Mouse Clicking Troubles? DIY Repair

DIY Mouse Repair

After a month of non-use, I plugged my trusty Logitech iFeel Mouseman into my USB port and continued on as if we (my mouse and I) hadn’t missed a beat. But as soon as I clicked the start menu button, I knew something wasn’t quite right anymore. I knew I had to figure out a DIY mouse repair. I was single-clicking folders but for some reason, they were opening as if I had double-clicked on them. Programs began popping open as I tried to move shortcuts around on the desktop. It was so bad that it was almost impossible to draw boxes around groups of icons I needed to move around. After searching for my trusty old PS2 mouse, which was nowhere to be found I might add, I decided to Google my trouble and realized that I alone was not the sole sufferer of this almost unbearable torment. I located countless posts all over the web, from users of all different manufacturers, for whom the solution of reinstalling drivers didn’t help, and who were forced to go out and buy new mice. I wasn’t about to plop down money for a new mouse when I liked the one I already had, so I decided the best course of action was to see if I couldn’t fix it myself.

WARNING: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! UNPLUG YOUR MOUSE AND DO THIS SOMEWHERE YOU CAN FIND THE SMALL PIECES YOU ARE SURE TO DROP!

 

STEP 1:

Mouse

Unplug the mouse and get out a small screwdriver like one from this set. Every mouse I’ve seen has small Phillips head screws holding the pieces together, so if you don’t have one, get one, it’ll come in handy on more projects than just this one.

STEP 2:

Screws

Time to remove the screws from the bottom of the mouse and put them CLOSE BY so that you don’t lose them. I have marked the locations of the screws of my mouse in the picture.

On my particular mouse, care must be taken when removing the vibration motor from the upper assembly. Your mouse’s internal hardware may be different, so please be careful removing the top from the base. Below is my mouse after separating the two.

Off

STEP 3:

Since your mouse is already open, take the time to remove any hair, dust, or other matter inside. Once cleaned, it’s time to have a look at the micro-switches that register your clicks.

Sw

The switches will be small rectangular boxes with a small plastic piece that, when pushed, will emit a clicking sound. After you’ve found the switches, click both the right and left mouse buttons and notice how big of a difference in the sound they make. My left mouse button barely made an audible click before I fixed it.

STEP 4:

Once you’ve located the offending micro switch, it’s time to pop it open. Since my left mouse button was the culprit, I gently used a small flat-head screwdriver to lift up one corner of the switch cover. Be gentle here as breaking the plastic cover would be a very bad thing.

Pry

Pry gently on one side, then pry gently on the other side. When you succeed, you’ll be left with an open switch, a black cover, and a small plastic insert. DO NOT LOSE THIS! I’ve laid out the parts below so that you can get an idea of what things look like.

Plastic

Notice the location of the small copper contact in the picture above. MEMORIZE HOW THIS FITS ONTO THE CONTACTS IN YOUR SWITCH. Okay, with that said, here’s a picture of what we’ve been searching for:

Rest

STEP 5:

This piece is tiny, to say the least. Notice the curved “spring” in the center. To remove this piece, gently push sideways on the movable end until it is free from its resting contact. Below is a blown up switch view:

Cu

After checking to make sure the entire copper piece is level, insert a small flat head screwdriver and force the spring part away from the rest of the copper piece. The picture below is me bending the spring away:

Bend

Be careful when bending the spring, the copper is extremely thin, and it doesn’t take much to make your mouse clicks stiff again.

STEP 6:

When you’re satisfied you’ve put enough spring back into the copper, it’s time to remount it to the contacts inside the switch.

Set the fixed end of the copper in first, then gently slide the movable end underneath the resting contact. You will have to put the spring down into its location AFTER this has been done. It takes some patience, so don’t get discouraged. I spent 10 minutes figuring this out.

Once you have the copper back in place, it should move up and down, but not click. Make sure the copper moves correctly before moving on to the next step.

STEP 7:

Now take the small plastic insert and work it back into the switch cover. A small bit should stick out of the top of the cover, a good check to make sure you’ve put it back in correctly.

Step7

STEP 8:

To reattach the switch cover to the switch, simply turn the mouse upside down, and attach the cover over the switch into its original position. Why upside down, you ask? Holding it upside down will keep that tiny little plastic insert from falling out of the switch as you try to put it back in.

Once the cover is back in place, try out your “new” switch. You should notice that it feels firmer than it did before and that it should make an audible clicking noise. If it doesn’t do this, take the switch apart again and start from STEP 4.

STEP 9:

Carefully replace the mouse cover, being careful not to catch any loose wires, and then re-screw it to the base. Plug it in and enjoy.

I hope to help people who have a favorite or expensive mouse that has simply lost its ability to click the important single click, and who don’t feel the need to have to shell out more money for a new one with this DIY mouse repair. I’d love to hear comments on this article or your questions. I am no repair expert but would love to try to help you out.

Douglas Holden

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After a month of non-use, I plugged my trusty Logitech iFeel Mouseman into my USB port and continued on as if we (my mouse and I) hadn't missed a beat. But as soon as I clicked the start menu button, I knew something wasn't quite right anymore. I knew I had to figure out a DIY mouse repair. I located countless posts all over the web, from users of all different manufacturers, for whom the solution of reinstalling drivers didn't help, and who were forced to go out and buy new mice. I wasn't about to plop down money for a new mouse when I liked the one I already had, so I decided the best course of action was to see if I couldn't fix it myself.

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