Developers of modern operating systems are doing everything possible to simplify the interaction of the software GUI and user. Although currently a tacit legislator of standards in this area, Microsoft has relied on touchscreen technologies, which can be seen from the new version of the system, it’s quite difficult to work with programs in Windows without a mouse. If the mouse wheel does not work, then many users begin to panic. Being an electronic device, the mouse can indeed fail, but before going to the store for a replacement, it will not be superfluous to try to more thoroughly check its performance.
The mouse type manipulator has undergone a number of changes since its inception, affecting, first of all, the principle of reading movement data: a heavy ball covered with a layer of rubber and rollers constantly clogged with debris have been replaced by an optical system. But the wheel and buttons underwent less dramatic changes: holes are located at a certain distance from each other from the inside of the disk. A light-recording sensor is installed on one side of the disk, and on the other - an infrared diode, a classic optocoupler pair. When the user rotates the mouse wheel, the light of the diode is periodically interrupted. Such a system allows electronic circuits to count pulses and determine the direction of rotation and speed.
If the mouse wheel does not work, this, as indicated, is not a reason for exchange. First you need to check in which programs there is a failure, try to replace them. Sometimes the problem is incorrect program settings.
The next step is to make adjustments to your Windows settings. Click the "Start" button, open the "Control Panel" and follow the tab "Mouse". Here you can make changes to the wheel.
If everything is so simple, then why are forums full of questions like “the mouse wheel doesn’t work”? The answer is simple: much more often the problem lies in the hardware. Sometimes the wheel does not work in the mouse due to a malfunction of the optocoupler pair. Fortunately, some repairs can be done on your own at home.
We disconnect the mouse from the computer, take a screwdriver from the dial and unscrew the two screws (usually) from the bottom of the mouse. Screws can be hidden under the stickers, so carefully we probe the hidden surface. Then gently open the case.
The optocoupler pair is easy to find - it is next to the wheel. With a piece of dry cotton, we remove all dirt from the window-openings on the wheel disc, as well as carefully wipe the LED and the sensor. Often there you can see whole skeins of hair blocking a ray of light. In rare cases, it is necessary to level the level of the diode and the sensor (if they are curved, then this is immediately noticeable).
Sometimes the situation when the mouse wheel does not work is connected with its rubber coating. Over time, the rubber becomes a little larger in diameter and not too tightly fixed on the plastic base of the wheel. Trying to rotate the wheel, the user, in fact, rotates only the rubber ring, and the internal mechanism itself remains at rest. What is interesting: such a malfunction without disassembling the case can not always be determined. A4Tech product owners are very familiar with it, looking for an answer to the question of why the x7 mouse wheel does not work . This is solved quite simply: the seat of the base disc and the inner side of the rubber ring are thoroughly wiped from grease and dust with a fleece and alcohol. Then the ring is fixed in the simplest and most effective way - super glue. Just two or three points around the perimeter.
If this does not help, then, alas, there is a direct road to your workshop or store for a new mouse. For any decision, you must remember that you do not need to ignore installing the driver on the device.