home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Software Vault: The Gold Collection
/
Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
/
cdr11
/
mpc93jun.zip
/
MOUSE.TXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-05-31
|
7KB
|
120 lines
Mouse Maintenance
By Robert Morris
Do you feel like beating your mouse against the desk instead of
moving it gracefully along its own personalized pad? When your
mouse starts skipping, operating erratically, or not at all, it's
time to take action. The first step to restore some semblance of
normalcy is to clean the mouse as outlined below.
You can clean the ball and the rollers the ball contacts inside the
well in which the ball resides with some denatured alcohol and
cotton swabs. Be advised this may not help, as dirt on the ball is
only part of the problem. The rest of the problem is inside the
mouse, behind the covers that warn you will void your warranty if
you mess with it. If your mouse is out of warranty, or you're in a
pinch (. . .ever try to use Windows without a mouse?) and have to
get back to work, then use this procedure to restore your mouse.
CAUTION: DENATURED ALCOHOL IS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE AND HIGHLY
POISONOUS. DO NOT USE NEAR FIRE, FLAME, OR WHILE SMOKING. USE ALL
PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
STORE UNUSED PORTION IN ITS ORIGINAL TIGHTLY-CAPPED CONTAINER AWAY
FROM PETS AND CHILDREN (U.S. AIR FORCE).
First step - find some denatured alcohol, some clean cotton swabs,
and a clean, dry lint-free rag. Then, after disconnecting the mouse
from the computer, roll the little fella over so you can inspect his
belly. You will probably find a circular locking plate holding the
ball in place. This plate can usually be removed by either sliding
it toward one end, or rotating it either left or right until the lock
is opened. When this retaining plate is loose, cup your hand over
the plate, roll your hand and the mouse over, and the plate and ball
will drop into your palm. Use the alcohol and swabs to thoroughly
clean the ball of dirt, grease and whatever else (coffee, soda,
mayonnaise and mustard) that your mouse has ingested. Use some
alcohol on a swab to clean the little plastic rollers inside the
ball well. Be gentle here. If you use too much pressure, you won't
need the rest of these cleaning procedures, just the recommendation
for a new mouse. Be sure to rotate the rollers to clean its entire
contact surface.
After you have cleaned the ball and the rollers, you need to use
the lint-free rag to wipe the residue of the alcohol from all
surfaces. This is the part where most people will try to cut corners.
It is not the hardest part of the procedure, but very a necessary
one.
After you have finished buffing the residue off the ball and the
rollers, drop the ball back into its well and replace the retaining
plate. Reconnect the plug to the computer, and test your work. You
should notice a considerable improvement in the operation.
Part of the problem with mice is an inherent design deficiency.
The ball rolls on a dirty desk or mouse pad, picking up dust and dirt
mixed with skin oils, smokers residue (of course, not in the
Pentagon), coffee, tea, and whatever else you have consumed at your
desk. As the ball rolls, it can throw these minute particles past
the rollers that contact the ball, up inside the body of the mouse.
Here it can stick to the thin Mylar disks that have concentric
copper rings plated onto them. These copper rings contact minute
spring fingers. When dust and dirt lodge between the tiny fingers
and the concentric rings, your mouse won't work.
No cause for alarm. If you are even minimally mechanically inclined,
you can successfully perform open mouse surgery.
WARNING: If your mouse is still under warranty, you will probably
void that warranty by peeling or removing the label.
As before, remove the mouse from the computer, and the ball from
the mouse. Now inspect the belly to find the small screws or plastic
locking clips that hold the top of your mouse (the part with the
buttons) to the bottom of the mouse. If you don't find them exposed,
you may have to remove a label. If you still have it, check the
documentation which came with your mouse to see if any cleaning or
disassembly instructions were included.
OK - now that you are inside the mouse - You should find two thin
circular disks mounted on shafts connected to the rollers that
protrude into the ball well. On one side of each disk are plated
copper rings that contact up to four tiny springs. Don't try to
move the springs or bend them to increase pressure. As a matter of
safety, try not to touch them, either.
Changing the pressure of one spring affects the pressure of the
others. If all springs don't contact the rings with the same
pressure, your mouse will probably not work correctly again!
Tilt your mouse so that you can put a drop of alcohol on one of the
disks, then spin the disk by turning the roller in the ball well.
This will distribute the alcohol under the spring contacts. Roll
the rollers in both directions to clear any dust or particles of dirt
that may be trapped under the springs. Now, while the alcohol is
still wet , very gently clean the alcohol from the disk with a cotton
swab. Do not use much pressure that will cause the disk to flex.
After you have removed the alcohol, use a clean (emphasize clean)
dry swab to remove as much of the alcohol residue from the disk as
possible, spinning the roller to reach all of the areas covered with
copper. Again, use a very light touch, and avoid touching the
springs!
When the first disk is clean, repeat all steps for the other disk.
Don't forget the precautions!
After you have finished cleaning, inspect the disks thoroughly,
checking for a warped disk, bent springs, bits of lint from the
cotton swab, etc. When you're satisfied that all is well,
reassemble the mouse, reversing whatever steps were required to
open the little rascal.
You're almost finished - but not quite. Before you go slamming your
newly cleaned mouse down for a test run, take a close look at the
mouse pad. Would you let your kids play on a carpet that dirty?
I think not! Take that scuzzy thing to the sink and wash it
thoroughly with a mild detergent and warm water, be certain to rinse
it thoroughly (soap left in the pad will attract moisture which will
trap dust and dirt that your mouse can pick up). After it's dry,
you're ready to check your refurbished mouse.