How to disassemble Wired "Mighty Mouse" and clean it

unlokia · 03-08-2007, 07:49 PM

It defies logic, as to why Apple designed a mouse which uses an optical sensor for tracking... but then took a MASSIVE step backwards in technology, and topped it off with a scroll mechanism which uses *BALL MOUSE* technology, and then they _GLUED IT SHUT!!_. To say that this is illogical, and hard to clean effectively, is an understatement. You _WILL_ eventually, lose scroll in one direction or another - trust me. If a picture paints 1000 words, then think what a video can do for you!.

Im just in the process of rendering my tutorial, in iMovie HD, on how to disassemble and clean (properly!) your wired "Mighty Mouse". Please note that doing so, will undoubtedly void the warranty of the product, but it sure beats all those "cleaning tips" out on the net.

I hope you will excuse my poor narrative skill, and sometimes shaky camera work - it isn't easy to pull a *glued shut* piece of miniature electronics hardware apart _WITHOUT_ breaking it, *AND* film it clearly, whilst maintaining the composure to narrate it accurately and informatively. If anyone can do it better, then I shall buy you a drink; it _AIN'T_ as easy as it seems, trust me!.

I hope this video helps people to clean the little blighter _properly_ as it is intended to. I shall also provide a link to download this video, in slightly clearer .MOV format, here: Click here for .MOV format - clearer

Here is the video I made, showing you how to accomplish this:

How To Disassemble and Clean the Wired Mighty Mouse, thoroughly.

fat elvis · 03-08-2007, 08:04 PM

Did you follow Apple's suggestion of turning it upside down while cleaning? LOL, I find it amusing that Apple went through the trouble of making a video of how to wipe a mouse with a cloth.

You have a good point about the unbalance of technology...but considering how poorly the right-click was engineered, a touch-sensor based scroll wheel would have been crap.

Overall I really do not feel like Apple has produced good mice. The downhill slide began with the iMac hockey-puck style model. Since then I've been a Logitech fan. I tried the MightyMouse for a few days, then just went back to my trusty 3-button scroll wheel mouse.

Hopefully other dirty palmed MightMouse users will benefit from your troubles.

unlokia · 03-08-2007, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fat elvis


	Did you follow Apple's suggestion of turning it upside down while cleaning? LOL, I find it amusing that Apple went through the trouble of making a video of how to wipe a mouse with a cloth. You have a good point about the unbalance of technology...but considering how poorly the right-click was engineered, a touch-sensor based scroll wheel would have been crap. Overall I really do not feel like Apple has produced good mice. The downhill slide began with the iMac hockey-puck style model. Since then I've been a Logitech fan. I tried the MightyMouse for a few days, then just went back to my trusty 3-button scroll wheel mouse. Hopefully other dirty palmed MightMouse users will benefit from your troubles.

Hehe yeah!. Let us sincerely hope, that Apple have re-engineered or re-invented the not-so "Mighty Mouse" by the time WWDC comes. I shall not hold my breath. However, this is the *only* piece of Apple hardware which I feel is badly engineered - the rest of my 20" C2D iMac is a dream in computing, come true!!.

ManicMoov · 04-12-2008, 02:31 PM

This information was very helpful, thanks.

In about half an hour I had downloaded your video, dismantled my mighty mouse and cleaned the gunk on the scroll ball rollers that had been preventing the scroller from working.

It is now reassembled and working perfectly.

I didn't bother gluing the outer bezel back on, as I can see that I will have to do this again in about a years time, and the mouse seems to work fine without it (just need to be careful I don't pull the wire that's all).

Thanks for the help, it was much more useful than "inverting the mouse and rubbing it on a piece of paper", which is all I could get elsewhere.

kawliga · 04-12-2008, 04:36 PM

I love my Mighty Mouse. Never understood the complaints about right-click, because I have no issues with it personally. The 360-degree scrolling I find unbelievably useful in Adobe apps and spreadsheets.

It does however drive me crazy that once every 3-4 months I lose a scroll ball direction to gunk behind the ball.

I figured out a cleaning method that sounds unbelievably gross and annoying, but has been VERY effective for me. WARNING **** STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE FUSSY, EASILY GROSSED OUT, OR SENSITIVE. *** HEAR THAT? STOP NOW

Step 1 -- Wipe the mouse down top and bottom thoroughly with an anti-bacterial hand wipe. Let it dry.

Step 2. Turn the mouse upside down and roll the track ball around vigorously on a slightly damp cloth (very slight). Roll for about a minute applying moderately firm pressure.

Step 3. This is the nasty party. Seriously just stop reading if you are delicate. Put your mouth over the track ball. Use your tongue to press the trackball back into the mouse. Inhale vigorously several times. Repeat steps 2 and 3 a couple of times.

I am not trying to be funny and would love to know of an alternative method that does not require the use of my mouth.

The basic principle is that you are dislodging and then suctioning small bits of crap out from behind the track ball.

Again, I am an outlier in that not much grosses me out (I washed dishes in high school, worked in fast food, and have traveled extensively in developing countries) and your mileage may vary.

Photek · 04-12-2008, 05:39 PM

step 3 kawliga.... step 3.... thats where you got me...

The thought of giving my MM Mouth to mouth is enough to make me gip.

VirtualTracy · 04-13-2008, 06:54 AM

This is a cleaning method that seems to works (for a while at least):

Start of with a clean sheet of A4 paper,

Inplug the Mighty Mouse then turn it upside down

Roll the Mighty Mouse against the paper, back and forth, around and about for 'bout 3 seconds

Plug the Mouse (wired MM) back into the keyboard and everything should be hunky dory.

I found this link which has yet another method to try.

