Solved Strange mouse behaviour...

I have an HP 17 Envy, which has given me very few problems. I use an HP wireless mouse. Last night I had several programs/documents open and was watching a film in streaming. When the film finished, I found that I could not close the website. Nor could I close any of the other open documents/programs -- even using Task Manager. This morning a similar experience, but I could not keep programs or documents open, in fact I could only see them by hovering over their icon on the task bar. I checked for viruses and malware, ran chkdsk and sfc /scannow etc. The problem would seem to be my mouse. I have to press the left button very strongly and slowly for it to work, whereas there don't seem to be problems with the touchpad. The mouse wheel scrolls normally, it's just the left button that's become erratic. Has anyone experienced anything similar? I don't think this is related to Windows 11 as I upgraded a couple of months back, but I can't understand what has happened or why (or how to fix it - new mouse??).

Florio

@Florio


Might be the batteries in the mouse, or the microswitch under the left mouse button going bad.

Thank you, Ghot. I'm sure you're right. I'm charging the mouse now (it has a rechargeable battery), but I've never let the battery run out completely. But it could well be the microswitch, as you suggest. I cannot even open folders with left click, and so have to choose open from the right-click menu, and then give the left button a really hard click!!

Time for a new mouse, I reckon, even if this one is only a couple of years old.

Florio said:

Thank you, Ghot. I'm sure you're right. I'm charging the mouse now (it has a rechargeable battery), but I've never let the battery run out completely. But it could well be the microswitch, as you suggest. I cannot even open folders with left click, and so have to choose open from the right-click menu, and then give the left button a really hard click!!

Time for a new mouse, I reckon, even if this one is only a couple of years old.

Click to expand...

I have a cheap wired mouse.
I also play an old golf game (MS Links 2003).
I wore out the left microswitch on the golf game's "swing gauge".

As @Ghot said batteries or micro switch, it's not the age of the mouse but the amount of use that left button gets

If you have a can of electronic dust spray you could try spraying the switch to clean out any dirt or dust.