Mouse left click button not working? Here’s how to fix it.
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Even something as simple as a mouse button can fail. If your mouse’s left-click button is stuck, constantly unresponsive, or accidentally double-clicked, this often indicates a hardware problem with your mouse. However, it could be a software problem.
It’s probably a hardware issue; Here’s how to check
In our experience, most left mouse click (or right click) issues point to hardware failure. If your mouse left click button doesn’t work, only sometimes responds, accidentally “slides” while dragging, mis-clicks, or double-clicks when you click once, that’s a very good sign that something is wrong with your hardware. the left. click the button itself.
There’s an extremely easy way to check if you have a hardware or software problem: unplug the mouse from your current computer, plug it into another computer, and test the left-click button. If you have a wireless mouse, plug your RF dongle into another computer or connect via Bluetooth with another computer.
If the problem is the same when the mouse is connected to another computer, you know you have a hardware problem. If the mouse works perfectly on another computer, there is a software configuration problem with your current computer.
You can also try connecting another mouse to your current PC. Do you have the same problem? If not, there is probably a hardware problem. If both mice have the same weird left-click issues, there is definitely a software issue with your PC.
There could also be a problem with a USB port on your system; if it’s a wired mouse, try plugging the mouse into another USB port. If you have a wireless mouse with a USB dongle, move the dongle to another USB port.
Keep in mind that some problems can be irregular or intermittent, especially if the hardware is starting to fail. The mouse button may work most of the time and only fail a few times. Use the mouse with another PC long enough to confirm that it is working properly.
All mouse buttons will eventually fail if you use them long enough. Mouse buttons are rated for a certain number of clicks. For example, the latest version of Razer’s popular software is rated “up to 50 million clicks.” A cheaper mouse may be rated for far fewer clicks. After that, the physical mechanism of the mouse button wears out and stops working properly.
If your mouse is still under warranty, we recommend that you contact the manufacturer and take advantage of the warranty. The company should repair the mouse for you or, more likely, send you a new one.
If your mouse is out of warranty, well, it may be time to . Or, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty, you can try to repair it yourself. The exact process will vary depending on your mouse model and precisely what is broken. For example, iFixit has a general guide for . YouTube is full of tips for individual mouse models, like this guide for . The problem may be simpler than it seems; you may just need to open the mouse and clean out any dust that gets in the way. We recommend searching for your mouse model name and “fix left click,” “fix mouse button,” or a similar search for custom information.
How to fix left click software issues
If your mouse works perfectly fine on another PC but doesn’t work properly on yours, congratulations! You can fix the technical problem. You just need to find out what software problem you have.
Before you begin, if you’re having trouble following these tips due to mouse clicking issues, you can enable mouse keys by pressing Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock. You can then control the mouse cursor from your keyboard.
In Windows, it is possible to swap the left and right mouse buttons. If you’ve done this, the left mouse button may not appear to work normally: it works like the right mouse button, while the right mouse button works like the left. It is intended for left-handed people using a right-handed mouse.
In Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices > Mouse. Under “Select your primary button”, make sure the option is set to “Left”. In Windows 7, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse and make sure “Switch left and right buttons” is not checked.
The ClickLock feature can also cause strange issues. With this enabled, you can briefly press the mouse button and release it. Windows will treat the mouse button as being held down until you click it again. This can help you highlight and drag if you’re having a hard time holding down the mouse button, but it’s weird and confusing behavior if this setting is somehow accidentally turned on and you don’t realize it.
In Windows 10 and 7, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse. Make sure the “Enable ClickLock” option is not checked here.
It is possible that a hardware driver issue could also be causing problems recognizing mouse button clicks. We’ve never seen this problem in the wild, but it’s worth checking out. To test this, open Device Manager. You can do this by right-clicking on the Start button in Windows 10 and selecting “Device Manager”.
Expand the “Mice and other pointing devices” section, locate the mouse, right-click it, and select “Update Driver.” Click “Automatically search for updated driver software” and Windows will try to find new drivers that match your mouse.
If you see multiple mouse devices here, repeat the process for each one.
Many other websites offer a wide variety of troubleshooting tips that we doubt will be helpful. As always, it’s a good idea to restart your PC and see if that fixes the problem. And of course, you can try booting into safe mode to see if there’s some weird hardware issue. But scanning system files for damage probably won’t help.
Let’s face it: Most left-click problems with mice are due to hardware failure. Unless you’ve accidentally enabled a particular setting in Windows, the real solution to a left-click problem is usually to replace (or repair) the mouse.
