The following is a list of the more common reasons for erratic mouse movement, as well as our recommended fixes.
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If your mouse is not moving, your computer may be frozen.
The mouse is not clean
An optical-mechanical mouse (mouse with a ball) may not work well because the inside of the mouse is not clean. See our computer cleaning page for steps to remedy this problem.
The optical portion of the mouse is blocked
If you have an optical mouse (LED or laser) with erratic behavior, the optical eye is possibly blocked. Hair or fuzz can block the sensor on the bottom of the mouse, preventing the optical sensor from working correctly. Turn the mouse over and make sure there is no debris blocking the hole. Blowing into the hole usually removes any hair or fuzz that could cause problems.
Bad surface
Although most mice work on any surface, if you're having problems with the cursor, we suggest a different mouse pad or surface, such as a book or piece of paper. For example, optical mice are notorious for not working on glossy surfaces. Putting a piece a paper under the mouse is a quick fix for this issue.
Wireless mouse
If you have a wireless mouse, there can be two reasons why your mouse may be jumping.
Bad wireless connection
To communicate wirelessly with the computer, your mouse must have a strong signal between the computer and the mouse. Make sure your mouse is no more than a few feet away from the wireless receiver. If the USB receiver has a short cable, move it to the front of the computer to get a better signal.
Bad or failing batteries
Bad or failing batteries can also cause a low signal strength with wireless mice. Try replacing the batteries or making sure they are charged to see if the batteries are the cause of the issue.
Reconnect and try a different port
It is also possible that a loose connection or bad port can cause problems with the mouse. Make sure that it is not either of these problems by disconnecting the mouse from the current USB port and connecting to another USB port.
If you are using an older computer with a PS/2 mouse, try disconnecting the mouse and reconnecting the mouse into the mouse port (usually the green port). If your computer has USB ports, you may also want to consider upgrading to a USB mouse.
Moisture or a liquid substance on finger
If you're using a touchpad, you may experience erratic behavior because of moisture or a liquid substance on your finger, such as lotion or soap. Wash your hands and wipe them with a towel thoroughly to remove any lotion or soap from your fingers. It may also help to clean off the touchpad itself to remove any substances on the touchpad.
Disconnect other external input devices
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If you have other input devices, such as another external mouse, graphics tablet, or keypad, connected to your machine, it may cause interference. Try disconnecting these devices to make sure they are not the cause of your problem.
Update drivers and uninstall older drivers
Because drivers control how the mouse interfaces with the operating system, if the rivers are out of date or corrupt, the mouse is not going to work properly. Make sure you have the latest drivers from your mouse manufacturer.
We also recommend going into Add or Remove Programs (also called 'Programs and Features' in newer versions of Windows) in the Control Panel and uninstalling all previous mouse drivers and software. Uninstalling old software is important when moving between mouse manufacturers, like going from a Logitech to a Microsoft mouse.
Defective mouse
If you have followed all of the steps listed above and continue to encounter problems, the mouse is likely defective. To determine if this is the case, try connecting the mouse to another computer. You can also try connecting another mouse to your computer. If your mouse does not work with another computer or another mouse does work on your computer, we suggest replacing your mouse.
Corrupt operating system files or virus infection
If after trying everything above, you're still having problems with your mouse and even another mouse on your computer, there may be corrupt operating system files on your computer. If one or more system files that interact with the mouse are corrupt, this can cause erratic mouse movement or failure to respond and click in various cases. If possible, restoring to a previous restore point could resolve the issue. However, you may have to perform an operating system repair install or full system recovery to resolve this type of issue.
There is also the possibility that your computer is infected with a virus or even spyware. A virus or spyware infection could cause problems with mouse movement and clicking actions, as well as other problems. Scan your computer with an antivirus program to determine if it is infected.
Defective motherboard
If you've tried all the steps above, the PS/2 or USB connections on the motherboard are defective. In this case, the motherboard needs to be replaced. We suggest taking your computer to a repair shop because of the difficulty of replacing a motherboard.
If you want to replace the motherboard, purchase the same model of the motherboard as currently in your computer. If you decide to purchase a different model, do your research and make sure it is compatible with all your existing hardware.
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If you purchase a new, different model motherboard than what is currently in the computer, you may also need to reinstall Windows due to the change in hardware. Windows has drivers installed that are specific to each motherboard, and changing the motherboard causes different drivers to be needed for Windows to run correctly.
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Additional information
- See our mouse and touchpad definitions for further information and related links.