[MaxCast]

Do mice need to be cleaned?  My curser sometimes stays still when moving the mouse. It feels like the ball stops moving.  No screws on the mouse so it must snap together.
Any ideas or get a new mouse?

[maxwalrath]

The circular plastic piece surrounding the rubber ball at the bottom of the mouse twists counter-clockwise to come off. Take the rubber ball out. There are 3 small circular things that guide the rubber ball...these 3 things are probably caked with dust/grime that accumulated from around the house. Clean them all the way around, put the ball back, and it should be good as new.

[woodsyi]

Get an optical mouse already!    Who is still using balls?     Don't tell me it's wired too! 

[MaxCast]

Thanks Max! that did the trick. 

woodsyi, my work environment is dirty not sure how optical would work, and then the batteries.  What I really want to try is a roller ball with a back button.  Left/right scroll would be nice too but I'm too cheep to replace something that is working. 

[woodsyi]

Thanks Max! that did the trick. 

woodsyi, my work environment is dirty not sure how optical would work, and then the batteries.  What I really want to try is a roller ball with a back button.  Left/right scroll would be nice too but I'm too cheep to replace something that is working. 

I think a dirty environment is good for optical as long as you can shake the dust off the mousepad before using it.  There is no mechanical part that can clog up.  Also you can get one with a powered base that will charge the mouse when not in use -- no need to replace the battery.  Something to think about when you current ballsy mouse bites the dust!

[Wind Chaser]

What I really want to try is a roller ball with a back button.

I've had a roller ball and it froze up from time to time and required the same maintenance as your current mouse.  I've been using an optical mouse without a mouse pad trouble free for a few years now.  I wish the rest if my computer was that reliable...

John

[Papajin]

In a dirty enviroment, the optical should work far better for you!  All you need is a flat non-reflecting surface, and you're set.  The only possible problem I could ever see occuring is if the "eye" on the optical gets covered in some sort of dirt, then it may need to be cleaned, but that should be easily done.  Optical mice are just far more reliable than the ball mice ever were.  Highly recommended.

[MaxCast]

vadee interestink  I just may give it a shot.
The home comput mouse has the same prob.  the rollers apear to have a little rubber band  which is proving to be a bit harder to clean. 

Thanks for the recs.

[hibuckhobby]

Okay....
1.  Make sure they're dead
2.  Hang upside down by their tail
3.  Have a very sharp knife
4.  Start with an incision at the throat and continue back to just under the tail
5.  Remove innards
6.  Take mouse down and remove pelt
7.  Dissemble and take to freezer. 

Remember there's not much meat and you might need a crock pot to get it tender.   
YMMV
hibuck...

[avahifi]

My two sweet loving little boy cats, Stanley and Oliver, clean mice simply by ripping their guts out with their teeth.  Thats the reason I have gone to a touchpad and roller ball setup.

Frank Van Alstine

[lonewolfny42]

How to clean a mouse....

The serious solution......

The fun solution.......

I think both will do the job....

[Levi]

Go optical and a good S&S Steel pads.  It is like skating in ice

[MaxCast]

Thanks everyone.  My house mouse needs another go.
Maybe I'll try hibuck's method. 

Wolfy, you never ceace to amaze me.

[nathanm]

Wow, a ball mouse...and he wonders if it needs cleaning no less!   (I don't even wanna think about that roller wheel filth!)  Are you still using a rotary phone Maxcast?   This guy's old school!  I recommend the Microsoft wheel mouse optical myself, as I am not terribly fond of wireless.  The only time they can mistrack is if you use them on a very plain glossy surface, but the dirty environment may work to your advantage there.  And now your old mouse balls can be repurposed into esoteric hifi isolation devices!  Oooh!

[MaxCast]

Wow, a ball mouse...and he wonders if it needs cleaning no less!   (I don't even wanna think about that roller wheel filth!)  Are you still using a rotary phone Maxcast?   This guy's old school!  I recommend the Microsoft wheel mouse optical myself, as I am not terribly fond of wireless.  The only time they can mistrack is if you use them on a very plain glossy surface, but the dirty environment may work to your advantage there.  And now your old mouse balls can be repurposed into esoteric hifi isolation devices!  Oooh!

Ha, we had a rotary phone longer than I care to admit.  And the second phone didn't have a dialer, just pick up and talk/listen 

I thought the same thing about those balls.  They sure are dense little buggers.