*#@(*&$%#$ Optical mouse - how do I keep it from drifting?!

[Rabrrrrrr]

Just got a new optical mouse today, and every few minutes, the *#@^*^ thing drifts. In fact, as I type this, the cursor keep travelling from the upper right corner to the lower left corner. It doesn't make the return trip, it just keeps making the same one way trip.

And many times, in the hour that I've had the (%@#*% thing, I can't use it all, because the cursor decides it wants to hang out and vibrate in the upper right hand corner.

And on a number of occasions, I haven't been able to find the #(&$ cursor for 10 seconds or so.

:wtf:

[AverageJoe]

1. I had that problem

and the techie guy at work came in and took away my mousepad. After that, no problem. I hope it works for you! :-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I'm not using a mousepad - I'm using it on a granite table

and used it earlier on a wooden table. Did the same thing.

[AverageJoe]

4. Hmmm, dunno

Maybe you should get a mousepad? The problem I had was a pattern on my pad that was causing the mouse to mess up. I think you need a smooth, pattern-free surface.

Good luck with it--that stuff drives me crazy.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. That was exactly the problem!

Thanks to you and donco6!

Problem solved. My granite table top is VERY patterned.

On a non-patterned surface, the mouse is doing fine.

And for some reason, it seems to hate being on a black smooth surface (a vinyl binder I tried). Wouldn't move at all.

Thanks everyone!!

[donco6]

6. Try putting down a blank piece of white paper eom

[MikeG]

3. Get a cat.

[Heyo]

5. talk nice to it...

.. and if it drifts. hit it.

Heyo

[CrownPrinceBandar]

7. Are you running XP?.............................

It may be a SP2 problem. The techie message boards I found via google had quite a few folks having the same issue.

[JanMichael]

8. Take a hammer and smack the little f'er.

Or lay out some nice chedder slices.

[MercutioATC]

9. Blow the fuzz out of the optical sensor.

Drift is almost always caused by a piece of fuzz in the little hole that the red light's in.

Try it...It usually eliminates the problem.

[WoodrowFan]

14. that fixed mine

I had the same problem in the mouse's "belly button.". cleaning out some lint fixed it.

[Zomby Woof]

10. tell him to get a job or else leave the house!

Mine did that when I had it on a black surface. Stopped doing that on a wooden one. Most definitely surface-related. Windows XP has NOTHING to do with it, SP2 or not. It's the surface.

[sendero]

11. You need to get.....

... a light stabilizer module and install it next to the mouse. These are cheap ($400-$600 at most) and will solve this problem for sure!

[arwalden]

12. No-Doz? Vivarin?

Shakti stones?