Mouse ball broken

The ball on my mouse will only roll up. I cant scroll down on pages anymore. Im guessing i just need to get a new mouse although i just got this computer. Any tips?

Hello,
You're ball may need cleaning.
This is a common problem with ball-type controllers.
The oils from your fingers get on the ball, and transfer to the mechanism.
I used to have this problem with the "track-ball" controllers. That's why I switched to mice.
The balls would get slicked-up and require cleaning frequently. So, I switched back to mice which required less frequent cleaning. But, the Apple Mighty Mouse's scroll-ball has this same problem.
The cure is simple enough. I have a young daughter, and just grab one of her baby wipes (diaper wipes), and use the wipe between my finger and the scroll ball on the mighty mouse while scrolling in each direction several times.
After several turns, the ball will be clean, and the ball should regain it's functionality again.
A soft slightly damp (not very wet, but just lightly damp) wash-rag should also work fine. Don't use any harsh chemicals. I would recommend water (very little of it) or at the strongest maybe rubbing alcohol (again very little of it).
You only want to have the rag damp enough to wipe the oils from the ball. You don't want enough liquid to cause problems (such as dripping inside the mouse).
I do this every couple of weeks on my mighty mouse. I find that it is good for a couple weeks at a time. While I am at it, I also wipe down and clean the bottom of the mouse (where the gliding surface is). This removes dirt from the sliding rails and edges that cause the mouse to drag a little as you move it around.
Let us know if this fixes the problem for you.
I hope this helps.
Let us know if you have other questions.
P.S., if you'd like, go ahead and click the "Helpful" or "Solved" buttons on any of the posts / replies above if you feel they were helpful or adequately answered your question.

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I want to program my mighty mouse ball click button

How can I set up my Mighty Mouse ball button to open a URL in a new tab. I don't know how to write an Applescript to do this, or is there another way. Apple didn't make this an option in the system preferences.
Thanks for any help,
Jeff

Jeffrey Hughes1 wrote:
How can I set up my Mighty Mouse ball button to open a URL in a new tab. I don't know how to write an Applescript to do this, or is there another way. Apple didn't make this an option in the system preferences.
Thanks for any help,
Jeff
Welcome to the Apple boards:
Since there are millions of possibilities, and everyone wants a button to do their favorite action, you should learn to write or modify an apple script and customize your mouse yourself. It's educational and fun.
If you select "Other" for the button action, you will be in the script folder, which is where Apple wants you to be. If you look, you will see thousands of actions you can assign to your button.
If you open one of these scripts manually (they are in the system library folder) and read it you will see how easy it is to modify or create one.
All you are looking for is to assign the key combination "Apple-T" to the button, correct?
You can also create a script with Automator which is even simpler. And just as much fun.
Message was edited by: nerowolfe

I am on v6.0.2 with a Vista O/S, why can I not scroll the Web page with my mouse ball?

I am on the latest version of Firefox and I run Vista OS on my desktop. Why does the mouse ball function for scrolling not work with Firefox?

Hello jaybearden,
Thanks for the question. After reviewing your post, it sounds like you are not able to restore the iOS device since you get an error 9. I would recommend that you read this article, it may be able to help the issue.
Resolve iOS update and restore errors - Apple Support
Check your security software
Related errors: 2, 4, 6, 9, 1000, 1611, 9006. Sometimes security software can prevent your device from communicating with either the Apple update server or with your device.
Check your security software and settings to make sure that they aren't preventing a connection to the Apple servers.
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Have a nice day,
Mario

Mouse ball inconsistency

Does anyone have a solution for a mouse ball that won't behave well? It is a wireless mouse, running on a MBP at 10.5.1. When the machine boots it works great. I can scroll up and down and left and right using the wee ball and all is fine, then, after an hour or so, I lose the ability to scroll DOWN. I can whirl it UP and the page goes UP, left and right also are fine, but no DOWN at all. It is particularly aggravating if I hold Option and twiddle it up, I have this configured to zoom in on the screen, and lo - I can no longer zoom out and must live with a twittery screen until I reboot.
Is this a mouse problem, should I go and buy another? Don't really want to do that unless I know for sure, I have had the mouse nearly two years so it is no spring chicken, but it works at start up.
Thanks - Lawrence

Try vigorously rubbing the mouse ball on your shirt/sweater/pant leg/whatever for 10 seconds. Works for me.

