Monday, November 26, 2018

Troubleshooting the Magic Mouse for my iMac


















Back in 2009 I bought an iMac computer which came with a sleek bluetooth wireless Apple Magic Mouse. On the bottom are an on-off switch, a green pilot light, and a cover for the battery compartment. (At Ifixit you can see a teardown revealing what is hidden inside).



















When the cover is removed, I can replace the two AA batteries, which needs to be done once or twice a month. (I use Energizer rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride batteries). Yesterday I replaced the batteries, but afterward the mouse did not work. What went wrong?






















I had never ever cleaned the terminals in the battery compartment. The protruding, spring-loaded ones (yellow arrow) that touch the flat negative contact on the bottom of each battery are wiped clean when a new battery is inserted. But the recessed ones that touch the protruding positive contacts on the top of a battery just sit inside crevices (red arrows). Apparently enough dust had accumulated on those terminals to insulate the positive contacts. I got out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and moistened some cotton applicators. After I cleaned the terminals the mouse worked again.     

I found some bad advice when I looked up Magic Mouse problems. One thread suggested scraping with a scalpel, a second thread suggested rubbing with a pencil eraser. Both are way too aggressive and could damage the plated surfaces.

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