Member Avatar for JGila

Since I last shut down my Mac, the tracking on my mighty mouse has been all crazy. I try to point in one place, and the then the arrow shoots across the screen. Sometimes, it seems to work better than other times. Sometimes it is particularly madening - the pointer going nowhere near where I want it to go. Is this just a coincidence with shuting down the computer? Does the mouse need cleaning? If so, how do I clean it? Is there some software settings I can readjust? The other mouse functions work fine e.g. scrolling with the center button

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by danielwalters6

Dani AI

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Short version: the symptom (pointer randomly shooting across the screen) can be either a hardware problem (dirty sensor, damaged cable, failing electronics) or a software/setting issue. As suggested, the quickest way to separate those is to try the mouse on another machine and to try a different USB port on the Mac. If it behaves the same on a second computer, it is almost certainly hardware; if it only misbehaves on the original Mac, look at software/settings.

Safe, practical checks and fixes to try next:

  • Power-cycle the connection: unplug the USB plug, wait 10 seconds, and plug it into a different port. This is the wired equivalent of the Bluetooth reset mentioned.
  • Try a different surface (plain paper or a different mousepad). Some optical sensors misread glossy or patterned surfaces.
  • Check System Preferences -> Mouse for an extreme Tracking speed and Accessibility -> Mouse & Trackpad to ensure Mouse Keys or custom acceleration settings are off.
  • Boot into Safe Mode (hold Shift at startup) or create a new user account to rule out third-party mouse drivers (USB Overdrive, SteerMouse, etc.) or login items.

Cleaning and hardware caution:

  • Unplug the mouse first. Use compressed air to blow around the sensor hole and around the scroll ball. Gently wipe the underside with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Do not open the housing if it is under warranty or if unsure; disassembly can damage the unit.
  • Inspect the cable for kinks, frays, or exposed wires. Try the mouse on another computer with a different OS if available.

If the fault persists across machines after cleaning and trying alternate ports, it is likely a failing mouse. At that point replacement or contacting Apple/retailer for warranty/repair is the practical next step.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for John A

Is this is a wired or a wireless Mighty Mouse? And if you aren't using a mouse pad, does using one change anything?

Member Avatar for JGila

It has a wire.

Member Avatar for JGila

I do use a mouse pad. Haven't changed anything there

Member Avatar for John A

Do you have another computer (Windows or Mac, it doesn't matter) that you can use to test this mouse?

Member Avatar for danielwalters6

I had this problem once with my wireless mouse.

I turned it off, turned it on again, and reran the bluetooth wizard, including renaming the mouse, and it's worth since. (It's now worked for nearly a year, problem free)

Hope this helps

Since I last shut down my Mac, the tracking on my mighty mouse has been all crazy. I try to point in one place, and the then the arrow shoots across the screen. Sometimes, it seems to work better than other times. Sometimes it is particularly madening - the pointer going nowhere near where I want it to go. Is this just a coincidence with shuting down the computer? Does the mouse need cleaning? If so, how do I clean it? Is there some software settings I can readjust? The other mouse functions work fine e.g. scrolling with the center button

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