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So I figured, let's pop open the mouse, take a quick look, clean it up, you know? It's clear on the bottome, so I could see there was dirt.

I pop it open, lot of dust around the scroll wheel. So I pop out the scroll wheel, to take a look underneath, sure enough, dust.

I am cleaning it out, when the scroll wheel with it's axle and button fall off the desk, seperating it. I leave them alone, but when I get to the scroll button, a spring pops out. I don't catch where it came out of, and I can't figure out where it might go.

Now the scroll wheel is silent, which is nice, but it doesn't stop rolling, so there's a bit of back and forth motion, like it's loose or like it's a car in neutral.

Dad's gonna notice real quick when he gets home, so I need you to save me! Where do I put the spring?

It's a black Logitech USB optical mouse, with a grey scroll wheel. I can take pictures if needed.

Uh oh.

Stark wrote:Uh oh.

Thanks Stark, you sure are smart! I never would have solved this without you!

LOL I just remember taking joysticks apart as a kid - with all the spring-loaded, stacked, layered and geared stuff, it was pretty much impossible. Unless you can find out how everything goes back together, you're just fucked.

Well, mice are all different, so it's not like we can help you anyway. By the time you're done taking pictures, you'll be screwed.

Just take the mouse and hide it in your room.
Then when your dad gets home:
"Hey son, wheres my mouse?"
"What mouse?"
"Hmmm...I must have put it away...."
"That's to bad."
"Yeah...Well have a nice day, and help yourself to some ice-cream in the fridge. I'm going to the store to get a new mouse."
"Yeah, ok."

Do you have enough time and money to replace the mouse before your father gets home ?

If yes, do so. If not, your screwed.

You're boned unless you can find that spring. Do you have a magnet?

Darwin wrote:a magnet

Not near the computer!

Mayhaps you could temporarily move the computer/other magnetically fragile devices and then sweep with a magnet? If that fails you can always take advantage of that fundamental law of the universe stating that, whenever organizing and/or cleaning, a variety of random objects will simply appear.

I have the spring, that's not a worry. Man, I'm stressing.

I could probably pass it off as an improvement. Smooth talking saves the day? Tune in next week!

Because that's where my dad is gonna kick my ass into.

I would hope that the loss of a mouse would not be a terribly tragic event. If I were in this position, I'd call him and tell him what happened, and ask that he pick up a new one on his way home.

Feil wrote:

Darwin wrote:a magnet

Not near the computer!

Your average magnet won't affect a hard disk. Heck, they barely manage to affect a credit card.

InnocentBystander wrote:I would hope that the loss of a mouse would not be a terribly tragic event. If I were in this position, I'd call him and tell him what happened, and ask that he pick up a new one on his way home.

The last time our mouse stopped working properly, we went to Future Shop to get a new one.

We came home with a new computer.

It was an upgrade from Win 95 to Win ME, and with Vista out, I'm afraid of 'upgrading' again.

What are you, ten? Man up, tell him you were trying to clean the thing and you broke it. Tell him you'll get a new one when you can.

For crying out loud.

Phantasee wrote:

InnocentBystander wrote:I would hope that the loss of a mouse would not be a terribly tragic event. If I were in this position, I'd call him and tell him what happened, and ask that he pick up a new one on his way home.

The last time our mouse stopped working properly, we went to Future Shop to get a new one.

We came home with a new computer.

It was an upgrade from Win 95 to Win ME, and with Vista out, I'm afraid of 'upgrading' again.

Sure...
But really, just buy a new mouse.

Phantasee wrote:

InnocentBystander wrote:I would hope that the loss of a mouse would not be a terribly tragic event. If I were in this position, I'd call him and tell him what happened, and ask that he pick up a new one on his way home.

The last time our mouse stopped working properly, we went to Future Shop to get a new one.

We came home with a new computer.

It was an upgrade from Win 95 to Win ME, and with Vista out, I'm afraid of 'upgrading' again.

I love that type of upgrade. Now I have two computers!

I have the exact same mouse for my laptop, but you're nuts if you think I'm taking it apart to figure out where the spring goes.

Play dumb. Like really, really dumb. Just tell your dad "Hey dad, we need a new mouse. The scroll wheel suddenly got all screwy on this one."

Phantasee wrote:
The last time our mouse stopped working properly, we went to Future Shop to get a new one.

We came home with a new computer.

You do know that you can get mice anywhere, Walgreens and similar stores sell'em. Sure the selection is limited, but a mouse is a mouse

Also I'd suggest scaling back on the impulsiveness when shopping

It was an upgrade from Win 95 to Win ME, and with Vista out, I'm afraid of 'upgrading' again.

Are you still on ME?

A mouse isn't exactly the most expensive piece of hardware in the system. I've got pretty much the same one you describe (and no, I'm not going to take it apart) and it only cost about $20 new. Just get a new one.

I know I'm going in a different direction from what everyone else said and I hope it is not to late add my 2 cents in. But, think of an excuse to why the mouse is broken. Like say something fell and scared the crap out of you and you accidently flung the mouse off the pad and it fell on the floor. I may seem stupid but that actually happened to me once. (Except the mouse didn't break)

Elite Pwnage wrote:I know I'm going in a different direction from what everyone else said and I hope it is not to late add my 2 cents in. But, think of an excuse to why the mouse is broken. Like say something fell and scared the crap out of you and you accidently flung the mouse off the pad and it fell on the floor. I may seem stupid but that actually happened to me once. (Except the mouse didn't break)

That has got to be the most useless excuse ever. Why, if he's going to admit he did it anyway, would he come up with such a silly story?

Either he should just come forward, or if that's not an option (for whatever reason), play dumb and pretend it broke on it's own. If he admits he broke it, he can offer to buy a replacement.

Elite Pwnage wrote:I know I'm going in a different direction from what everyone else said and I hope it is not to late add my 2 cents in. But, think of an excuse to why the mouse is broken. Like say something fell and scared the crap out of you and you accidently flung the mouse off the pad and it fell on the floor. I may seem stupid but that actually happened to me once. (Except the mouse didn't break)

Hint: Lying to parents over this level of trivial bullshit is idiotic. Just admit what happened, unless it's a kickass logitech or Razor mouse, it'll cost at most 20 to replace.

Ace Pace wrote:

Elite Pwnage wrote:I know I'm going in a different direction from what everyone else said and I hope it is not to late add my 2 cents in. But, think of an excuse to why the mouse is broken. Like say something fell and scared the crap out of you and you accidently flung the mouse off the pad and it fell on the floor. I may seem stupid but that actually happened to me once. (Except the mouse didn't break)

Hint: Lying to parents over this level of trivial bullshit is idiotic. Just admit what happened, unless it's a kickass logitech or Razor mouse, it'll cost at most 20 to replace.

I know it was a dumb excuse but the point is it "ACTUALLY HAPPENED" to me that is why I mentioned it.

But ace you do bring up an excellent point. It really is pointless to lie about that now that I actually thought about it. I'm was just thinking out loud here.