e machines mouse pad

[HumbleJim]

Good morning

My left click has disappeared (quite a well used machine a few yrs old) Right click and pad itself okay. It's working okay with a USB mouse. I've changed the settings so that the right button now performs the left buttons job. Very unnatural.

Is their anything I can do or do I need a repair shop?

Edited by HumbleJim on Saturday 26th July 07:29

[ymwoods]

It depends how good you are at opening up laptops as any diagnosis or fix will probably require it.

It could be as simple as the ribbon cable that connects the buttons to the laptop has wiggled slightly loose or that the actual button has decided to give up.

Laptop repairs can be expensive (or at least not worth the cost of the repair on older machines) if the machine is very old it may be worth "living with" using a separate mouse via USB until you wish to upgrade.

[HumbleJim]

I've never opened a laptop before, so I'm not confident I won't bugger it up. Is it worth spraying some contact cleaner from the top? Or is this a complete no no?

[ymwoods]

The problem with laptops is that to cram in all the hardware of a normal computer they have had to connect it all with some very fragile ribbon cables in places so its easy to rip one off if you have not double checked its un-done correctly. The headache is also spending 2 hours looking for that one screw that is holding everything together that you can't seem to find!

I wouldn't say contact cleaner would do any harm to be honest as long as everything is off (battery out too) and then its allowed to dry before switching back on again.

To be honest though, I don't think it would do any good either. the switches usually have rubber covers over them anyway so the likely hood of it being dust or dirt in their stopping it working is slim and being able to get the cleaner into the right place for it too work without taking the laptop apart is also slim too.

[Bushman1]

Just buy a £5 wireless mouse.

[HumbleJim]

Bushman1 said:

Just buy a £5 wireless mouse.

Thank's I've got a mouse. I just like to use the pad, getting used to using the right button instead of the left button now.

[HumbleJim]

As you were, it's just started working. I love things that fix themselves.

[ymwoods]

haha, in that case I would speculate it was/is probably a ribbon cable that has come a little loose

[JimbobVFR]

If it goes again you may find tapping on the pad it self will do a left click, or at least have an option to turn that on within the settings.

[HumbleJim]

JimbobVFR said:

If it goes again you may find tapping on the pad it self will do a left click, or at least have an option to turn that on within the settings.

So it does, something new everyday.