Mouse Left Click Isn’t Working – How to Troubleshoot & Fix

Lee Stanton July 12, 2023

The left button on your mouse is certainly something you can’t do without. It controls most of the operations of your computer activity, which is why it might start malfunctioning earlier than the rest of your mouse. In those cases, most people ditch the whole peripheral device once it stops working and don’t bother fixing it.

Mouse Left Click Isn't Working - How to Troubleshoot & Fix

However, if your mouse was pricey, you might wish to salvage it. Fortunately, depending on the issue, you might just be able to.

Try Connecting Another Mouse

Before you try any other hardware or software mouse issue solutions, you should try unplugging your mouse (unless you’re using a wireless one) and plugging it back in or plugging in a different mouse. If the issue persists, the problem is related to your PC. If the other mouse works, your old mouse is faulty.

Perform a Hard Reset

The cursor might not be visible on the screen due to a random computer glitch. The simple way to resolve this is a hard reset. A hard reset refers to pulling out your computer’s cable from the socket and voiding it from electricity.

But hard resetting your computer isn’t generally advised as it can lead to more damage than good if done too often. If you haven’t saved or backed up your progress, it could also result in data loss. In addition, this isn’t guaranteed to solve the problem of a faulty mouse.

Run Windows Hardware Troubleshooter

Running a hardware troubleshooter isn’t much of a solution as it is a problem-detection method. If the previous two solutions didn’t work, but you still think it’s a hardware issue, Windows can help you figure it out with this handy option.

To run your Windows hardware troubleshooter, do the following:

Press the Windows and “R” keys.
Type “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic” into the “Run” window.
Press “Enter” on your keyboard.
Press the “Tab” key on your keyboard to navigate to “Next.”
Press “Enter” again to prompt the troubleshooter to diagnose.

Once the results are ready, you can determine the potential cause of your mouse issue.

Check Your User Profile

If the problem is software-related, the first potential issue could be a corrupted user profile. The good news is that this problem is tied to a single user profile and not connected to the rest of your device.

You can solve this issue by creating a new user profile on your PC. Here’s how:

Open the start menu by clicking the “Windows” key.
Navigate to the gear icon.
Note: You can get to most options by clicking the “Tab” key on your keyboard or pressing the right click, “Open,” and then selecting with the right click unless the right click offers other options.
Select “Accounts.”
Go to “Family & other users.”
Press “Add someone else to this PC.”
Input the new account’s name and other details as prompted.

Perform a Clean Boot

Occasionally, one computer service could be utilizing resources another service needs, in this case, what your mouse needs. Performing a clean boot will prevent these background services from interfering with the function of your mouse and fix its left-clicking feature.

Here’s how to perform a clean boot on Windows:

Open the “Run” dialogue box by pressing the “Windows” and “R” keys.
Type in “msconfig“.
Press “Enter.”
Go to the “Services” tab in the “System Configuration” window.
Check the box next to “Hide all Microsoft services.”
Press “Disable all.”
Select “OK.”
Restart your computer, then check whether the left click is working.

Update Your Mouse Driver

Keeping your tech up-to-date is crucial if you want to make the most of its performance and enjoy all its features to their fullest. An outdated mouse driver could, therefore, be the reason your left click is acting up.

Here’s how to update your mouse driver:

Press the “Windows” and “X” keys on your keyboard.
Go to “Device Manager.”
Navigate to “Mice and other pointing devices” with the keyboard arrows.
Press “Enter.”
Select your mouse.
Press “Enter” to open Properties.
Navigate to the “Driver” tab.
Press “Update Driver.”
Select “Search automatically for drivers.”
Follow the steps as prompted to complete the rest.

Enable Click Lock

If the only issue with your mouse is its drag-and-drop feature, that’s a different problem that may be solved by temporarily enabling the Click Lock setting. This allows you to drag and drop or select several items without holding the mouse button during the action.

Here’s how to enable Click Lock on Windows:

Press the “Windows” key to open the start menu.
Navigate to “Control panel.”
Go to “Devices and Printers..”
Select “Mouse.”
Check the box next to “Turn on Click Lock.”
Press “OK.”

If the setting is enabled, it may solve the left-click issue.

Clean Your Mouse

Like most equipment, your mouse can accumulate dust particles in its crevices over time, no matter how clean you keep your desk environment. Dust can limit the movement of the left-click button and stop the circuit board from detecting its movement. It can also significantly affect your mouse’s performance, so it should be cleaned regularly.

There are hundreds of different mouse models today, which means there may be many ways of cleaning them. Your best bet is to take it to the manufacturer if your mouse is still under warranty. Otherwise, here’s how you can do it yourself:

Carefully unscrew any parts that are held by screws to gain access to the interior of the mouse.
Use alcohol-based wipes to clean any outside areas.
Use cotton swabs and microfiber cloth to clean reachable internal parts.
Use compressed air to blow out any dust from hard-to-reach areas.

FAQs

How to fix my mouse right click not working

If the right click of your mouse isn’t working, you can fix it by following the same steps described above for the left click.

How to fix a wireless mouse not working

The first step to fixing an unresponsive wireless mouse is checking your internet connection, the USB port, and the batteries. Then, check for mouse driver updates and install them, reinstall the original drivers, reset your mouse, or disable fast startup.

How long does a computer mouse last?

On average, a computer mouse lasts between five and seven years. But it ultimately depends on how often you use it and how you handle it.

Keep Clicking

Having an uncooperative mouse and cursor while you’re trying to work or relax with your computer can be frustrating. But it’s an issue that could be solved in multiple ways. It’s important to start troubleshooting with the simplest solutions and move towards more complex ones if the previous solutions don’t work.

Have you already tried fixing the left-click button on your mouse? Tell us in the comments which solution worked for your mouse.