Have you noticed that your mouse rattles when you pick it up and shake it?
But you don’t ever remember it making that noise before?
Let’s take a look at exactly why this your mouse rattles when you shake it.
Spoiler: it’s not bad news…most of the time.
Keep reading to find out what we mean.
Older mice
If you are using a computer mouse from this decade then they shouldn’t rattle when you shake them.
But if you are using an old-style wireless mouse – one with a mouse ball, then these will rattle by design.
Old mice had a small rubber-coated metal ball fitted where you find the optical sensors now. The movement of your cursor on screen was translated from the motion of the ball moving against a set of rollers inside the mouse.
These then passed the encoded information to your computer, and hey presto – your mouse cursor would move around on the screen.
Any mouse bought within the last few years however will be optical and does not have any moving parts (except for the buttons).
Optical mice should not rattle under normal conditions.
Optical mice shouldn’t rattle
Normally speaking a computer mouse should not make a loud rattling noise.
The switches underneath your mouse buttons might squeak at times, but apart from that an optical mouse shouldn’t make any noise.
So if there is a loud rattle then this suggests that something has come loose either through a design fault or for other reasons.
The rattle could be cause by optical sensors, switches, and various other little bits of plastic knocking around inside the casing.
Did you drop it?
A sudden shock could cause the plastic to snap off inside.
When the tiny little bits of plastic are left inside and the mouse is shaken then it can cause a rattling noise.
What typically happens is that your mouse works just fine, despite the annoying rattling noise. But it’s also possible that your mouse got rattle once and then simply stop working.
Diagnosing the problem
There are a few different steps that you can take to work out the severity of the problem with your mouse.
Just so you can work out whether or not you need a new mouse.
Does it still function as normal?
First, plug your wireless mouse into your computer, and check that it is still detected by your operating system.
If it still moves the cursor around then you know the software driver is functioning properly and the internal electronics of the mouse are also still working.
If, however, the mouse doesn’t work at all then it’s probably rattling because of a loose chip or circuit board inside.
It’s going to be necessary to replace the mouse because the cost of finding the replacement component/board + shipping = not worth the effort.
Basically, it’s going to cost you more to fix a broken wireless mouse than it does to replace it.
Unless you do that kinda thing for a living, in which case you’re probably not reading an article like this.
Test the buttons
Next check the normal functionality of your mouse, try moving it around and clicking on something as you would normally.
Make sure that both the left and mouse buttons are working as you’d expect them to.
If the buttons don’t work then you’ve found the cause of your problem – one or more of the switches underneath your mouse buttons has come loose.
Test the sensor
Next, you will want to check the sensor and lens assembly.
To do this, connect the mouse to your computer and check that it is responding.
Lift the mouse off the desk, shake the mouse and watch out for any curser jitter.
A mouse in good condition will not move the cursor at all when it is shaken from side to side when not sitting on a flat surface.
If the sensor is loose then it will cause a rattle which is likely to get worse over time.
If you have a high-end mouse then it might be worth looking into getting it repaired, but if it’s just a generic mouse then it’s simply not worth the effort of repairing.
If the mouse still works normally but has a rattle then you can stop worrying about it. There’s probably a tiny piece of plastic that broke off and is now living its best life free inside your mouse.
This actually happens far more often than people realize, especially with cheaper wireless and optical mice.
Wrapping things up
Basically, a rattling noise inside your wireless mouse is nothing to worry about unless the mouse itself stops functioning.
The most common cause is that a piece of the plastic housing inside the house (usually a screw mount) has broken free and is rattling around inside.
Long story short, it’s nothing worth worrying about.
