Who has had problems with their Mighty Mouse scrolling?

[thewhitehart]

Just curious - I'm on my second mighty mouse. The first one had only lasted since April before the trackball stopped scrolling properly. I cleaned it exhaustively, only to see it get jammed up a few days later.

How many mighty mouse owners have had problems with their trackball?

 

[gr8tfly]

Haven't even cleaned mine. Had wired since they came out and replaced it with the BT version as soon as it came out. Daily, many hrs/day use. We have two others that don't get as much use, but are out in the open collecting dust in the mean time. No problems there either.

Sorry, this isn't much help, other than perhaps knowing other's are working ok, and you're just getting the luck-of-the-draw on the mice you've tried so far.

 

[brianr54]

I am also on my second mouse since buying my mini in April! Wonder if there was a defective batch that got out...

 

[Zwhaler]

On my friends it won't scroll up.

 

[dextertangocci]

Sometimes I turn the ball, and nothing happens

But this is with the wired MM, I've used the wireless one and it seems a lot better

 

[khisayruou]

I have the wired one that would not scroll down after a few months, Apple's suggestions of cleaning did nothing. I finally opened the sucker up and cleaned out the dust and dirt jammed in there. Now it scrolls like it was brand new...makes me wonder if Apple ever did any long term testing on the mouse.

 

[TexasMac]

After about a year my MM started having trouble scrolling up. All I did was to turn it upside down and roll it around vigorously on my mouse pad for a couple of minutes and now it is working fine again. Sorry you are having problems with yours.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

How to clean your Mighty Mouse

Although your Mighty Mouse never needs to be fed or watered, you may occasionally find that you need to clean it.

If your Mighty Mouse is covered in fingerprints or its surface has become soiled, it can be gently wiped with a clean lint-free cloth. If necessary, moisten the cloth using only water, making sure not to oversaturate it. Be aware that the mouse contains electronic components that may be damaged if water drips from the cloth into the mouse via the seam around the scroll ball or around its underside.

The same procedure can be used to clean the scroll ball on your Mighty Mouse if it has become discolored or dirty. Use a clean lint-free cloth lightly moistened with water. Wipe the ball and the surrounding area, making sure to rotate the ball itself to ensure complete coverage. If the scrolling feels rough or if the scroll ball isn't scrolling up, down, or side-to-side, hold the mouse upside-down and roll the ball vigorously while cleaning it to help dislodge any particles that may have collected on the internal hardware.

For a movie tutorial, click here. (Movie is approximately 600KB.)

[Link]

 

[JW008]

I have the wired one that would not scroll down after a few months, Apple's suggestions of cleaning did nothing. I finally opened the sucker up and cleaned out the dust and dirt jammed in there. Now it scrolls like it was brand new...makes me wonder if Apple ever did any long term testing on the mouse.

Did you literally just pry it open and wipe it off? Any trouble with getting it back together? Mine won't scroll down, either...

 

[xfiftyfour]

Admittedly, I haven't had my wireless MM for all that long.. about a month? Not sure, perhaps a little longer.

At any rate, never had any problems with the scroll. I love this mouse. I was nervous, though, because I'd read so many horror stories. Fortunately, they haven't panned out for me (yet..fingers crossed.. haha).

 

[khisayruou]

Did you literally just pry it open and wipe it off? Any trouble with getting it back together? Mine won't scroll down, either...

You basically just pry it open. It doesn't come without problems though. The outside ring does not snap back in so you have to glue it back, I used hotglue so if I need to clean it again I can. No troubles getting it back together, just be careful with the device that has the scroll ball in it. It has little tiny plastic scrollers that can easily dislodge. Its a little more work than just wiping it off, a lot of dust was stuck in each plastic scroller to the point the scrollers could not move when you move the scroll ball. All in all it was worth it for me, I was not going to spend more money on another mouse and sitting there using Apple's documented technique was a waste of time.

Guides I used:
http://shirster.multiply.com/journal/item/194
http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=539

Hope that helps.

 

[thewhitehart]

I don't have apple care, but I decided to call them anyway about the problem. Well, they sent me a new mouse, no questions asked. I was very pleased with their customer service.

The only thing is, they never asked me if it was wired or wireless, and I never thought to mention it. They just asked about the iMac it came with. Anyway, they sent me a wireless one! I hope they don't charge me the difference when I send the old one back - it's their fault for not asking.

 

[timmillwood]

remember its just like the old ball mice, some peoples get dirty and need cleaning

 

[mechamac]

The scrollball on my (wired, bought the first day they were available) MM gets stuck every several months. Won't roll, or rolls only in one direction. A quick cleaning with a little Endust or some such always does the trick. Just squirt a tiny bit on a paper towel and drag the MM across it so the ball rolls through the Endust many times. Then roll the MM across a dry area of the paper towel, and repeat. Takes a few seconds. It's definitely a little half-baked, but I like my MM. Beats the hell out of the old Pro Mouse anyhow!

