Mighty Mouse scroll failure

I'll put it in here under MacBook, 'cos I use one, but it's really a Mighty Mouse question – but there doesn't seem to be anywhere to put it...
The scroll 'nubbin'(?) on my corded Mighty Mouse has stopped scrolling down. It will scroll left, right and up, but not down.
I've unplugged and replugged the USB, restarted twice but it refuses to scroll in one of it's four axis.
Is there any troubleshooting I can do before I take my MacBook and mouse to a friends house and try a process of elimination?
MacBook, white   Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

Well after using these fixes several times after a while the scroll stopped working (only in the down direction again) completely.
Eventually I resorted to opening the mouse (very fiddly - don't try this at home unless you're willing to buy a new mouse!)
Lo and behold, the tiny rollers encasing the scroll ball were gunged up with that gunk you always had to clean off your mouse rollers back in the day.
Putting the mouse back together is very tough as you have to re-thread the printed circuit ribbon. I also found it was impossible to get the side buttons back in properly so I broke them off - I'd rather have a working scroll wheel and no side buttons.
So there we are.
In conclusion:
I regard this mouse as a flawed design - the price you pay for being version 1.0 I suppose. Mouse balls and roller GET CLOGGED UP, this has been recognised for years and have been designed to be user servicable, the fact is this one hasn't been designed very well.
And furthermore, the whole optical mouse idea is inspired by this problem with traditional mice - so to fit Olde Mouse tech to the top side of an optical mouse seems ridiculous.
Ho hum.
MacBook, white   Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

Similar Messages

  • Mighty mouse scrolled not working

    Hi,
    My mighty mouse scrolled has broken i can't scroll up and down neither right and left.
    Please help me.
    Thank you

    First, try System Preferences/Keyboard&Mouse/Mouse and make sure your scroll settings are correct.
    Second.. How to clean a Mighty Mouse (not with jeans)
    Carolyn
    Message was edited by: Carolyn Samit

  • Mighty Mouse Scroll Ball always breaks

    Hi, I have a 2 month old iMac, and This has been a problem for about 6 weeks, but I haven't gotten around to posting it. My mighty mouse scroll ball breaks repeatedly and I have been fixing it, but it is a real pain. Don't suggest not using my mighty mouse, because I love and hate it, I love how it has multiple buttons, but hate how the scroll ball breaks all the time, can someone help me?

    It just needs cleaning. Use a damp cotton rag and vigorously move it across the mouse ball. Do this for about 30 seconds. BTW, there are instructions in your owners manual about this. This is from page 63 of your Users Guide:
    *Cleaning Your Mighty Mouse*
    You may need to clean your mouse from time to time to remove dirt and dust that has
    accumulated in the scroll ball area. Hold the mouse upside-down and roll the scroll ball
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  • Mighty mouse scrolling problems

    I'm having trouble with my mighty mouse scrolling. It was working fine now not. I just replaced the batteries after indicatortold me to do so. I've tried re-loading the software (though the install routine called it an upgrade).

    Mine wont scroll down.
    Up, left, right no problem.
    If I put the mouse near my ear I can hear a soft clicking when I scroll up, left or right, but no sound when I scroll down.
    I have tried cleaning and pressing hard, etc.
    I just got off a 47 minute troubleshooting session with apple support and they finally agreed to replace it. I can't believe how nontechnical and unknowledgeable the level 1 support at apple is. It was clearly a mechanical trouble and I described it very clearly, yet they insisted on making me log into other accounts, check preferences, replace batteries, etc. On top of that I was put on hold several times while the tech checked with others about what to do and filled out forms, etc. I have to say I really am not happy with apple support based on this and all previous experiences. On top of this I have to give a credit card# as collateral until I send the defective unit back. If that is the policy why don't they save the 47 minutes and just process the replacement just like the cell phone companies do??
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  • Mighty mouse scrolls down but not up

    why is my mighty mouse scrolling down but not up on my browsers?

    Usually it is accumulated crud: skin oils and flakes of skin and dirt, but some have been accepted for repair by Apple. Occasionally a restart fixes the problem. If not there was a recent discussion that yielded several promising suggestions:
    http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=2248877#2248877
    These included cleaning the ball with a soft cloth, cleaning the ball with a baby wipe, and disassembling the mouse to thoroughly clean the interior.

