# What's wring with my mouse/browser? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2001, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617 "2001-01-12T01:14:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/1 "2001-01-12T01:14:57Z")
OK, I’ve got a REALLY annoying problem with either my mouse, or my browser. I have an optical mouse with a scrolling wheel. Whenever I use the wheel to scroll, wherever the mouse is becomes ‘smugged.’ Also, if I click the mouse on the scroll bar and scroll down, it does the same thing just to the left of the scroll bar. It does this all the time in IE, but very little in Netscape, so that makes me think it’s my browser. (I would use Netscape, but it seems to be wanting to run VERY slow today.) But I also think it’s my mouse, because I have a laptop with a scroll button. It’s not a true wheel, but I hold it down and a scroll function is enabled. When I use that scroll function, nothing is smugged. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/2 "2001-01-12T05:44:24Z")
What exactly do you mean by “smugged”? I’ve honestly never heard that term before, and the dictionary doesn’t help (“To make smug, or spruce.”) ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/3 "2001-01-12T05:51:08Z")
I think **bouv** probably meant “smudged”… **bouv** have you tried reinstalling the mouse drivers? That might help… or maybe not… ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/4 "2001-01-12T16:01:07Z")
No I haven’t tried to reinstall the drivers. I’ll try that. Hmm…not only did I misspell smudged, but I asked what was ‘wring’ with my mouse/browser. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/5 "2001-01-12T16:05:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\*not only did I misspell smudged, but I asked what was ‘wring’ with my mouse/browser. > \*\* Well, I **DID** wonder… FTR, I (wring) had **nothing** to do with it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/6 "2001-01-12T17:21:52Z")
A dumb question, but it’s done wierd things…have you changed your graphics resolution or card? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/7 "2001-01-12T18:00:35Z")
No, I have had the same resolution and card since I got the thing in September. The weird thing is, it doesn’t always do it. For instance, I tried it right now. I opened up IE, and did what I did before, and nothing happened. Sometimes it varies from site to site, sometimes it does it all the time. (note: it always does it at the SDMB.(which is why I use Netscape as much as possible.)) ---
**Author:** ![DrPorkchop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@DrPorkchop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrPorkchop)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wring-with-my-mouse-browser/49617/8 "2001-01-14T00:48:57Z")
I have the exact same problem. But I’ve found some ways around it. First of all, it only happens when I use cursors other than the standard Windows cursors. Instead of restricting myself to these cursors, I also discovered that it doesn’t happen if you turn off “Smooth Scrolling” in the IE options. I think it’s under the advanced tab. It’s really a trivial problem. If it smudges a spot just scroll past that spot with scroll bar on the right, then scroll back and it should be back to normal. Hope this helps. Dr. P.