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From: rnf@shumv1.uucp (Rick Fincher)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: GS mouse sticking
Message-ID: <1989Dec19.153005.9895@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 19 Dec 89 15:30:05 GMT
References: <19400@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Reply-To: rnf@shumv1.ncsu.edu (Rick Fincher)
Distribution: na
Organization: NCSU Computing Center
Lines: 28

In article <19400@watdragon.waterloo.edu> mrharrison@trillium.waterloo.edu (Mike Harrison) writes:
>Does anyone know of any way to keep a IIgs mouse from sticking? My mouseball
>seems to get stuck when I move the mouse. The mouse moves, but the pointer
>on the screen doesn't , so either the ball or the rollers are sticking
>(I think it's the ball, because the rollers seem to be nice and smooth) . 

I have this problem too.  It is usually the rollers.  If the metal ones aren't
metalic ALL THE WAY AROUND and the plastic ones aren't white (ie a black stripe
is on the roller) they need to be cleaned.  You have to rotate the rollers all 
the way around because a clump can be stuck to the back side.  This causes the 
mouse to seem to work fine then suddenly stick.  It's kind of like driving 
with a flat tire.  Just scrape the gunk off the rollers with a toothpick or
something similar that won't damage the roller.

>I've tried cleaning the mouseball, and I do have a mouse pad (a "FastPad").
>Any ideas? Or should I get a new mouse?

I use mousepads too, but I have found that the ones that have a fabric face
evidently coat the ball and rollers with the glue that binds the face to the
pad.  Junk sticks to this glue and creates a chocolate mess in your mouse.

I seriously doubt that you need a new mouse.  There are cleaning kits made
for the mouse but they consist of a ball wrapped in velcro hooks.  These scrub
off the gunk when you put the cleaning ball in and roll it around on a hard 
pad of velcro 'felt'.  A toothpick works just as well and is probably faster.

Rick Fincher
rnf@shumv1.ncsu.edu