How to Fix Mouse Wheel Jumping in Windows 10 [SOLVED] | HackerNoon (2023)

If the scroll wheel on your mouse is bouncing, you may have outdated, corrupted, or missing drivers. Another likely reason would be incorrectly configured scroll settings.

If you like to multitask on your PC, you might find your mouse very useful. Compared to your laptop's touchpad, a mouse provides a more efficient way to navigate and scroll through documents and web pages. In most cases, the device should work without a problem. However, there are cases where the mouse wheel scrolls in an unstable manner.

When this issue occurs, the mouse wheel often jumps as the user scrolls down. It's worth noting that this issue can affect both desktop and laptop users, as long as they have a mouse attached to their device. In some cases, the mouse wheel seems to take on a life of its own. You might even wonder, "Why does the mouse scroll up by itself?"

There are several reasons why this issue could be occurring.

You may have outdated, corrupted, or missing drivers. Another likely reason would be incorrectly configured scroll settings.

Whatever the cause of the problem, you can refer to this guide to know how to fix mouse scrolling up and down issue. We have also included some tips and tricks to help you optimize the performance of your device.

First of all…

You should first try some basic troubleshooting steps. That way, you wouldn't go through unnecessarily complicated solutions. Here are some easy solutions you can try:

• Restart your PC.
• Disassemble the mouse and clean the wheel. We will share a guide for that at the end of this article.
• Try connecting the mouse to a different USB port.
• Are you using a wireless mouse? In this case, replace the battery. The scroll wheel may behave erratically when the battery is low.
• Try hovering in a different program.

Now, if your mouse wheel is still scrolling erratically, you can try the other solutions below.

Method 1 – Disable some mouse scrolling features

Are you using a Microsoft mouse? If so, some of the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center features may be causing the problem. So, if you want to resolve incorrect mouse wheel scrolling, then follow the instructions below:

1. Go to the taskbar and click the Search icon.
2. Inside the search box, type "Control Panel" (without quotes) and press Enter.
3. Click on Hardware and Sound.
4. On the next page, click Mouse under Devices and Printers.
5. To open the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center, follow the path below:
6. Change Mouse Wheel Settings -> Change Microsoft Mouse Settings
7. Go to the Basic Settings tab and disable the following features:
8. Accelerated vertical scrolling
9. reverse scroll direction

After disabling the above mentioned features, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.

Method 2 – Reset Mouse Settings

One of the reasons your mouse scroll jumps up and down is because the wheel speed has been set to high. To resolve the issue, you can follow the steps below:

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + R. Doing so will open the Run dialog.
2. Within the Run dialog box, type "control panel" (without quotes) and click OK.
3. Click on Hardware and Sound and select Mouse under Devices and Printers.
4. Go to the Wheel tab.
5. Under Vertical Scroll, reduce the number of lines the mouse wheel can scroll.
6. Now, go to Printer Options and uncheck the 'Hide pointer while typing' feature.
7. Save the changes made by clicking Apply and OK.

After completing these steps, check if you can use the scroll wheel on your mouse without any problem.

Method 3 – Disable the touchpad on your laptop

Are you using a laptop? If so, the touchpad may be interfering with external mouse operations, causing the skipping issue. You can disable the feature by following the steps below:

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I on your keyboard.
2. When the Settings window is open, select Devices.
3. Go to the left panel menu and click on Touchpad.
4. Now, go to the right panel and uncheck the 'Drag two fingers to scroll' option. You should find this feature in the scroll and zoom area.
5. Finally, toggle the switch under the Touchpad to Off.

Method 4 – Update the mouse driver

If mouse scrolling works erratically, the device driver may be outdated, corrupted, or damaged. To fix this problem, the best thing to do is to update your mouse driver to the latest version recommended by the manufacturer. You should know that there are three methods you can choose from:

• Update the mouse driver through Device Manager
• Manually download and install the mouse driver
• Use Logistic Driver Updater to Fix All Driver Issues

Update the mouse driver through Device Manager

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + R. This step will open the Run dialog box.
2. Inside the Run dialog, type "devmgmt.msc" (without quotes) and press Enter.
3. Once Device Manager is activated, expand the content of the 'Mouse and other pointing devices' category.
4. Right click and select Update Driver.
5. In the next window, click on the 'Search automatically for updated driver software' option.

Let Device Manager find your mouse driver. Once the process is complete, verify that the device is working properly.

Manually download and install the mouse driver

Although Device Manager provides a convenient way to update your mouse driver, it can sometimes be unreliable. There are cases where this tool misses the latest driver version. So, if you find that mouse scrolling is still faulty, you may need to manually download and install the driver.

Now while choosing this option, you need to be careful. You need to find the driver version that is compatible with your processor type and operating system. This can be challenging because you have to go 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

Device Manager can be unreliable and manually downloading the mouse driver can be time consuming and cumbersome. Fortunately, there is an easier and safer solution for this. you can useAuslogics Driver Updaterfor the latest version of the mouse driver. This utility recognizes your operating system and processor automatically. With a click of a button, you can scan your entire system and devices. It will identify problematic drivers and let you choose which ones to update.

The good thing about Auslogics Driver Updater is that it allows you to solve all driver related issues. So, apart from fixing the mouse problem, you can also update other outdated or corrupted drivers. Once the process is complete, your PC's performance will be greatly improved.

After updating the mouse driver, check to see if the device still scrolls erratically.

How to make the mouse wheel scroll smoothly

1. Locate the mouse screws. You will likely find them at the bottom of your device.
2. Take a jeweler's screwdriver and remove the screws.
3. Remove the plastic assembly.
4. Find the spring that holds the mouse wheel and remove it.
5. Thoroughly clean the mouse wheel.
6. Replace the spring and make sure it is seated perfectly.
7. Put on the mouse case and tighten the screws.

If your scroll wheel is still faulty after following all of our tips, we recommend getting a different mouse. Try using it on your computer and make sure you don't encounter the same problem on this device. Now, if the new mouse works perfectly, it might be time to replace the old one.

We hope this guide helped you resolve your mouse scroll wheel jumping issue.

If you think there are areas we need to improve, please let us know in the comments below!