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As the 21st century would demand, modernity has brought new advancements in technology. People have ceased using wired mice and embraced the seemingly increased flexibility that accompanies the wireless mouse. A wireless mouse, powered by a battery, is becoming increasingly popular and replacing the old-fashioned mouse.
While it depends on the brand you purchase, a typical wireless mouse is designed to last for several years. As such, purchasing a wireless mouse from a reputable manufacturer guarantees you about 2-3 years of service. But how you handle the mouse affects its lifespan considerably.
Also, with the absence of the ‘wired’ feature, wireless mouse tends to have a longer lifespan compared to other types. Thus, it doesn’t present issues notable with creased and damaged cables.
As such, increased use of wireless mouse has aroused the most FAQs (Frequently Asked Question), such as how long it takes for the mouse before it ceases to function. If you are among this group of interested people, continue reading to find a detailed answer to this and many other questions.
Table of Contents
Does A Wireless Mouse Wear Out?
A major upside that encouraged the use of early optical computer mice was that they lacked a cord and didn’t have any moving parts. With this feature, having a mouse with fewer moving parts meant that it was less prone to mechanical wear and instead presented a longer service span.
However, although the absence of a cord makes it difficult for an optical mouse to wear out mechanically, this shouldn’t trick you into believing that it can last forever. Wireless computer mice will degrade eventually and certainly “wear out.”
Besides wearing out mechanically, a wireless mouse can degrade if you drop it and misalign its lens and the LED. One small drop will hardly cause any harm, but several repeated larger falls and high-impact drops can end up degrading the mouse’s performance.
Similarly, another issue that can affect the performance of your wireless peripheral is when dust gets in and accumulates in the enclosure. Nevertheless, even without the above causes, your mouse will not last forever and eventually demand that you replace it.
Additionally, since every component in the mouse features its lifetime, some may fail, causing the mouse to wear out. For instance, the LED in most computer mice has a lifetime of about 50,000 hours.
However, this estimate doesn’t mean that each of the LEDs will last that long. Moreover, small defects say the semiconductor can generate a hot spot that can spread about and cause an electronic failure.
Although this kind of issue can arise in any electronic chip, it is far less frequent than the degradation that happens to mechanical mice. Such failures are responsible for the malfunction in a wireless mouse- even though I don’t think of it as wearing out.
How Long Does A Wireless Mouse Last?
Having discussed what can cause the malfunctioning of a wireless mouse, you realize how questionable it is to try and estimate how long the said mouse can last. However, to answer your question, it will depend on several factors, such as how long your mouse has been in use and the brand you have.
For instance, a Corsair mice typically have a longer service span than a Razer mice, but not as long as Logitech mice. Similarly, it is unrealistic to try and compare the lifespan of Razer mice and SteelSeries mice.
Also, although most computer mice available in the market come with a manufacturer’s warranty, it may be difficult to tell its lifespan by merely looking at it.
But for non-gaming mice, the average lifespan should be somewhere about ten years, depending on the brand. On the other hand, mice for gaming use still offer a long lifespan since computer mice that date as far as 2012 can still work perfectly and do not become obsolete in terms of functionality.
Thus, unlike professional gamers, the average person should be able to retain the same mouse for several years without the need to replace it.
Also, ensure that you handle your mouse with caution since failure to do so will shorten its lifespan ultimately.
All in all, most wireless mouse failures are a result of poor handling by their users. If you handle yours with care, it probably should serve for not less than two years, even with regular use. Moreover, the absence of the cable means that the mouse is at less risk of spoiling since there will be no tangling whenever you carry it about.
How Do I Know If My Wireless Mouse Is Dying?
I usually get that unusual sensation that alerts me when my wireless mouse is dying; I guess it is as a result of my long-term use of optical mice.
I may be scrolling along with Youtube remarks or comments and try to click the interesting responses as well as the upsetting ones; then, I realize that my mouse is not functioning. During this moment, the mouse freezes but not before I mistakenly give a thumbs up to a hating remark (something that I am entirely against ethically).
While freezing isn’t a dead giveaway to show whether your computer mouse is dying, it isn’t a good sign either. In this post, I will focus on some of the most likely signs to help you ascertain whether your mouse is dying.
Sign 1: When It Stops Working Suddenly
The most common issue that affects a dying computer system mouse is when it stops working at random intervals. This further extends until it deactivates and activates randomly.
