Wireless Mouse Issue

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Level 1

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Wireless Mouse Issue

Two days ago, my magic mouse suddenly started not working correctly on my MacBook Pro. I have had the mouse and laptop 18 months and haven't had any problems before so I'm not quite sure what has gone wrong. It was working perfectly fine on Saturday afternoon, then I borrowed my mouse's recharageable batteries to use in my Wii remote and when I put them back in I started having problems.

Scrolling and clicking work, but tracking is glitchy - cursor not moving very much, even with huge movements of the mouse. If I take the battery cover off and use it then it works better (it moves at least) but its erratic still, sometimes superspeed and sometimes hardly moving. I have not changed the surface that I am using the mouse on.

So far I have tried:

Turning mouse on and off
Cleaning sensor on mouse
Restarting computer
Uninstalling mouse and then reinstalling
Running software update
Recharging the batteries again, even though it says they are 100%
Brought new batteries

... but nothing has worked 😟 Because it works better without the battery cover on made me think it was a mouse problem with the sensor, but nothing I've done to clean that has made any difference.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 19, 2011 11:10 PM

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Answer 1

X423424X

Level 6

14,271 points

Jun 20, 2011 2:47 AM in response to Izzywitch

You didn't mention that you tried the following...

smc reset, and if that doesn't work, pram reset.

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Answer 2

Izzywitch Author

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Jun 20, 2011 3:54 AM in response to X423424X

Thank you for the suggestions 🙂 Sadly, those don't seem to have worked either.

Its strange, I noticed while restarting my computer for those that the mouse cursor always appears in the top left-hand corner on start-up now... fairly sure it used to always start off in the middle? It also appears to move more to the left and up, than it does right and down... weird lol

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Answer 3

Jun 20, 2011 4:17 AM in response to Izzywitch

Hello:

It seems coincidental, but I would suspect the mouse is failing/failed.

PRAM reset might have helped, SMC probably not - although none of those hurt anything either.

If you are near one, take the mouse to an Apple store to see if it will work on one of their systems.

Barry

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Answer 4

X423424X

Level 6

14,271 points

Jun 20, 2011 5:35 PM in response to Barry Hemphill

My standard response -- when all else fails try a bluetooth facrtory reset.

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Answer 5

Izzywitch Author

Level 1

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Jun 22, 2011 12:58 AM in response to X423424X

I don't appear to have the XCode thing, so no Bluetooth Explorer D:

There aren't any Apple stores where I am living at the moment either... but I am going home for the weekend soon, so I guess if it hasn't fixed itself by then I can take it to the Apple store there.

Its frustrating not having a working mouse though because I draw with it - and the touchpad just doesn't work for that haha

Thanks for the suggestions 🙂

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Answer 6

X423424X

Level 6

14,271 points

Jun 22, 2011 6:51 PM in response to Izzywitch

I don't appear to have the XCode thing, so no Bluetooth Explorer D:

The "XCode thing" is the apple development tools.

I have a Mac Pro not a MacBook Pro so I am asking this question purely out of curiosity and my own education. Does the installer CD that came with your MacBook Pro have a folder called Optional Installs on it? If it does then is there a User uploaded file Xcode.mpkg in there? If it doesn't then...never mind 😀

Note, I think these days you can buy Xcode for, what is it?, $5 at the App Store.

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Answer 7

Izzywitch Author

Level 1

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Jun 22, 2011 10:19 PM in response to X423424X

Huh, yeah, it is on the disc labelled "Mac OS X Install DVD" under optional installs like you say 🙂 Thats good to know thanks!

I took my mouse into a local store here that sells Apple products (not the people I brought through though) and they tested it, said it was the mouse's problem... and gave me a brand new one! Which is working great ^_^ Score one for that store because a) I didn't buy it there and b) fairly certain 18 months is well out of the official warrenty period!

Thanks for the advice all 🙂 And the tip on XCode too, least I'll know about that for next time.

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Answer 8

lm2013

Level 1

13 points

May 16, 2016 10:19 AM in response to Izzywitch

Same problem. Mouse has worked fine for several years and started acting up. Did all the recommended fixes, by accident tested it on another machine with similar results to verify it wasn't a software issue. Put in on my dark wood desktop and it worked perfectly, tried it on both a glossy black binder cover and a glossy white binder cover with a color printed page underneath the plastic slip cover of the white one, same perfect results. Makes no sense given it use to work on any surface.

I would really like to know why this problem raises its ugly head after several years of excellent service. Especially since there are no moving parts in this thing. You would think it would last forever....but then Apple couldn't sell us new stuff and pad their pockets....

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