If you're experiencing mouse scroll wheel jumping, you may have outdated, corrupt, or missing drivers. Another likely reason would be incorrectly configured scrolling settings.
If you’re fond of multitasking on your PC, you may find your mouse quite useful. Compared to the touch pad on your laptop, your mouse offers a more efficient way to navigate and scroll through documents and web pages. In most cases, the device should function smoothly. However, there are instances wherein the wheel on the mouse scrolls unsteadily.
When this problem occurs, the mouse wheel usually jumps while the user is scrolling downwards. It is worth noting that this issue can affect both desktop and laptop users alike—as long as they have a mouse connected to their device. In some cases, the mouse wheel seems to have a life of its own. You may even wonder, “Why is the mouse scrolling up itself?”
There are various reasons why this problem could be happening.
You may have outdated, corrupt, or missing drivers. Another likely reason would be incorrectly configured scrolling settings.
Whatever the cause of the issue may be, you can consult this guide to learn how to fix the mouse scroll up and down problem. We’ve also included some tips and tricks that will help optimize the performance of your device.
Before Anything Else…
You should try some basic troubleshooting steps first. In this way, you wouldn’t go through the complicated solutions unnecessarily. Here are some easy solutions you can try:
- Reboot your PC.
- Dismantle your mouse and clean the wheel. We’ll share a guide for this towards the end of this article.
- Try connecting the mouse to a different USB port.
- Are you using a wireless mouse? If so, then replace its battery. The scroll wheel can behave erratically once the battery is almost out.
- Try scrolling the mouse on a different program.
Now, if the mouse wheel is still erratically scrolling, you can try the other solutions below.
Method 1: Disabling Some Mouse Scrolling Features
Are you using a Microsoft mouse? If so, then some of the features in the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center may be causing the problem. So, if you want to resolve the mouse wheel scrolling the wrong way issue, then you should follow the instructions below:
- Go to your taskbar, then click the Search icon.
- Inside the Search box, type “Control Panel” (no quotes), then press Enter.
- Click Hardware and Sound.
- On the next page, click Mouse under Devices and Printers.
- To open the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center, follow the path below:
- Change Mouse Wheel Settings ->Change Microsoft Mouse Settings
- Go to the Basic Settings tab, then disable the following features:
- Accelerated Vertical Scrolling
- Reverse Scroll Direction
After you’ve disabled the features mentioned above, restart your computer and check if the issue has been resolved.
Method 2: Re configuring Your Mouse Settings
One of the reasons why the mouse scroll is jumping up and down is because the wheel speed has been configured to high. To address the problem, you can follow the steps below:
- On your keyboard, press Windows Key+R. Doing so will launch the Run dialog box.
- Inside the Run dialog box, type “control panel” (no quotes), then click OK.
- Click Hardware and Sound, then select Mouse under Devices and Printers.
- Go to the Wheel tab.
- Under Vertical Scrolling, lower the number of lines that the mouse wheel can scroll.
- Now, move to the Printer Options, then deselect the ‘Hide pointer while typing’ feature.
- Save the changes you’ve made by clicking Apply and OK.
Once you’ve completed these steps, check if you can use the mouse scroll wheel without any problems.
Method 3: Disabling the Touch pad on Your Laptop
Are you using a laptop? If so, then it’s possible that its touch pad is interfering with the operations of your external mouse, causing the jumping problem. You can disable the feature by following the steps below:
- Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key+I on your keyboard.
- Once the Settings window is up, select Devices.
- Go to the left-pane menu, then click Touch pad.
- Now, move to the right pane and deselect the ‘Drag two fingers to scroll’ option. You should find this feature under the Scroll and Zoom area.
- Finally, toggle the switch under Touch pad to Off.
Method 4: Updating Your Mouse Driver
If the mouse scroll is acting erratically, then it’s possible that the device’s driver is outdated, corrupt, or damaged. To fix this problem, your best action is to update the mouse’s driver to its latest manufacturer-recommended version. You should know that there are three methods you can choose:
- Update Your Mouse Driver via the Device Manager
- Manually Download and Install Your Mouse Driver
- Use Logistics Driver Updater to Fix All Driver Issues
Update Your Mouse Driver via the Device Manager
- On your keyboard, press Windows Key+R. This step will launch the Run dialog box.
- Inside the Run dialog box, type “devmgmt.msc” (no quotes), then hit Enter.
- Once the Device Manager is up, expand the contents of the ‘Mice and other pointing devices’ category.
- Right-click your mouse, then select Update Driver.
- On the next window, click the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ option.
Let the Device Manager locate the driver for your mouse. Once the process is complete, check if the device is functioning properly.
Manually Download and Install Your Mouse Driver
While the Device Manager offers a convenient way to update your mouse driver, it can be unreliable at times. There are instances wherein this tool misses the latest version of the driver. So, if you notice that your mouse scroll is still malfunctioning, then you may need to download and install the driver manually.
Now, when you choose this option, you need to be cautious. You must find the driver version that is compatible with your processor type and operating system. This can be challenging because you have to comb through various driver versions on the manufacturer’s website to find what you need. We reiterate that you should look at the details carefully because if you install the wrong driver, you may end up dealing with system instability issues.
Use Auslogics Driver Updater to Fix All Driver Issues
The Device Manager can be unreliable, and manually downloading your mouse driver can be time-consuming and complicated. Thankfully, there is an easier and safer workaround for this. You can use Auslogics Driver Updater to get the latest driver version for your mouse. This utility recognizes your operating system and processor automatically. With a click of a button, you can get it to scan your entire system and devices. It will identify problematic drivers and let you choose which ones to update.
What’s great about Auslogics Driver Updater is it allows you to address all driver-related issues. So, aside from fixing your mouse problem, you can also update other outdated or damaged drivers. Once the process is done, your PC’s performance will improve noticeably.
After updating your mouse driver, check if the device is still scrolling erratically.
How to Make the Wheel on Your Mouse Scroll Smoothly
- Look for the screws of the mouse. You’ll likely find them on the bottom of the device.
- Take a jeweler’s screwdriver, then remove the screws.
- Remove the plastic assembly.
- Look for the spring that holds the wheel of the mouse, then remove it.
- Clean the mouse wheel thoroughly.
- Reattach the spring and make sure that it sits perfectly in place.
- Put the mouse case on, then tighten the screws.
If the wheel scroll is still malfunctioning after you’ve followed all our tips, we recommend that you get a different mouse. Try using it on your computer, then check if you’re not encountering the same problem on this device. Now, if the new mouse is working perfectly, then it may be time to replace the old one.
We hope that this guide helped you resolve your mouse scroll wheel jumping issue.
If you think there are areas we need to improve, let us know in the comments below!