This is quite frustrating, especially if you are a professional gamer like me using a wireless video gaming mouse, and it stops working while you are at the center of a shootout.
Sign 2: When It Shows Random Movement
Another common sign that informs you whether your wireless mouse is dying is when it randomly moves the cursor without your prompt.
However, this could also occur if you haven’t cleaned your mousepad for a long time, so attempting to clean it should help resolve this annoying issue with your mouse. But if the problem persists, it may be a sign showing that the mouse has a defective laser.
If you think that yours is the case of a defunct laser, consider replacing the mouse with a new one from a renowned brand. Otherwise, you may find it frustrating to use the mouse to carry out detailed tasks such as 3D modeling. The same applies to those using a wireless mouse.
Sign 3: When One Of The Buttons Fail
Most wireless mice feature two switches. This includes one for clicking and the other for scrolling. Even if you purchased your mouse from a reputable brand, you could not guarantee that one of the buttons will never go bad.
When such an event occurs, one of the most annoying parts is that the switches will alternate in functioning and then stop functioning when it feels like.
Most likely, it tends to resume normal functionality when you do not need it to but will cease to operate when you want it to, thus ruining whatever you had invested your time doing.
Sign 4: When The Mouse Ceases To Function
You can be working on your PC, and then suddenly, your wireless mouse freezes. However, all other applications are operating as they should, and the keyboard shortcuts are working as well, but the mouse cursor doesn’t move on the computer’s screen.
If the issue persists even after you try plugging the USB receiver into a different USB port, then it may be a solid sign that your mouse is dying.
However, this is not exclusive since numerous other factors could have led to the freezing of your mouse. This includes having discharged batteries for your wireless mouse or if you have unknowingly placed an obstructer between the transceiver and the mouse, thus leading to a failed connection.
Similarly, the issue could result from having another wireless device in close vicinities, such as a cordless phone, which could be operating at the same frequency range as the mouse. In tum, it causes an interference with the wireless signal of your mouse.
However, your wireless mouse might display abnormal functionality behavior, but it may be nothing serious. Here are some of the things concerning the health of your wireless mouse life span that shouldn’t worry you
What Do You Do When Your Wireless Mouse Stops Working?
If you are sure without a doubt that your wireless mouse is dying, then there is no need to try to restore it back to life since it is impossible. In that sense, you are far better off obtaining a new mouse and discarding the old one. Most wireless mice typically have several years of service anyway, which will depend on how regularly you use them.
But if your wireless computer mouse stops working due to the issues mentioned above, worry not. Going through the following support articles from Microsoft should help resolve the issue
- Resolve Bluetooth Mouse Failure to Function
- Troubleshoot a wireless mouse that doesn’t function correctly
- Troubleshoot response failures in wireless keyboard or mouse.
However, if you are certain that your mouse freezing is not a result of bad USB ports or an old driver, try the following steps:
Step 1: Remove the battery from your wireless mouse and give some time before re-inserting the batteries.
Step 2: If the cursor still hangs about, try typing “devmgmt MSC” in the Run Box for Windows OS, and wait for the Device manager to open. Since you will not be using the mouse due to its failure, you can press the Windows key +R on the keyboard to access the Windows Run Box.
Click on the “Mice and other pointing devices” section to expand it and highlight your mouse listing. The next step involves uninstalling your mouse using the “Uninstall” option. Finally, select Action> Scan for Hardware Changes and wait for it to bring your wireless mouse back to Action.
Sometimes, you might notice that the arrow movement of the cursor is not as smooth as it ought to be when performing tasks with the mouse. Many take this as a sign of a dying mouse, which probably isn’t the case. Instead, it is more likely that there is dirt in the mouse sensor.
Instead of disregarding your mouse as a lost cause, attempt cleaning the sensor area and the mouse pad or the surface where you place the wireless mouse when using it. Consider using a microfiber towel dipped in soapy water to clean the parts.
Also, at some point, your mouse cursor can ice up, thus making it quit functioning. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the computer mouse has reached the end of service.
It may be due to an overworked computer which has on several occasions caused the same outcome in wired mice as well. Try shutting down all applications that run in the background to see whether it resolves the issue.
If that doesn’t work to do the trick, try rebooting your computer to check whether it can help restore your computer system mouse.
Restarting the computer has sometimes proved to help solve issues with hanging wireless mice. However, if the mouse still doesn’t operate effectively, consider trying out more advanced fixes as mentioned below.
