Possible mouse wheel trouble, scrolling/zooming on its own.

[rditto48801]

The title says it all.

When in games, they suddenly zoom in or out to the max as fast as they can, or rapidly do 'other' things the mouse scroll wheel controls.
In text documents and web pages, it will abruptly scroll up/down many pages worth in a split second.
It used to be rare, but has been getting noticably worse in the last few days.

While I have had little luck in finding answers in the past, I stumbled upon a topic with the same basic problem on a game site, and someone said the problem sounded like it was due to a dirty mouse wheel sensor.

Is that likely the same problem I could be having?

Edit:
One other thing I am also noticing, it is not just the scroll wheel. I just had an incident where the mouse pointer itself 'jumped' to elsewhere on the screen like a a small movement to move the cursor up a few lines got somehow interpreted as a big movement from the lower part of the screen to the top.
End Edit.

Is there much I can do if my mouse wheel is getting a bit twitchy on its own, such as if I could safely deal with the problem myself?
Or would it just be better for me to just go out and buy a new mouse?
Could the problem be with the drivers?

Edit 2
Almost forgot, I did take the mouse ball out earlier to see if it was dirty, but I saw nothing out of place on the ball or the rollers.

[Blín D'ñero]

That thing is antique and bad for your mental health. Since you already cleaned the ball and rollers, and that didn't help, i wouldn't even try further. PLEASE buy a laser mouse, or at least optical: Logitech MX518 being one of the very best! You will not regret it for a second, so comfortable and precise it is. :thumbup: And not expensive.
I use 3 Logitech G9's myself, loving it. Also still use MX518 on an older PC.

[rditto48801]

'antique' is right, it has got to be at least 3-4 years old, and was already used when I got it.

Interestingly enough, I got an old mouse that lasted 7 years and was still working good the last time I used it.

I looked up the MX518 on Tigerdirect, and the price looks a little steep for a mouse, but it does look like a nice mouse that I would get if I had to, or if it was worth the cost.
I couldn't find the G9 on Tigerdirect. What would be a good equivalent?

I have noticed a few of the mice listed had a DPI mentioned, and I was wondering what's a good number to look for? Is 1200 good? Or would 1600 be better?

Is there much difference in how an optical and laser mouse works?
Would I need a special mouse pad or anything for an optical mouse?
My friend with the laptop has a wireless laser mouse, so I know those seem to handle just about any surface well.

What would be considered a good price range for optical and laser mice?

[Blín D'ñero]

Between "was still working good" and "is an extension of my hand / quick as my brain-impulses" is a big difference! You'll notice that when you have switched to an optical.
the higher dpi equals the smaller circles you have to make using your wrist for the cursor to draw a large circle on screen.

Do not go wireless! Delays... don't do it!
Just save for the MX518, it's worth it. It's half of the controlcenter for your PC.

G9 on newegg

Why go cheaper than mx518? The high frequency 'refreshrate' (scans for changes on the surface) combined with the high dpi and the very solid build make it an awesome, confortable mouse, with zero complaints, that you won't find in a cheapo. Similar mice from Microsoft and Razor maybe...

Here, a cheapo: Rosewill RM-M5U Black 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical 800 dpi Mouse - Retail newegg $6.99

Microsoft D66-00069 Black 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB or PS/2 Wired Optical Mouse newegg $12.99
Mice like these cheapos^^ have no weight, litterally. But they'll do the basic job allright.

[rditto48801]

Ok, so $45 is well worth it?
I don't need to save, I got just enough to get a new one right now if I have to (well, tomorrow anyways, stores are closed right now)
I just wanted to know what a good price point was.

I found a good spot, the MX518 at Wal-Mart for $49, just need to order it at the store since they only have it online and for their Site to Store thing (no shipping for Site to Store), so the only down side is having to wait a few days to get it.
Hopefully my mouse cursor won't be break dancing before then. (and hopefully I won't take a hammer to it before I get the new one due to the mouse cursor issue getting annoying...)

Since you seem to not like wireless mice, I have a question of sorts.
Can delays on a wireless laser mouse cause the cursor to 'wander' slowly on occasion even if the laser mouse is sitting still or would that be due to being on an uneven surface such as a piece of cloth/fabric that is not on an even/flat surface (e.g., such as on bedding or pants leg)?

