Apple’s Mighty Mouse works great most of the time, but there are times when the trackball simply stops working. Sometimes you can scroll up but not down, down but not up, and sometimes, you can’t even scroll at all.
There are a number of ways to fix this, but not all of them work swimmingly. For instance, you can try rubbing the trackball with a q-tip or paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol, or you can try inserting the corner of a piece of paper into the space between the trackball and the rest of the device. From our experience, both of the above solutions work, but only temporarily.
That being the case, sometimes you need to get your hands dirty and actually open up your mouse and clean the trackball manually to get rid of any dirt and dust particles that might have taken up residence there. The following video explains how to do just that. Lastly, and in typical Apple fashion, opening up the mouse requires some effort, so proceed with caution and at your own risk!
Watch How to clean an Apple Mighty Mouse – Take-apart guide in Technology
Related: Does Apple’s Mighty Mouse suck?
July 14th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
A better solution and one that always has worked for me is to insert the tip of a compressed air canister into the trackball. Works every time.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Fantastic instructions, exactly what I needed after viewing other videos that skipped a bunch of steps. Really clear, thanks for taking the time.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
thank you for information
September 16th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
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September 22nd, 2009 at 8:46 am
Thank you Sir, you just saved me buying a new mouse.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Hi;
Great demonstration on cleaning these lousy mice. Mine was doing the SAME THING after only 5 months of use. I found that taking the mouse apart was way too daunting.
I simply grabbed one of my wife’s (an RN) alcohol wipes that she brings home from the hospital and wiped over the ball several times being careful not to drip any inside.
The mouse works flawlessly now without taking it apart. I’ll bet you’ll have the same results as I did.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I finally resorted to following the video here because NO AMOUNT OF cleaning talked about with wipes, Q-Tips, etc…, did much of anything. Once I got the mouse apart, it was so dirty that I’m surprised it functioned at all, the scroll wheel that is.
Now it works great. The problem is that my oval ring cracked badly, but with a very light touch of Elmers glue, all is good and I should be able to take it apart again if need be. But I am going to buy the Magic Mouse with no moving parts. The mighty mouse is great, but Apple should’ve come up with a better way to clean it for dirty environments.
Thanks for the video. It saved me a great many headaches!
November 29th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
just spit in it
December 12th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Works brilliantly! The cleaning can only go so far.
When i finally decided to rip it apart the wheels were so gummed up it was scary! works like new again now! Yay! I hate this mouse! Grrr
December 30th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Brilliant video, everything as described. My mouse works perfectly now, thank you.
January 23rd, 2010 at 5:52 am
I’ve opened my Mighty Mouse and cleaned it thoroughly after it having problems almost daily.
Just a tip for others who will attempt the procedure. If you have difficulty getting the first grey ring off of the bottom, try to get an X-acto blade between the ring and the mouse. Did wonders for me, especially for the bottom half of the ring, which seems to hold more tight than the top.
Watch out for your hands.