  • Mighty Mouse Scrolling *after* 10.4.6 update

    I updated to 10.4.6 in between repairing permissions
    (I do like how repairing permissions no longer displays
    already repaired permissions). I've noticed that I can
    no longer scroll down with my Mighty Mouse. I can
    scroll up and sideways though. Has anyone else
    noticed this behaviour?
    Thanks
    Mark
    Powerbook G4 17" 1.67GHz 2GB DL   Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

    Awwww sorry to have made u waste your previous time, but this is a DISCUSSION board and I was discussiing, also apple read these, and the more mention of a faulty mouse and that its a possible design flaw might get them to re-evaluate their design. I learnt in this discussion board before about apple's design flaw with their black optical mouse.
    Criss
    Chriss
    This isn't a chatroom. However well informed your
    comments on desgin and manufacture are I really don't
    want to waste time logging back in to read them.
    Rohan

  • Mighty Mouse scroll ball problems

    I wondered if anyone could help me with a scrolling issue with the mighty mouse. Some days scrolling works vertically up and down and other times just one direction. I dont believe it is due to dirt in the mouse - it seems software related and is sporadic in its operation. Any advise you could give would be welcome
    Thanks
    Nick

    DP, that is what worked best for me in the past.
    After months of problems with the scrolling ball, and after trying all the suggestions found on the web, this method of using a white sheet of paper was an excellent one: my MM was again clean and working as if it was new!
    However, be careful about it: don't push too much when running the MM upside down. Eventually, yes, the gunk will come out, but the ball would go down-inside the case if pressed too hard for too long. It happened to me when using this method for a second time, and I was in the need to disassemble the device in order to correct this, and I think that's exactly what I was trying to avoid in the first place.
    Hope it helps.
    JJ

  • Mighty Mouse, Scroll Ball Still Malfunctioning?

    Hi,
    I love my Intel iMac and I LOVE my mighty mouse...but the scroll ball is constantly quitting on me.
    I clean it just like the apple video, I blow into it, I clean and clean and clean it and then it works for a day or two and then again, it stops.
    I'm the most meticulous clean person when it comes to hardware, I even manage Mac labs at a big university - so I have lots of experience with these mighty mouse. They are ALL having the same problem.
    Is this karma? Does anyone else have this problem? I'm not sure what to do (both with mine and the one's at work!).
    Any suggestions would be apreciated. Thanks!

    I am also pretty clean with my Mac. I found that cleaning as recommended by Apple was sufficient, until about two weeks ago, nothing I did to clean it, short of the misadvice to stick a needle into the ball socket, was successful. I found a website that shows how to disassemble the mouse carefully with an Exacto knife and did so. I was amazed at how dirty the rollerbars, especially the one to scroll down, were, in spite of my faithful cleaning routine. When I reassembled the MM I just used a couple strategic drops of super glue to secure the one ring that is glued in place. It will be much easier to disassemble the next time!
    The link;
    http://web.mac.com/karelgil/iWeb/MacWebSite/MightyMEng.html

  • Mighty Mouse scroll ball problem

    I have had this Mighty Mouse for about a year and a half and the only problem has been the scroll ball. Every once in a while it won't scroll down. I was told to hold it upside down and rub the ball good with a wool cloth. Basically every time it did the trick. Now it won't scroll down anymore (it scrolls everywhere else though). Is there something broken inside? Is there anyway to take it apart? Not being able to scroll down is quite annoying and I'd love to be able to do it again.
    Scrolling down, the ball moves but doesn't make the little clicking like sound like it does in any other direction. Any advice?

    Hi. Sometimes using a clear spirit such as denatured alcohol (or vodka...) instead of the water suggested here
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302417
    helps - but I've had one that wouldn't be fixed, and was replaced. Good Luck.

  • Mighty Mouse scroll ball defective.

    Well, my second Mighty Mouse no longer scrolls up. The first no longer scrolls down.
    That makes my experience with this product two for two on the scroll ball going bad within a few months use.
    Anyone know of a scroll ball mouse that gives the 360 degree scrolling, two button operation and doesn't have a defectively designed scroll ball like Mighty Mouse seems to?

    Turn the mouse upside down and rub the ball vigourously with a paper towel moistened with rubbing alcohol. Repeat until it works.

  • Mighty Mouse scroll ball has issues

    I've had my Mighty Mouse for about a month of standard use, but suddenly the scroll ball will no longer scroll down (up and side-to-side are fine). I've carefully cleaned the ball, to no avail. I understand that some others have had issues, but that their issues remain unsolvable (they contacted Apple Support for an exchange).
    1) Can any one tell me the number to call Apple (from the USA)? I haven't been able to find it on the site map (all the support numbers are associated with AppleCare).
    2) I only noticed the problem after the upgrade to X.4.4. Could that possibly have anything to do with the problem?