ManicMoov · 04-13-2008, 07:32 AM

All of this is especially annoying when I remember back to the talk on the rumour sites when this new mouse was under development...

I'm sure that somewhere, there was talk of a small circular trackpad (similar in function to a laptops) that would do the job of 360 degree scrolling - with no moving parts...

If only.

03-08-2007, 07:49 PM	#1
unlokia Triple-A Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 55	How to disassemble Wired "Mighty Mouse" and clean it It defies logic, as to why Apple designed a mouse which uses an optical sensor for tracking... but then took a MASSIVE step backwards in technology, and topped it off with a scroll mechanism which uses BALL MOUSE technology, and then they _GLUED IT SHUT!!_. To say that this is illogical, and hard to clean effectively, is an understatement. You _WILL_ eventually, lose scroll in one direction or another - trust me. If a picture paints 1000 words, then think what a video can do for you!. Im just in the process of rendering my tutorial, in iMovie HD, on how to disassemble and clean (properly!) your wired "Mighty Mouse". Please note that doing so, will undoubtedly void the warranty of the product, but it sure beats all those "cleaning tips" out on the net. I hope you will excuse my poor narrative skill, and sometimes shaky camera work - it isn't easy to pull a glued shut piece of miniature electronics hardware apart _WITHOUT_ breaking it, AND film it clearly, whilst maintaining the composure to narrate it accurately and informatively. If anyone can do it better, then I shall buy you a drink; it _AIN'T_ as easy as it seems, trust me!. I hope this video helps people to clean the little blighter _properly_ as it is intended to. I shall also provide a link to download this video, in slightly clearer .MOV format, here: Click here for .MOV format - clearer Here is the video I made, showing you how to accomplish this: How To Disassemble and Clean the Wired Mighty Mouse, thoroughly. Last edited by unlokia; 03-08-2007 at 08:28 PM.

03-08-2007, 08:04 PM	#2
fat elvis MVP Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 1,442	Did you follow Apple's suggestion of turning it upside down while cleaning? LOL, I find it amusing that Apple went through the trouble of making a video of how to wipe a mouse with a cloth. You have a good point about the unbalance of technology...but considering how poorly the right-click was engineered, a touch-sensor based scroll wheel would have been crap. Overall I really do not feel like Apple has produced good mice. The downhill slide began with the iMac hockey-puck style model. Since then I've been a Logitech fan. I tried the MightyMouse for a few days, then just went back to my trusty 3-button scroll wheel mouse. Hopefully other dirty palmed MightMouse users will benefit from your troubles. __________________ “If more police, more prisons and more prosecutors was a solution to safer streets, the United States and China would be the safest countries on the planet, and they’re not..." -Jane Sterk

04-13-2008, 06:54 AM	#7
VirtualTracy Major Leaguer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 261	This is a cleaning method that seems to works (for a while at least): Start of with a clean sheet of A4 paper, Inplug the Mighty Mouse then turn it upside down Roll the Mighty Mouse against the paper, back and forth, around and about for 'bout 3 seconds Plug the Mouse (wired MM) back into the keyboard and everything should be hunky dory. I found this link which has yet another method to try.

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04-12-2008, 02:31 PM	#4
ManicMoov Prospect Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Old Coulsdon, Surrey, England Posts: 9	This information was very helpful, thanks. In about half an hour I had downloaded your video, dismantled my mighty mouse and cleaned the gunk on the scroll ball rollers that had been preventing the scroller from working. It is now reassembled and working perfectly. I didn't bother gluing the outer bezel back on, as I can see that I will have to do this again in about a years time, and the mouse seems to work fine without it (just need to be careful I don't pull the wire that's all). Thanks for the help, it was much more useful than "inverting the mouse and rubbing it on a piece of paper", which is all I could get elsewhere.

04-12-2008, 04:36 PM	#5
kawliga Major Leaguer Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 272	I love my Mighty Mouse. Never understood the complaints about right-click, because I have no issues with it personally. The 360-degree scrolling I find unbelievably useful in Adobe apps and spreadsheets. It does however drive me crazy that once every 3-4 months I lose a scroll ball direction to gunk behind the ball. I figured out a cleaning method that sounds unbelievably gross and annoying, but has been VERY effective for me. WARNING ** STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE FUSSY, EASILY GROSSED OUT, OR SENSITIVE. * HEAR THAT? STOP NOW Step 1 -- Wipe the mouse down top and bottom thoroughly with an anti-bacterial hand wipe. Let it dry. Step 2. Turn the mouse upside down and roll the track ball around vigorously on a slightly damp cloth (very slight). Roll for about a minute applying moderately firm pressure. Step 3. This is the nasty party. Seriously just stop reading if you are delicate. Put your mouth over the track ball. Use your tongue to press the trackball back into the mouse. Inhale vigorously several times. Repeat steps 2 and 3 a couple of times. I am not trying to be funny and would love to know of an alternative method that does not require the use of my mouth. The basic principle is that you are dislodging and then suctioning small bits of crap out from behind the track ball. Again, I am an outlier in that not much grosses me out (I washed dishes in high school, worked in fast food, and have traveled extensively in developing countries) and your mileage may vary.

04-12-2008, 05:39 PM	#6
Photek Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Warwick, UK Posts: 4,739	step 3 kawliga.... step 3.... thats where you got me... The thought of giving my MM Mouth to mouth is enough to make me gip.

04-13-2008, 07:32 AM	#8
ManicMoov Prospect Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Old Coulsdon, Surrey, England Posts: 9	All of this is especially annoying when I remember back to the talk on the rumour sites when this new mouse was under development... I'm sure that somewhere, there was talk of a small circular trackpad (similar in function to a laptops) that would do the job of 360 degree scrolling - with no moving parts... If only.