# Strange computer mouse behavior

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 14, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893 "2003-12-14T04:16:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_terminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@the\_terminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_terminator)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893/1 "2003-12-14T04:16:48Z")

</div>

Lately, my mouse seems to be interpreting a single click as two clicks or holding down the mouse button as a double click. For example, sometimes when I hit the back button in Internet Explorer it will take me back two pages, like from a thread on the SDMB right back to the main list of boards. It does not do this all the time, just randomly. I ran Spybot, AdAware and a virus scan and nothing came up. I am running Windows XP. Any idea what the problem could be?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_terminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@the\_terminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_terminator)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893/2 "2003-12-14T04:21:50Z")

</div>

Another good example of what’s wrong with my mouse is this triple post :mad: . Sorry everyone.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893/3 "2003-12-14T07:08:57Z")

</div>

Have you tried this mouse on another computer? Another mouse on this computer?

Maybe you just need a new one, they’re cheap.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893/4 "2003-12-14T08:04:44Z")

</div>

Sounds like the mouse is dying. Another vote for getting a new one.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![the\_terminator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@the\_terminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_terminator)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893/5 "2003-12-14T17:40:08Z")

</div>

Can a mouse get dirt jammed under the button like it can collect dirt in the ball mechanism? And if it can, is it possible to remove the button and clean it? I don’t really want to replace the mouse as I have only had it for just about a year.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-computer-mouse-behavior/218893/6 "2003-12-14T18:16:57Z")

</div>

Yep - it can get dirty under the button - my work mouse was doing the exact same thing.

I used alcohol wipes and a paper clip to guide it into the smaller spots - cleaned the mouse under the buttons & it worked fine again.

Only problem is with some mice it may be more difficult to get under the buttons.