    Hi Jessica,
    It could be a software or a hardware problem, I had the same problem with my MM but made the mistake of disassembling it.
    Take the mouse to another Mac and see if it works, then you'll know it's a MM problem.
    When you roll the ball do you hear a slight clicking noise? This would mean the ball is making contact with the rollers.
    Maybe the ball needs to dry or be cleaned with rubbing alcohol (as it evaporates)
    You would call the AppleCare number, and yes they might give you a headache about AppleCare, but tell them you have a hardware related warranty call.
    If you find it works on another recent Mac (with MM software installed) it might be a OS problem of some sort.
    What's good to do occassionally is to clone your boot drive, this way you can boot off a slightly older version of the OS to sort through bugs like this.
    It also makes a good backup method.
    http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/Personal11.html

  • MIghty Mouse Scroll Ball

    Not really a MacBook Pro question, but it's the laptop I have so I wasn't sure where else to put it.
    The scroll ball on my mighty mouse has been acting up lately. Yesterday it wouldn't scroll down, but it would go up. I noticed when I pressed down really hard I could almost feel dirt or something. So I pressed down, moved it around in all directions, seemed to take care of it.
    Today it scrolls down but not up. Same trick didn't fix it. I suspect it just needs a good cleaning, but not really sure how to go about doing that. Any suggestions?

    Click here for instructions to clean the Mighty Mouse.

  • Mighty mouse scroll ball behavior

    Less than a week ago, I bought a Wireless Mighty Mouse. I thought that it was having trouble scrolling right, so I took it back for a replacement. This one seems to have the same problem.
    The problem seems to be that the mouse has a hard time scrolling right. To scroll up, down, or left, I only need to put the slightest pressure on the scroll ball. To scroll right, I need to press the ball about halfway down. It's not that it's a problem per se, but the user experience is just off enough to be frustrating. As a small note, the mouse makes different noises when scrolling up, down, and left, versus scrolling right. For scrolling UDL, it makes a small clicking noise. Scrolling right makes a sliding noise. When I push the ball in further and scroll right, I get the clicking noise.
    As I said, I've gone through 2 mice in less than a week. I thought the first might have been a fluke. Not that I've run into two with the same "problem", (and from two different stores), I wonder what's going on. It seems like it could either be a manufacturing defect that affected a whole batch, or perhaps this is the expected behavior. I can't imagine that my fingers are so oily that they would have gummed up the ball instantly. And yes, I have tried just about every cleaning method.
    So the questions are: how does your scroll ball work? How much pressure do you need? And has anybody had problems only with scrolling right?

    bytecrafter - I did some searching and found out a few tips that solved the problem for me.
    First, I blew compressed air into the scroll ball. I pushed down on it with my fingernail so that the air could get into the crack.
    Then I used a damp, lint-free cloth to rigorously clean the scroll ball, while the mouse was upside down. Apple has a video (and instructions) of this here:
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302417
    Hope that helps.

  • Mighty mouse scroll ball cant be used as a button

    does this sound typical? My ball was stuck so I rubbed some alcohol on it with a qtip as ive read to do..and the ball scrolls. Now, the center button doesnt work at all. I changed settings to different things in pref pane ( i.e. dashboard, expose..) and no go. It keeps functioning like right click... Is it possible I could have fried something inside?
    is there anything i can do?

    How to really clean your Mighty Mouse (with caution!):
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1537
    and:
    http://web.mac.com/karelgil/iWeb/MacWebSite/MightyMEng.html

  • Resetting bluetooth may fix your mighty mouse scroll button

    I have had this problem with the scroll button on my mighty mouse for months and months, and the only advise I have managed to get from here when I complained was to clean it. But I tried that many times and I have had nothing but problems with it, so much so that I recently called Apple and they agreed straight away to send me a new one.
    What made me call them today was the clicking action and side buttons on my mighty mouse also failed completely, and I thought the thing was totally broke. Whilst I was on the phone I happened to mention that my wireless keyboard also keeps losing its connection, and the advisor told me to do this following...
    This advise was used on my MacBook 13.3inch model from last year.
    Turn off Mac, removed the power and battery and hold down the power button for 5 seconds. Then turn it back on, but while you turn it back on hold down the altcmnd+RP buttons together. You will hear it ching two times as it turns on, let go after the second ching.
    This apparently resets the bluetooth and it fixed my mouse, it now works perfectly.
    Anyway, I called apple back to say that this reset not only fixed my keyboard, but also my mouse. Everything now works perfectly. The problem was bluetooth all along and not that the button needed cleaning.
    But they said they would still send me out a new one, and so long as they received a mouse back in the post they wouldn't charge me. I accepted that offer and I'll see how it goes with the one I have. I feel that I may have damaged the scroll button trying to clean it and feel that I probably should get a new one anyway on account of that.

    Hello stu:
    What you apparently did (based on the feedback you got from from Apple) is reset the SMC (system management controller) and the PRAM. When one has odd problems that do not appear software related, those are sometimes suggested as troubleshooting steps.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
    Resetting the SMC should not, however, be used until other avenues have been exhausted (based on Apple guidance)
    Barry
    Message was edited by: Barry Hemphill

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