# Does your Optical mouse jump around the screen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936 "2010-06-21T00:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/1 "2010-06-21T00:49:34Z")
I have 2 mice of the same brand and model. (They were on sale.) They both have ps/2 connectors. My desktop mouse I have been using for about 3-4 years now, and it’s been working great until recently. Nowadays, it will randomly jump into the corners, but I wrote this off as just the mouse getting old (the buttons are sticky as well.) On my laptop, I have to use a converter cable and stick it into the USB port. This mouse is nearly brand new and unused in comparison to the desktop mouse. However, it also jumps around and hits the corners very often. Is this normal of optical mice? ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/2 "2010-06-21T00:52:08Z")
Can’t say I’ve ever had that happen over the 7+ years I’ve been using an optical mouse. Also, I do CAD work all day and would probably go nuts if that were a typical occurrence. ---
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/3 "2010-06-21T00:53:18Z")
Is your mouse pad dirty? It happened to mine (wireless optical) when some cat hair got in there. But nearing the end of its life, it was because the rechargable (and non replaceable) batteries were crapping out. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/4 "2010-06-21T00:56:52Z")
I hope you mean the cursor, and not the mouse itself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/5 "2010-06-21T01:02:28Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I hope you mean the cursor, and not the mouse itself. 😉 Nope, I’m not mouse-taken. HAH! Take than you punninglinguists!! Beat ya! ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/6 "2010-06-21T01:38:39Z")
Office Manager: “My mouse has suddenly stopped working.” Tech Support: “Is it an optical mouse?” Office Manager: “I don’t know?” Tech Support: “Does it have a ball or light?” Office Manager: “Oh, it’s got a light on top.” Tech Support: “On top? Are you sure?” Office Manager: “Yes. It was underneath before, but it looks better when it’s on top.” Tech Support: “Ok, try turning it around so the light points down on the desk.” Office Manager: “It’s working now I can can scroll again!” ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/7 "2010-06-21T04:29:44Z")
I’ve had this happen when using an optical mouse on a shiny or very smooth surface. Try it on something more dull and textured, like a cloth topped mouse pad. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/8 "2010-06-21T06:12:15Z")
My wife and I have our mouse pointer jump around randomly on occasion. It only happened when we switched to optical mice. It doesn’t have anything to do with a dirty mouse pad, as it will just move on it’s own. Sometimes it zigs around the screen before coming to a stop. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/9 "2010-06-21T22:12:59Z")
Have you changed your mouse pad? I was using a freebie promo mouse pad that had a photo on it that included a red apple. The red light that the mouse uses didn’t read properly over that bit of mat, so it caused lots of jumping. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-optical-mouse-jump-around-the-screen/543936/10 "2010-06-21T23:40:24Z")
I have a Logitech MX “Laser” mouse. The sensor is in a recessed cavity that collects hair - arm hair, and especially cat hair. When the mouse starts acting flaky, I turn it over and use a tweezers to pull the hair out of it, and then it’s fine.