Check The Software
You can re-install the mouse driver, especially if you think it might have collapsed, thus triggering concerns. Also, you can consider updating the driver if you haven’t done so for a long time or if the last update was defective.
Changing the mouse sensitivity in your Operating System settings also seems to resolve the glitches in various circumstances.
Check The Hardware
Take keen considerations of the USB ports or any other linked devices if your mouse connects via Bluetooth. Try attaching other peripherals such as the keyboard on the ports to see where the problem lies. Often, you may realize that poor electrical wiring or faulty lens are at play, thus causing issues with your mouse.
Lastly, since a wireless mouse uses disposable batteries, the chances are high that the battery has discharged thus cannot supply any more power to the mouse.
Provided your wireless mouse is from a reputable brand, changing the removable batteries should help resolve all issues.
Use Fresh AA Batteries.
After you ascertain that your wireless mouse batteries have drained, ensure that you replace them with new ones within the expiry date. Also, avoid mixing battery brands since doing so affects its life expectancy.
As such, it is best that you use AA batteries that are of the same brand. Also, if you are using an AAS battery, consider swapping them for AA batteries. Unlike AAs (Non-Alkaline batteries), AA (Alkaline batteries) have an expected lifespan of up to 36 years.
Avoid Placing The Wireless Mouse On Glass Surfaces.
It goes without saying that using your mouse on glass surfaces will slowly damage it, thus affecting the expected life expectancy of your mouse. This is as a result of the glass surface affecting the computer mouse sensor, which causes detection problems for the wireless mouse. Additionally, by avoiding glass surfaces, your batteries do not drain fast.
How Long Can A Wireless Gaming Mouse Last?
Since you will have your hands on your gaming mouse more often than not when playing, it becomes the most used hardware part of your gaming PC. As a result, expect it to go through a considerable amount of wear and tear, especially f you are trying to get the most from your wireless gaming mouse.
More notably, however, a gaming mouse should serve for at least two years for full-term gaming before the need to replace it, whereas you only replace it if it becomes defective or damaged. As such, even after two years of service, you needn’t have to replace your wireless gaming mouse if it hasn’t shown any signs of malfunction.
Fortunately, you can easily spot and notice issues that affect your mouse regardless of your gaming experience. Here are some of the problems you may encounter and cold signs that you might need to replace.
- The buttons on your wireless mouse stick down when pressed or do not click correctly
- The mouse cursor doesn’t move on the screen or shakes about whenever you move the mouse
- Your wireless mouse does not slide smoothly across your mouse pad, probably due to sticker damage
- The scroll wheel does not click in or scroll
Although most of the above issues require you to replace your mouse completely, there are a few hacks that you could put into use to get your wireless gaming mouse back to Action.
For instance, you can try cleaning the mouse, ensuring that you clean any dirt, debris, or hair that may have found its way on the laser. My Logitech G400 mouse tends to trap short cat hairs inside it, which results in the cursor shaking around on the screen whenever I move the mouse.
Similarly, when cleaning the mouse, ensure that you reach under the buttons if your mouse allows it to remove any debris that may prevent the buttons from sticking down whenever you click them. Also, cleaning underneath your wireless gaming mouse can enable it to slide flawlessly across your mouse pad.
If you are experiencing issues with your mouse, check whether your model requires an installed driver to function correctly. If it requires one, you may need to install or re-install it before checking whether it resolves the issue.
However, most modern wireless mice do not need a driver to operate, and if yours does, it should install one automatically once you connect it to the computer.
Lastly, when replacing your gaming mouse with a new one or upgrading to a wireless mouse, ensure that you choose a reputable brand to ensure that it serves you for a desirable period.
Although obtaining a mouse such as a Razer DeathAdder Elite will give you a run for your money, it is worth the investment. Another brand to consider and which features a long service span includes the Logitech G400 wireless gaming mouse.
Conclusion
We appreciate wireless computer mice for the increased flexibility it offers compared to the traditional mice. However, they are prone to damages that can render them functionless, thus causing inconveniences. As a result, you should not wait for your mouse to break down completely in order to replace it.
For increased efficiency, whether you are using the computer to work or for gaming purposes, consider replacing your computer mouse as soon as it shows early signs of wear and tear. Also, since most computer mice have switched to lasers, consider upgrading to achieve improved functionality as well as increased service span.