 

[Letters]

a few days ago mine stopped scrolling down. I couldn't hear the little clicking noise that it usually makes when scrolling either....but all the other directions were fine.

I held down the ball and used my finger nail to scrape off any dirt that may have built up, and it works fine now.

 

[Peterkro]

After about a year my MM started having trouble scrolling up. All I did was to turn it upside down and roll it around vigorously on my mouse pad for a couple of minutes and now it is working fine again. Sorry you are having problems with yours.

This method works really well for me ( I often use it in a workshop environment ) only differences are I use a hard flat surface with a piece of clean white paper on it,turn mouse upside down and using considerable force roll in small circular motions,a ton of crap comes out and it works perfectly till next time.

 

[davez]

The mighty mouse that came with my iMac would not scroll up after two weeks of use. The fine folks at my local Apple store replaced it and I have not had any problem with it since. (about one year now)

I also have a wireless Might Mouse and have had no problems.

 

[Xeem]

My parents' Mighty Mouse took about 3 months before it stopped scrolling correctly, and it only lasts a couple days after cleaning before it stops scrolling again.

 

[alibabacamelman]

stop scratching your balls

stop scratching your balls
It's time people stopped scratching their balls and started to penetrate directly by writing to Apple at 1 Infinitity Way, Cupertino or email Steve. This is a ball-breaking issue in which one little smutty ball should not become a source of annoyance and a reason to give up on this uniquely agile mouse and return to the Microsoft monster.
It is simply that the ball must be held under a retractable disk of about 16mm diameter similar to those used to hold in the balls of pre-optic mice so that it can be serviced regularly.
Would you buy a car that hadn't got a window washer - not unless you wanted to keep it in a sterile garage or, perhaps, from a used car salesman, similarly Apple must be let know that our mice live in the real filthy world and should be designed to take fair wear and tear.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

My MM is about two months old and scrolling's a pain in the arse now. I love the ball functionality but I wish they'd given us a way to take it out and clean the rollers. Scrolling up and down through MacRumors forums pages is getting more and more irritating. I've tried all of the cleaning methods that I've found online apart from taking it apart and superglueing it back together.

 

[backsidetailsli]

mines acting up as i type this

 

[Jedsh03]

Anger Management

It was all I could do today to stop myself from hurling my Mighty Mouse at the people in the Westfield Bondi Junction Apple Store in Sydney. I bought my 20" iMac two months ago from the Online Apple Store and until about a week ago everything has been fine. But then the scrolling stopped, first scrolling down, now it doesn't scroll up. As I have AppleCare I spoke with them on the phone for 45 minutes trying to find a solution. They then gave me a case number and told me to take it to the Apple Store for them to try and fix it. Which I did, but when I got there and they synced it up to their machine it of course worked fine. So I brought it back home only to find the next day that it wasn't working again! So I called AppleCare again and after another 45 minutes of them telling me how to clean it properly for the second time, they decided it wasn't working. So they told me to take the case number back in to the store and they could just replace it for me. So I did that today, only to find that apparently there service center is closed on Sundays (grrr!). But then they told me anyway that they would have to keep my MM for a week while they sent it back in and waited for another to return. And my question to them: So what do I do for a week without a mouse? "Well, we can sell you another one," they responded. "Can I bring it back when the new one is fixed?" I asked. "Um, no." Which is when I thought about hurling my defective MM at them. But thought better of it and stormed out of the store. So to answer the poll, yes, I've had problems with my MM, and with the WBJ Apple Store in Sydney, and if AppleCare doesn't provide a better solution when I call them tomorrow, God help me, the whole iMac may accidentally tumble over the balcony.

 

[alibabacamelman]

open the mose don't hurl it

The problem is that the dirt goes from the ball onto the 4 rollers and they skate on it instead of turning.
The mouse can be opened by prying loose the white ring at the base of the casing which is stuck by glue but is tough plastic and will not break if you work around the perimeter gently.
The base of the mouse can then be lifted out by spreading it a little and the ball part unplugged.
The ball can be lifted out of its casing and fully cleaned but the 4 cog-wheels are very small and must be lifted out very carefully and cleaned so the cogs grip again. Don't forget to clean the orifice through which the ball protrudes too.
If you have any technical ability at all and good eyesight you can complete this operation in less than 45 minutes and reseal with glue although remember you will need to open this again so don't stick it too hard.

 

[Gamey]

I have wireless one and less than three weeks old.
Scroll worked intermitantly for a day or so then just gave up, whole mouse gave out a week later.
Phoned Apple support about this and a display problem and they're sending me a new mouse.
My display has settled down and is working properly now, after the Support engineer talked me through some things....whether or not this actually fixed the problem, I don't know, but certainly it has not come back since

Apple support seem very helpful and friendly

 

[Duffman]

I'm on mighty mouse number three (3) within a year. Love the mouse, love the trackball, hate taking it back to the Apple store every 3 months or so.