I’ve been having so many problems with my Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000‘s scroll wheel ever since upon receiving it.The first problem is that the scroll wheel doesn’t ‘click’ – the feedback you get on most mice, but that I could live with that. The second problem I thought I could live with it, but I can’t. For about 80% of the time, I can’t middle click or scroll vertically. In other words, I can’t do the things I want with this mouse the times I want to do them.
This is of course, a manufacturing defect with the scroll wheel. I have to push down really hard with two fingers to get the scroll working even for a little bit. Not only does it make 80% of PC games impossible to play, but it totally breaks my browser tabbing experience.
I’m just so fed up with it today, so I decided to get it RMA’ed. Finding support on the Microsoft site is like finding needles in a haystack of toothpicks. When I finally found what I was looking for (http://support.microsoft.com), I was greeted with this.
It might look like an innocent server error. But…
Believe it or not, the official Microsoft Support website does not work in Internet Explorer, but does work in Firefox. Irony. 🙂
Update 2: I can’t use Microsoft Support because the product is from the US and I’m in Australia. 🙁
Update 3: Website error in Internet Explorer 7 was fixed after deleting cookies as suggested by Martin Ennemoser. I’d like to see an average Joe who’s looking for Microsoft support figure that out. 😛
Update 4: Yay. I should be able to get a replacement unit.
That mouse is a piece of crap. In general their hardware products are top notch. But this one is a utter disaster.
Try logging out from your Windows Live account and delete all your cookies. This solved the server error with the Microsoft Support site for me.
@Martin: Deleting cookies solved the problem. 🙂
I was however not logged-in to Live on IE7, but logged-in on my Firefox.
I have the same mouse. I also have the EXACT same complaints about it. The order of preference is opposite in my case, though, since I have figured out (apparently) how to think like a Microsoft designer:
To click the scroll wheel, it’s more of a “pull” motion instead of a “push” (like EVERY OTHER MOUSE IN THE WORLD!). Try it: reach PASSED the wheel and then pull it with your finger on the front (or back or the side facing away from you… you know what I mean) instead of trying to push down on the top, which as we both know is absolutely impossible.
As for the click-less scroll, it’s the biggest reason I will be going back to Logitech when I get my next mouse.
Well that just sucks!
Not being able to receive support because you live in Australia.
Keep moaning at them via Email till they give in. 😉
Chris:
Maybe its your mouse – I have no problems with either the ‘push’ or ‘pull’ method of clicking the scroll wheel. Not that I use the middle button much, but I actually prefer the ‘pull’ method, because my finger’s already resting there. The ‘push’ method either requires me to move my finger further back so its in the right position, or to use the first knuckle to click it, which feels awkward.
Long:
I do miss the ‘clicks’ when scrolling the wheel too, but I’ve learnt to live with it. What’s cooler though, is the new Logitech Revolution mouse, which only clicks if you move it slowly; if you need to scroll through a massive document, scroll quickly and it doesn’t click.
About the support site, apart from their KB I’ve always found it a pain to get support from Microsoft’s support site. For example, try finding me the Microsoft Aust phone number on support.microsoft.com, because I for sure couldn’t find it. I managed to finally find an email form buried somewhere in there (can’t remember where it is anymore). Once I found it though, they were fairly nice, helpful and prompt with their responses.
But surely you can’t have trouble getting someone’s attention in Microsoft though… for everyone else, try bugging them on 13 20 58.
Whoops, I stand corrected. I’ve just realised my browser was set to en-uk (as I downloaded the UK English version for Firefox) so it assumed I was in the UK and I missed the ‘International Support’ link further down the page (I was looking up the top for that option where it usually is).
You are a defective hardware magnet!
If you ring Microsoft they are really helpful 😉
I’ve been using Microsoft mice for a long time and they have had what I call the fluid scroll wheel (what you call the click less wheel).
Surprised you weren’t aware of that though not all the models in the range have it still it’s been present on the Intellimouse line for some time & then migrated to other products.
The fluid wheel is much better for general usage in the OS or with desktop apps but it makes games that use the scroll wheel unplayable.
If you want a click wheel try the wired laser 6000 model as that comes with a click wheel, what I do to get both on my machine is install the MS IntelliPoint software for the wireless laser 6000 then I plug in the wired 6000 but manually change the driver to a generic mouse because otherwise it wont work properly and conflict with the wireless model.
This nets you the ability to use the wireless for regular usage and tweak the settings on it and use the wired for gaming where a click wheel is required.
@Jake: I did know Microsoft had ‘fluid’ ones, but didn’t know they were integrated into so many products. I even have a generic Microsoft USB mouse here that has a click-wheel.
As much as I’d like two mices for two uses, that’s not feasible 😛
You’d be surprised how easy it is as the only games that generally require a click wheel are FPS games.
Pretty much most other games are fine with the wireless version as zooming in/out is probably the second most used function of the scroll wheel and that is okay with the fluid scroll wheel.
Also as the other wired mouse is unaffected by the MS Intellipoint software is retains it default settings so it is very precise and great for FPS games.
The other option is Logitech’s VX line they have a dual use scroll wheel that can flip between click mode and free mode (what they call the fluid type scroll wheel) I personally find it very difficult to use a click wheel these days after using the free/fluid kind for so long.