Blackberry Mouse ball

I've had my Curve 8330 since August 2009. The mouse ball stopped working when I move it in the down direction. It works fine going up, left or right, just not down. It did this a few months ago, then miraculously started working again. This time, it started working again for about 20 minutes, and stopped again. I have pulled out the battery and put it back in to do a complete reboot, but to no avail. 2 questions:
Is there any way to fix this?
Will warranty cover this?
JW
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hi there,
There may be a relatively easy way to fix this. Chances are that the trackball has simply gotten dirty over time and is now no longer responding. One way to fix this may be to clean the trackball. To do this, remove the battery from your device, and grab a Q-Tip (or other cotton swab) and moisten with rubbing alcohol. Using the cotton swab, clean the surface of the trackball and then rotate the trackball to clean the next section. Continue doing this until the trackball moves smoothly in all directions. Please note, to avoid any problems with moisture, avoid soaking the cotton swab with rubbing alcohol and allowing the alcohol to seep into the device - once you pull it out of the rubbing alcohol, simply dab it along the edge to remove excess drips first.
Once that is done, simply reinsert the battery and wait for the device to reboot. Does that help?
If not, then it may be a problem with the sensors under the trackball, in which case a repair will likely be required.
Now then, if your device is still under warranty (e.g. if you purchased an extended warranty with your phone), your warranty will indeed cover this. In this case, you can simply contact your carrier or the location that sold you your device to inquire about a warranty repair/replacement.
I hope this info helps!
If you want to thank someone for their comment, do so by clicking the Thumbs Up icon.
If your issue is resolved, don't forget to click the Solution button on the resolution!

Might Mouse ball trouble

The past couple of days, the tracking ball on my new Might Mouse only funtions fully 50% of the time. By that I mean that it can scroll up, left, and right, but not down. I've tried different USB ports, and the mouse ball just won't scroll down. Does anyone else have this problem? Surely I can get a new MM if needed right?

Use the instructions in this article to clean the mouse.
(16105)

Mouse track ball broken

My brand new Mighty Mouse trackball has stopped working. It no longer scrolls down. It still scrolls up and sideways. When you scroll it down it doesn't make that little clicking sound that it usually makes and still makes when you scroll the other three directions. Is there a way I can fix this?

*Hi warpdesign, Welcome (Back)* to Apple's Users Help Users Forums.
The scroll wheel needs cleaning. Lint free cloth dampened w water or alcohol. Unplug and turn over and scroll vigorously for a while. Some like to blow out w canned air.
If that doesn't work, Apple is pretty good about replacement.
Good Luck, JP

Apple mouse ball non-functional

Is there a way to disassemble Apple Mouse to clean out the roller ball? Tried rolling it on cloth many times but no longer works.

I have a later USB Apple mouse, and the roller collects enough dust to become annoyingly non-functional in one direction or another within a period of 4-6 months. After the first time it happened, I realized that since the outer bezel was glued on, Apple did not intend for me to service the mouse, even though I knew exactly what was wrong. I took it in and the Apple Store gave me another one. The same thing happened again, but I am now nowhere near an Apple store, and the mouse is out of warranty anyway, so I fixed it myself. What a nightmare. Unlike the mouse shown in the video, the cables connecting one circuit board to the other are much shorter, and unplugging and re-plugging them is like trying to add mustard to a fully assembled ham sandwich without removing the bread.
In the good old days of user-serviceable mousies, all you had to do to clean the tracking ball and its contacts was turn a bezel 1/4 turn with your fingers and out popped the ball. Now of course since the Apple mouse uses a laser instead of a ball to track movement, that's no longer necessary. But the scrolling ball could easily be designed for simple removal. Having to break open a glued-together component and go through the virtual equivalent of micro surgery just to clean a ball and rollers (in a ridiculously complex assembly) that are just going to get dirty and start malfunctioning within months is absolutely ridiculous. The scroll wheel, being on top, will collect dust internally no matter how operating-room clean you keep your office.
This mouse is obviously designed to be non-user serviceable. And frankly, what computer service technician would go through all that hassle without charging you $50 (the cost of the mouse) anyway? So essentially the mouse has a tricky bit of built-in obsolescence that would force all but the most determined do-it-yourselfer to just go out and buy another one. I thank you for the video anyway, but this operation is not for the faint of heart, so I'm quite sure that very few people will actually try to clean their scroll wheel assembly, which is a shame and a waste.

Magic Mouse is Broken!

My magic mouse has brand new batteries and was connected, i restarted my Mac and it just stopped working,the light isnt even coming on! this always happens and its really annoying, Please help!

