Dec 16, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions
You are in the middle of your favourite e-book or a graphic editing project, and the scroll wheel on your mouse stops working. Can you imagine the distress that can cause? Work hindrances, concentration hampered, and so on, the consequences are countlesss. While working, none of us realizes how often we use the scroll wheel on our mouse, but when it stops working, and we have to take the assistance of our navigation buttons, we realize the importance of a functioning scroll wheel. Therefore, to avoid being in such a helpless position, we shall discuss the methodologies for Windows and MAC users that can prove to be useful if the scroll wheel doesn’t work.
Usually, one or more of the following symptoms are experienced when users face issues with their mouse’s scroll wheel.
If you want to quickly solve the issue of Mouse Scroll Wheel Not Working, then watch the video below. In this video, our expert shares some of the most effective ways to fix the mouse scroll not working problem.
If you have no time to watch the entire video tutorial, you can come to the part 2 and 3 and follow the steps and description to solve the issue in different operating systems.
To overcome the issue with the scroll wheel within our MAC systems, we use the rub and roll technique as discussed in the following steps:
1) Start by unplugging your mouse from the computer;
2) Follow it up by turning the mouse upside down as shown in the image below;
3) You are now required to rub the scroll wheel repeatedly for a minute or so in every possible direction. This can be done with the help of a dry, fresh, and clean piece of linen. If the scroll wheel is not resolved even then, follow it up by rubbing with a lightly moistened cloth to remove dirt. We recommend the use of alcohol (you can use methylated spirits). As shown in the image, you can also put the mouse upside-down on a piece of paper and continue to roll the ball over that paper;
4) If you do not have immediate access to linen, you can rub the scroll wheel with your cotton shirt, pants, or even jeans.
5) If the scroll wheel doesn’t work even now, you may have to repeat the above steps before considering replacement options.
While MAC doesn’t offer many options for fixing the malfunctioning ‘scroll wheel’, users can try multiple troubleshooting techniques to achieve the same in Windows. In the following section, we take a look at few such methodologies.
Often, the scroll wheel issue is caused when any software conflicts with the working of the mouse. To uninstall any such software, you can follow the given steps:
It is possible that the driver of the mouse is not updated; here is what you can do about it. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Just along with the windows logo, you will find the search bar.
Step 2: Type “Device Manager” on it. It will bring a list of all the hardware and devices connected to your desktop.
Step 3: Find the mouse option that is “plugged in” in “mice and other pointing devices.”
Step 4: Click on the option “Update driver”. Once the driver is updated, restart your PC.
Virus and malware not only affect your desktop but can also affect the functioning of your mouse. You can use the anti-virus in the computer to get rid of the issue if that is it:
Step 1: Search for “Windows security app”, which looks like a shield.
Step 2: Click on “Virus and threat protection” on the left side
Step 3: It will lead to a quick scan of the mouse, and if there is a virus, the scan will find it.
There is a probability that the issue with your mouse’s scroll wheel could be due to an application. This is because, with the ‘high resolution’ mouse devices, there are still some applications that do not correctly interpret the partial scrolling messages. This can be explained further as when the low-resolution wheels scroll up and down, the mouse driver sends a magnitude of 120 each for the wheel up and wheel down.
According to official documentation, a scrolling value of 120 (or -120) indicates a single line of scrolling. Therefore, if your application happens to receive less than a full line, it should either scroll a part of a line (which is usually followed by applications like MS-Office) or else save up the value until a total value of 120 is reached (which is usually accomplished by applications like Notepad).
Microsoft ensures that most mouse devices offer a smoother scroll experience, which allows the scroll wheel of higher resolution to send 4 times as many scroll events, but with 1/4th of the magnitude. This results in scroll speed being the same but smoother.
Therefore, the scrolling issue can arise in different applications, and we recommend our users check for the same before calling for technical support.
Usually, it has been seen that users don’t go in for complicated troubleshooting techniques when it comes to fixing the scroll wheel of a broken mouse. In the above section, we have attempted to list out steps that can help you save money on a mouse replacement. The issue with the scroll wheel often originates due to an incorrect driver, a software program that is not compatible or tends to be application-specific. Therefore, if you could reset your mouse using the above techniques, thus getting rid of the issues in your mouse’s scroll wheel, let us know your experience in the forums.
So, these are some of the solutions that will help you fix the issues of mouse error. If you are dealing with a faulty mouse, then there is a huge chance that it is a hardware problem and the mouse is faulty, and you need to replace it.
Sometimes faulty mouse might also interfere with the important data on your desktop and end up deleting it. So, it is important that you must have a backup of all the important that you do not want to lose.
Most commonly, the reason is that the mouse is compatible with the app that you may be using, or it may also have virus/malware hindering the mouse from working properly.
Some of the reasons that may be causing the issue of the scroll wheel are:
You can try the methods mentioned above; it must work, and if it does not, you have a faulty mouse that needs to be replaced.
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David Darlington
staff Editor