Dell Mouse Keeps Dying

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@JackieR wrote:

I hope this is the right message board for my question. This is driving me crazy!

My Inspiron 4100 and Dell mouse are both 4 years old. In the past couple of weeks, the mouse will suddenly stop working. There's no particular pattern when it does this: I can be reading e-mail in Yahoo! or AOL, or be in any program or file. To fix it, I unplug it from the USB port (I only have one USB connection) and then plug it in again. It usually starts working, but sometimes it dies again almost immediately. Could it be that it's the mouse and I need to get a new one, or perhaps something I can fix within the laptop?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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If the mouse is the type with a rubber ball on the bottom it can be cleaned. If you don't know how to do this go to http://www.helpwithpcs.com/maintenance/mouse_problem_maintenance.htm

If that doesn't work go to device manager and see if a problem is being reported with the USB port. Write back it you don't know how to fix it.

You also might want to buy a new mouse at a store that will take back stuff with no questions. Target sell a good infrared mouse for $20. Take it back if it doesn't work.

Thanks for the quick response!  I'll try everything you've suggested, including a new mouse if the other atuff doesn't work.

So far so good!  I followed the cleaning instructions yesterday after receiving your response.  The mouse parts really did need cleaning - I would have never known to do this if I hadn't received your message.  Thanks for this valuable assistance!  The mouse is alive and doing quite well.

Thanks for the feedback. Often people don't let me know if I helped fix something or made it worse!
Long live your mouse!

But if it dies again, buy an infared one, they never need cleaning.

John