It is not necessarily broken. There are many problems that arise with batteries from the size to the contacts. Some batteries are not a precise size for the compartment. Are you using an Apple charger and Apple batteries? I believe Duracell are satisfactory too, though in my experience they do not last long.
Suggest you take out the batteries, clean the battery contacts and the contact points inside the mouse with an alcohol based cleaner using a damp, not wet, cotton bud. Also wipe the sensor. Leave it for a few minutes, reassemble and turn on the mouse. If the green light then shows, double click and wait the for the connection confirmation to show.

Magic Mouse cover broken. Is it covered?

I had a problem putting the cover back on as I was replacing the batteries today and realised a piece of the latch has broken off after a close examination. It is still usuable without the cover but considering the cost of it and the fact I only had it for less than 3 months, is it covered by the warranty? I purchased it from an Apple Store and still have the receipt.

Accidental Damage issue... I'd be surprised if they take it back because you broke it.
I do admit, it does seem very counter-intuitive on how to put the **** face-plate back in.

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
vigorously with the cloth that came with your iMac, or another clean, soft, lint-free
cloth, to help dislodge any particles that may interfere with proper scrolling.

Might Mouse Scroll Ball Problem

I have a wireless mighty mouse, and the ball sometimes the scroll ball stops working. Either I can't scroll down, or I can't scroll up. It seems to me there is gunk in the wheel, just like inside an old mouse with a mouse ball on the bottom.
Naturally, I want to clean out the gunk, but I can't figure out how to open then mouse to clean it. Is there some way to take out the ball, or open up the mouse to get the dirt and gunk off the wheels?
Thanks.

Actually, my mouse is still under warranty. I'm near Toronto, Canada, so we might have different warranty coverage up here. I believe mine's for a year. I just wanted to try to fix it on my own before taking it to the mac store (a half hour drive away) before giving up and returning the mouse to Apple.
I also watched the little video, and my mouse still was not performing to my satisfaction. After a few days, though, it seems to be fixing itself. It's still not perfect, but it's certainly better than it was. I guess having enough dirt free of the sensors lets the scroll ball dislodge any remaining debris. At the moment it seems to be almost totally back to normal.
Perhaps I just need to clean it regularly. I'm still a little frustrated that nobody seems to know how to take it apart. To me, the ability to open (and fix) a product just makes sense. I'll perform a simple cleaning/repair like that any day rather than bother taking it to the store.
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Mouse scroll ball only works downwards

The scroll ball on my mouse (which came with the computer) only works when scrolling downwards. It was OK yesterday. Any suggestions?

Cleaning the ball is temporary at best. Most of the time the problem is not only a dirty ball but dust and dirt on the sensor below the ball. This is what works for me every time:
Place a piece of clean white printer paper on your desk. Disconnect the mouse and turn upside down on the paper. Push down on the mouse so the ball compresses on the paper. Now virtuously move the mouse ball on the paper (fast, up and down, in circles for about a minute). You should see little bits on crud on the paper when finished.

I JUST INSTALLED MOUNTAIN LION, NOW THE SCROLL BALL ON MY MAGID MOUSE SCROLLS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN IT DID BEFORE. I NOW HAVE TO ROLL THE BALL UP TO SCROLL DOWN

I JUST INSTALLED MOUNTAIN LION, NOW THE SCROLL BALL ON MY MAGIC MOUSE SCROLLS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN IT DID BEFORE. I NOW HAVE TO ROLL THE BALL UP TO SCROLL DOWN.

If you go into System Preferences> Mouse. There is a box at the top of the screen that states Scroll direction: natural.
Be sure to uncheck the box after installing MOUNTAIN LION, then the mouse ball will scroll in uthe normal fashion.
Thanks for all the help...
TRAIN MAN

Mouse broken

I have had my MacBook (white 1.83Ghz, 1GB RAM, 80GB Hardrive) since July, its my first mac and i just love it! Never going to pc again! Everything had been working fine until the right side of my mouse is broken and u have to push extremely had to make it click and it pushes down further than usual. Now my left side and middle still press down the same, but i have to push hard and sometimes click about 3 times for it to respond. I purchased the apple protection plan (3 years) when i bought my MacBook.Is this covered under the warranty, and can it be fixed for free? Thanks for yor help!

Hi Sportboywp.
It is covered by apple care, but when you bring that to apple store to have it checked, they might examine it first to make sure the damage is by normal usage and not by abused.
But afraid not, if it is under normal usage, there won't be any problem with the warranty.
Good Luck.

Mouse ball broken

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