Power Computing provided the information in this article and it was deemed accurate as of 14 November 1997. Apple Computer, Inc. is not responsible for its content. This article is being provided as is and will not be updated in the future.

I have vertical movement and no horizontal movement on my mouse. It seems to be dirty, how do I open it to clean it?

Power Computing uses an optical mouse which occasionally may move vertically but not horizontally due to interference from a strong light source shining on the mouse and disturbing the optical sensors inside. Frequently, this symptom may be noticed as happening in the morning or evening when the rising or setting sun may be shining through a nearby window onto the mousepad area. A strong light source such as a desktop light can also produce this symptom but will usually occur with great frequency at all hours of the day. If your mouse can be operated in the dark, or operated when it is shielded from all possible direct lighting, then this is most likely your problem.

The most effective way to clean the mouse is to remove the mouseball coverplate and clean the rollers inside with a swab and Isopropyl alcohol. The mouse can also be disassembled by removing the two screws underneath near the mouse cable and by removing the bottom plastic circle to expose the third screw and removing that one as well. This however is unsupported and it is not advised that you disassemble your mouse in this manner.

Machines Affected: All