product's scroll ball makes it absolutely rubbish, I'm sorry. Didn't they do any testing on it? I'm an obsessed clean freak, and my fingers are never greasy, or really naturally oily for that matter. This shouldn't be happening.

Um, wash your hands and don't use the mousing hand to eat or do other activities that will dirty the mouse.

 

[queshy]

the apple tech who i spoke to on the phone today said her might mouse is also stuck and she keeps trying to use compressed air but with no success...I should receive the replacement in a few days....should last a few months if I'm lucky.

 

[queshy]

the apple tech who i spoke to on the phone today said her might mouse is also stuck and she keeps trying to use compressed air but with no success...I should receive the replacement in a few days....should last a few months if I'm lucky.

Incredible! SHe said it would take 5 to 7 business days and it came today! Less than 24 hours!!! Excellent service, Apple.

I urge anyone who bought the mouse within the past year (before their warranty is up) to call Apple and get it changed. Do this only if you've been having to clean it multiple times, and not just once every few months. Even after cleaning, mine would just stop working a few minutes after. I don't have a problem with cleaning it once in a while but it was getting to a point where you really couldn't scroll at all.

 

[schwartzwolf]

Oh dear! Some people really do like making a mountain out of a molehill!!

The ball will, over time, obviously pick up dirt and grease from your fingers. The easy way ( advocated by Apple ) to clean it is to lay a lint-free cloth (which has been dampened with a little water) on the work surface, turn the mouse over and whilst pressing down, roll the mouse fairly vigorously over the damp surface. Leave the mouse for a while to dry out and it should be as good as new. I personally prefer to sparingly use Isopropyl Alcohol (used for cleanib recording heads etc).

Hope this helps.

This is what I had to resort to, although I didn't think to try using water; instead I went straight for the alcohol. Worked like a charm.

 

[clivegray]

Mighty Mouse scroll fixed

The dry unwaxed paper worked perfectly. A very small grayish colored speck rolled out and I can now scroll in both directions. Thanks for our tip!

 

[PierreM]

scrolling problem

I recently developed a mouse. It started to only vertical scroll in one direction. I reinstalled the software and it did not help. So, I called Apple tech support. While waiting on the line, I decided to press quite hard on the scroll button and try to scroll. That cured the problem, after that it only required the normal light touch to work properly. I do not know what was the cause of the problem, maybe dust(?), in any event it is working fine now.

I had the same problem. Very simple solution which functioned for me too. Thank you very much.