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From: larryh@techbook.com (Larry Hutchinson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Possible Jerky Mouse FIx
Message-ID: <1991Jun22.163648.12548@techbook.com>
Date: 22 Jun 91 16:36:48 GMT
Reply-To: larryh@techbook.com (Larry Hutchinson)
Organization: TECHbooks - Beaverton, Oregon - Public Access Unix
Lines: 30



Yesterday I got feed up with my jerky mouse and decided to take the damn
thing apart and find out what the problem was.  I came to the conclusion
that minute flecks of gunk contaminate one or both of two rotating contact
wheels and/or the sliding contact fingers.  (Early Apple mice used an
optical wheel.)

The solution then is to somehow clean the wheel &/or fingers.  One way that
comes to mind is to spritz the wheel with contact cleaner while spinning the
shaft.  Not having any contact cleaner, I simply tried to blow as much dust
away as I could with my mouth.  Now, I also removed the back covers from the
wheels, lifted the contacts and then let them snap back in place so I don't
know if just blowing at the dust away works by itself.  At any rate my mouse
works fine now.  Of course if your mouse is still under warranty, just get
a new mouse.

If you decide to take your mouse apart, be aware that some gizmos will fall
out if you hold it upside down with the top shell off.

IMHO, Apple could fix the problem by enclosing the wheels in a dust tight
housing.

Larry Hutchinson
WaveMetrics@AppleLink.Apple.COM
or...
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