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Are you having problems controlling your mouse cursor?
Chances are good that you've experienced an unruly mouse cursor and nine times out of ten it's because of a dirty mouse ball or dirty mechanical rollers inside your mouse. As your mouse is used over time, the ball gets dirty and the mechanical rollers tend to pick up lint and dust so your cursor becomes erratic and difficult to control.
Well there are three different solutions to this common problem.
First, you can give up using a mouse. Some of us remember the days before Microsoft promoted the use of a mouse with its new Windows operating system. Back in the days before we had Windows, it was said that "only real men used MS-DOS" and therefore they all relied entirely on the keyboard to focus on and execute application items. Really! I kid you not. That's what your keyboard arrows, back buttons, and even the Tab keys were once used for. In fact, Microsoft even maintains a List of Keyboard Shortcuts for diehards who want to give up their mice.
Secondly, you can easily clean your mouse ball and roller mechanism. WalMart sells, in their electronics department, a mouse cleaning kit made by Curtis Computer Products. It consists of a velcro pad, two different sized velcro mouse balls, and a small bottle of cleaning solution. Using this kit is as easy as removing the mouse ball cover on your mouse, taking out the mouse ball, and then placing your mouse over the velcro mouse ball sitting on the velcro mouse pad. Then simply move the mouse around the pad for about five to ten seconds, replace your original mouse ball and that should make a huge improvement. The velcro ball helps to remove any grime that collects on the roller mechanisms and may restore smooth mouse cursor control.
Finally, you can invest in a USB Optically Controlled mouse such as those sold by Microsoft and other manufacturers. They have no ball or roller mechanisms to get dirty and are really starting to look good to me. In fact, I may even have to invest in one myself because my cats are always hanging around my computer area. They lay on my monitor, sit in my lap and will nonchalantly walk across my mouse and keyboard when I'm working. Believe me, cat hair and mouse balls do not mix well.
My guess is that you'll choose one of the latter two solutions. Once spoiled with a mouse, they're hard to give up and really do make the computing experience so much faster and easier. If you're not the do-it-yourself type, then ask us about ordering a new optically controlled USB mouse for your computer the next time you call us for an onsite repair appointment. We can usually get these items for you at reduced prices, as compared to OfficeMax, and we'll bring them along to your appointment.
(If the Tip-of-The-Week generates additional thought-provoking questions on your part that you would like us to personally answer, give us a call at 895-5016 to set up an appointment, or consider using our online AskBrightIdeas.com service.)
