- Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the mouse ball. Tip the mouse
and drop the ball into your palm, cupping your hand so the mouse ball doesn’t
fall on the floor or table. Examine the ball for pits, cracks, or flat spots. Make sure
that the ball is not lopsided or oval-shaped. If the ball has any of these problems,
it needs to be replaced. Spare mouse balls are not easy to get, so your best bet is
to replace the mouse. - Inspect the mouse ball’s chamber, shown in Figure 22-6, for lint, dirt, and threads
and carefully remove any you find with tweezers or a cotton swab with just a
drop of alcohol on it. - Inspect the rollers inside the ball chamber and use the tweezers or swab and
alcohol to remove any dirt or lint. - Blow out the mouse ball chamber with compressed air. To avoid damaging the
small electronic parts inside the mouse, direct the air stream off to one side and
try not to blast the rollers. You shouldn’t try to blow out the dust inside the mouse
ball chamber with your mouth for two reasons: saliva may get in the chamber
and you may get dust in your eyes. - Use a very slightly damp, lint-free cloth or a Scotch-Brite HPEC cloth to clean
the mouse ball. If you use a damp cloth, use only water with no cleaners and
especially no alcohol. Cleaners and alcohol can shrink or distort the ball. Don’t
soak it or scrub it, just wipe it clean, let it dry, and then reinsert it in the chamber
and replace the locking cap. - If needed, you can use isopropyl alcohol or a general-purpose no-rinse cleaner
to clean the exterior of the mouse. - Restart the PC and watch for any POST problems with the mouse or connector.
Give the mouse a complete test, including its buttons.
(^578) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
Figure 22-6. The mouse ball chamber must be inspected for lint, dirt, and other debris