If your mouse wheel stopped working randomly and you can no longer scroll with it, there might be a software problem, although more often it is a hardware problem.
It happened to me today that my mouse wheel stopped working suddenly. Here’s what you can try to fix the mouse wheel:
1. Uninstall your mouse driver:
- Enter “device manager” into the search field on the Start menu.
- Click on Device Manager
- Uncollapse Mice and other pointing devices
- Right-click on HID-compliant mouse and select Properties
- Go to the tab Drivers and click on Uninstall
- Plug out your mouse, wait 5 seconds and plug it in again (plugging out and in immediately is not good for your USB controller)
2. Try another mouse:
Most obviously, the easiest way to find out why the mouse has stopped working and if it is a hardware problem or software is to try another mouse (if uninstalling the mouse driver was unsuccessful).
3. How old is your mouse?
Nothing works forever, your mouse could be broken, especially if it’s an old mouse. If the mouse wheel stopped working after some years, it’s a first sign that you need a new mouse ;)
After checking the purchase date of the mouse, I noticed that I bought my mouse back in October 2003, so the mouse is nearly 7 years old! 7 years is quite a lifetime for a mouse and it only proves that Logitech mice are high-quality mice that work for a pretty darn long time. I own an older mouse and that is still working fine after 9 years!
4. Loose mouse wheel?
Does the wheel scroll differently and could it be a bit more loose than it normally is? If you’re a bit tech-savvy you could try to open your mouse, but only do it if you know what you’re doing and as a last resort before buying a new one.
Good quick guide.
I tried the above to see if would fix my issue and save a reboot, but no luck.
I would add that an OS “Restart” should be done as part of troubleshooting…
VG
I solved mine by smashing it against the table.
Your move, technology.
Ha, good one xD