Computer not registering mouse clicks?

Factual Questions
1

This started happening yesterday. I use a cordless trackball, if that matters. Anyway, starting yesterday it seems like I have to click on everything 5 or 6 times to get it to register the click. It’s very frustrating. I don’t think it’s the batteries, because when the batteries get weak what happens is it loses its signal to the base station thing that is plugged into the computer, and the cursor freezes up.

Any ideas what could be causing this other than hardware failure?

2

I would suspect hardware failure, either in the mouse or in the USB port that it’s plugged into. Try a different USB port, one that’s in a different location on the computer. (The ports right next to each other often share a controller, so if one isn’t working the others likely won’t either.) If you’ve got a second mouse available, plug it in and give it a try. You might try new batteries just in the name of being thorough.

Sadly, mice do not have indefinite lifespans. The simple ones can survive for five to ten years or so, but that decreases rapidly as they get more complicated. If yours is getting up there in years, it may be time for a replacement.

3

Always start troubleshooting by replacing the batteries, no matter when they were last changed.

4

After trying new batteries, open it up and give your trackball a thorough clean. Trackballs pick up crud to a far greater extent than mice.

5

I agree with the others. My first thought was weak batteries. Second thought was crud in the switch contacts. After that, I suspect the switch contacts are starting to wear out.

How is the computer running otherwise? I’ve seen systems that are really bogged down miss mouse clicks. Has your computer become sluggish (maybe a spyware/malware issue)?

6

buttons on mice and trackballs are small microswitches. i’m still amazed they have the lifetime they do. they do break or start to wear though.

7

It runs kind of slow at times. I multitask the hell out of it, really. If it was a child it would be considered abuse.

8

Over the past 10 years I lost a Logitech trackball and a Logitech mouse to bad button contacts. I don’t know if your trackball is a Logitech, but if so…