Mouse Ball Encounters

Our company owns different set of computers. Some have non-digital mouse. The one with so-called mouse balls. It's really pain in the ass when someone's complaining about their mouse's defective motion.

Most reports are these:

1. My mouse isn't working properly.
2. I can't move my mouse vertically, I think it's broken.
3. Could you pleace replace my mouse, the mouse pointer's going everywhere!
4. My mouse pointer's motion is too slow, takes time to respond
5. Please find me another mouse.





Seriously? By just seeing some errors regarding mouse pointers, a replacement should be settled right now? Well, I don't blame some office workers, it's not their duty to fix their own mouse on their stations. That's why one computer hardware error is equal to one phonecall to the I.T. department.

Okay sir, ma'am, I'll be there in a jiffy!

photo from amazon.com

First of all, I will bring a spare mouse with me so that if the mouse really is defective, a replacement will be done immediately. But sometimes I hide the mouse inside my pocket, confidently thinking that I could fix the customer's mouse.

How to fix a mouse in simple and basic steps.

1.  Turn the mouse upside-down. You could see it's bottom, the ball is just waving hello at you surrounded by the circular sliding lid.

2. Use your finger or nails to turn the lid according to the arrow of direction indicated. You will hear a tick and the lid should be removed now.

3. Remove the mouseball from the mouse and place in a safe place. Note that this would be mistaken as a marble or some kind of toy by children. Wipe it with dry and clean cloth.

4. You would now be able to clean the mouse ball rollers inside, one at the side, at the top, and one roller in the corner. Sometimes they are full of thick dirt and dusts. These prevent the ball from functioning well.

photo from http://1000awesomethings.com

5. Get a ballpen cap, or any not so pointy object to clean the rollers CAREFULLY or else you'll break them to pieces. 

6. Return the ball, and the lid. Lock the lid by turning it the other way you did while opening it. A single tick will be heard, an indicator that the mouse lid is locked. 

7. All done!!! Your mouse with mouseball should be functioning well again after a long time of no-cleaning. 

8. You could also visit the control panel --> mouse's properties to adjust the pointer speed and other configurations.