Optical mouse cursor jumps around

[Gunslinger19]

I have a logitech optical mouse and i use an alienware mouse pad that is black with the lettering of alienware down the middle. occasionally, my cursor will suddenly jump around to the corners of my screen, which is a huge hassle, especially in first person shooters.

i know it could be the pad, but i would think alienware wouldnt market something like that, since they are a gaming company. open to that suggestion, though.

any ideas of what would cause this? i dont really want to go spend money on a new mouse pad..does printer paper work?

thanks

 

[ben2the4th]

Optical mice don't work on reflective surfaces. If light reflects off of the pad then the mouse probably won't work on it.

 

[Lexluethar]

New batteries?

 

[Gunslinger19]

its wired. no bats. sorry, i should have mentioned that.

maybe its the reflective issue. ill check that out.

any ideas of home made mouse pads that can work decently?

 

[KurrentEweser]

Try just the desktop. Most mouse pads are designed to supply traction for ball type mice.

 

[redline5th]

Try just the desktop. Most mouse pads are designed to supply traction for ball type mice.

Yeah, I just run my Logitech MX500 on the desk surface. Works great! Let us know if your problems persist after running it without a pad.

You don't need a pad.

 

[Gunslinger19]

I tried it on just the desk, and the surface must not be very good, because it makes the mouse very sluggish. Moves quickly on the pad, but doesnt seem to pick up very well on just the desk surface (it's kind of pitted roughish).

 

[Lexluethar]

If you are using a laser/optical mouse with a pad, you need to use one of those smooth hard pads. They look like mouse pads, but are very thin and are more just for looks.

 

[Gunslinger19]

So this isn't a hardware problem then?

Not a dirty mouse lens or just becoming old and faulty? Not some option I can go change?

Just a mouse surface issue?
The pad I have is one of those hard acrylic, non reflective surfaces that I'm seeing everywhere for gaming optical mouse pads.


Just want to make sure theres no tech reason for this before I go waste money on a mouse pad that is probably the same as what I've got.

 

[Trotter]

It could be a surface issue. It could be lint or dust on the mouse's lens. It could be a driver issue. It could be a malware issue. The key is to run it down.

You are trying different surfaces, so try using a sheet of paper. Any mouse will work perfectly on plain paper.

Blow out the lens. Unplug the mouse and clean the lens with a cotton swab moistened (not wet) with alcohol, and let dry for a few minutes.

Try uninstalling the drivers for the mouse, and installing fresh ones. Check Logitech's site for the latest drivers for the mouse.

If the problem persists after this, go through Osisris' guide (it can be found in the Virus forum... it is a sticky so it is easy to find).