On a side note, for me 'still working good' is is that there are no real problems, and least nothing really noticeable. I used 'was' with my older mouse because it has been well over a year since I last used the older computer it is hooked up to, and it was working just fine the last time I had to use it. But then again, it is hooked up to an older computer, so it doesn't exactly need to be an extension of my hand/mind (I doubt the old 600mhz Athlon and Windows 98 could or would need to handle something that good)

[Blín D'ñero]

Since you seem to not like wireless mice, I have a question of sorts.
Can delays on a wireless laser mouse cause the cursor to 'wander' slowly on occasion even if the laser mouse is sitting still or would that be due to being on an uneven surface such as a piece of cloth/fabric that is not on an even/flat surface (e.g., such as on bedding or pants leg)?

On a side note, for me 'still working good' is is that there are no real problems, and least nothing really noticeable. I used 'was' with my older mouse because it has been well over a year since I last used the older computer it is hooked up to, and it was working just fine the last time I had to use it. But then again, it is hooked up to an older computer, so it doesn't exactly need to be an extension of my hand/mind (I doubt the old 600mhz Athlon and Windows 98 could or would need to handle something that good)

Nah, if an optical (wireless/wired) starts wandering first cause will be a bad surface: it loses track and that's why the better mouses have incredibly high scanning frequency, they don't lose track easily.
But a non-even surface like a cloth: if i move my G9 over the edge of my mousepad (mine is a 2 mm thick hard surface, Steelseries SX) the cursor stops already. Opticals/lasers are built for close contact.
Both issues aren't related to 'wirelessness'.
Wirelessnesse's annoying delay issue can happen when the sender (in the mouse) on one end and the receiver station on the other lose contact, by interference, or when mouse's batteries are low. Interference by a mobile phone nearby, or magnetic objects like speakers, or a gamecontroller (even when it's not connected, just standing nearby). But the worst is even the slightest hiccup in the signal just the moment you pulled the trigger sniping on an enemy! I have a G7 (wireless laser) i used less than a year, it had a mysterious ½ sec hiccup every 6 minutes or so. With or without the Logitech software installed. RMA'd it for an exchange, didn't help. No cure for that.
A quality mouse that's wired is precise and reliable, always.

[rditto48801]

Well, Wal-mart turned out to be a hassle, to say the least.

Looks to be cheaper and faster just to order it via Amazon.


A related question.
Any suggestions for a good mouse pad?
Preferably, one that is hard or has a solid backing, wrist support type stuff optional and would be nice.
The one I presently have is hard plastic (textured, probably for the older mice with balls), and is rubbed smooth near the middle after years of use.
Or will a patch of more or less smooth, almost glossy black plastic not cause much trouble for the MX518? (although, sandpaper suddenly comes to mind...)

[Blín D'ñero]

Yeah you could create one yourself with a synthetic kitchenplank, it's hard smooth but rubbed and it worked great. But it wears off quite quickly. BUT it's cheapest.

The best cost the same as an mx518 mouse or more, are made by Steelseries.

I started with cheap Steelseries pads but they wear out quickly too, just as in your description.
Then i switched to the glass plate. Then to the SX and am still with it.

On the bottom 5 small Glide MS (and not the one designed for the G series because they are too large).
Mousepad: Steelseries SX and Steelseries Experience 1-2 (aka Icemat, glass).

Those are more expensive, but they don't wear out at all. So, in the long run, cheaper.
Their cheaper pads wear out too quickly so not worth the money (€ 25,- i paid). Then you can just as well buy any cheap similar pad. Or the kitchenplank.
Why do you need support for your wrist? My wrist is on the pad. Maybe it has tro do with the mouse's shape/fatness. In that respect, that's one of the reasons the G9 is perfect for me.

Oh and that brings me to the only downside of both expensive Steelseries: they are c-c-c-COLD. The glass one warms up a little by the hand, but the aluminium stays cold. (

[rditto48801]

As for why I need wrist support, it is because of my computer setup. I lack a proper computer desk, and my mouse pad basically rests on the wide/flat arm of the chair I use.
Just using a regular flat mouse pad ends up bother my wrist after I while, and I had to do things like roll up small towels to help give a little support. I haven't had such troubles since a friend gave me one of those hard plastic mouse pads that had a built in 'pad' for wrist support.
It might also be a factor that I happen to have big hands.

[Blín D'ñero]

Ohh... the arm of an armchair heh. Then i think you should cut/saw yourself a perfect mouseplatform out of a plastic kitchenplank. With the high resolution mx518 set to 1200 or 1600 you'll hardly have to move the mouse around to cover the whole screen.

Belkin pad with wristsupport: but i have seen those wrist "towels" as a seperate object too, you should be able to find it somewhere.