Mouse Disconnects When Lifted (8 Causes, Fixes)

Whether you’re playing games on your computer or working on a project, you need to lift your mouse from time to time.

It could either be to move faster in the game or because there is not enough moving space on your mousepad.

Maybe your mouse keeps disconnecting each time you do so.

That’s frustrating, isn’t it?

Unless your mouse is broken due to a hardware failure, chances are you can easily fix any performance issues you see with your mouse using your operating system’s core settings or other utilities.

We studied various user reports to find the causes and gathered some standard methods to repair this issue.

Read on to find out.

Mouse Disconnects When Lifted (Causes, Fixes)

Cause 1: Damaged Batteries

This is a very common cause for disconnection problems with mice, especially wireless mice.

Like all other devices, non-rechargeable batteries and chargeable mice stop working because of a low battery level.

In some devices, the red light under the mouse starts continuously flickering as a low battery warning.

How To Fix

To fix the problem, simply replace the batteries, especially if you’re still using the ones that came with the device.

Make sure you install the batteries properly.

If you use a chargeable mouse, plug it into its charger until it’s good to go.

Cause 2: Intermittent Cables

The most common problem with wired mice is a broken or intermittent cable or USB connection.

If your mouse works at one angle and loses connection at another, it’s probably a broken cable problem.

One easy way to diagnose the problem is to lift your mouse and the mousepad at the same time.

If it loses connection, then it’s the cable.

If not, the cable is fine, and you’d have to look for the problem elsewhere.

How To Fix

Unfortunately, as there’s no easy fix for this problem, the most cost-effective solution would be to replace the mouse.

However, if the mouse is otherwise working perfectly, you could give soldering a go.

Don’t forget to look up instructions as it’s not an easy job to do on your own.

For example, watch this YouTube tutorial on soldering that shows how to do it step by step.

As you can see, the process can be time-consuming and requires skills along with some tools.

Cause 3: Faulty USB Ports

Another possible cause could be a faulty USB port or USB settings.

With these ports, you can always track down the issue to either a hardware or software failure.

How To Fix

Below are some of the things you could do if your USB port isn’t working:

1. Restart Your Computer

If you’re lucky, sometimes the easiest solutions end up fixing the biggest of problems.

If restarting doesn’t do the trick, move on to the following fixes below.

2. Try A Different USB Port

To see if the problem is with the USB port you’re using, unplug your mouse and try an alternate USB port.

You can find ports on both the front and back of most computers, so try all of them before moving on to the next step.

If none of them works, there’s likely a hardware problem.

Try another USB device to make sure your ports are working.

Mix and match the different combinations to identify the culprit.

3. Remove Obstructions In The USB Port

Since USB ports are wide open when nothing is plugged in, it’s easy for dirt or food particles to get stuck in there.

If you find anything, shut down your computer and remove them gently with a thin piece of plastic or wood, such as a toothpick.

You can also use canned air to blow obstructions out of a USB port.

Just make sure not to push it in further.

4. Check For Loose Internal Connections

You can find out if you have loose internal connections by plugging in your mouse and then gently wiggling the USB cable to see if you get a brief connection and disconnection.

If you do, it means there’s a physical problem with either the cable or the USB port, and you’d need to take it to a professional to fix the problem.

5. Change Power Management Settings For USB Root Hub

Another proven solution to mouse disconnects when lifting is to alternate the USB Root Hub settings.

Here are the instructions to do so:

Press the Windows + R keys and type “devmgmt.msc” in the displayed Run box.

Alternatively, you could open the windows search on the taskbar and type “Device Manager.”

Once you’re on the settings page for device manager, double-click on Universal Serial Bus controllers, then on the first item of USB Root Hub.
Then, select the Power Management tab from the menu bar at the top. Check “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.” Click OK to confirm.

Note: If there are multiple USB Root Hubs in your device manager, repeat these steps for each of them.

6. Check Device Manager For Hardware Changes

Repeat the steps above to open Device Manager.

Next, right-click on the name of your computer and click scan for hardware changes.

When the scan is complete, plug in your mouse to see if it works normally.

Another option is to disable and re-enable the USB controller.

Double-click on the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” and right-click on the first USB controller in the list to uninstall it.

Repeat for each USB controller you find.

Then, shut your computer down and turn it back on.

Windows will reinstall the USB controllers by default, so check if your device is working fine.

Cause 4: Dirt And Dust

Sometimes the problem is something as simple as some dirt/dust particles stuck in your mouse.

There’s a hole at the bottom of every mouse, which is the sensor.

The sensor’s job is to measure the distance the mouse travels on the surface and report it to the computer so that the cursor can be moved.

The sensor can easily collect dirt and dust, so you need to clean it every once in a while.

And when a sensor is blocked, it’ll lose sensitivity and have inconsistent responses.

How To Fix

Try cleaning your mouse following these instructions:

Unplug the mouse from your device.

This will keep the mouse from shocking you if you touch an electrical component or spill liquid on it.

If your mouse is wireless, turn it off and remove the batteries (if removable).

Turn the mouse upside down.
Remove the bottom panel using the instructions written on the bottom of the mouse.
Wipe the mouse’s whole body.
Use a lint-free cloth and some alcohol. Make sure the fabric isn’t too wet and won’t get liquid in the mouse’s internal parts.
Run a toothpick gently around all the pores and gaps in the mouse’s body.

This will remove any grime that your wipe didn’t get rid of and may be causing problems.

Apply rubbing alcohol to a clean Q-tip and gently swab the mouse’s sensor hole.
Let the alcohol dry.
Put the mouse back together.
Don’t forget the mousepad!

No matter how clean your mouse is, if your mousepad isn’t spotless, your mouse won’t work its best and will track movements unevenly.

Cause 5: Outdated/Corrupted Device Drivers

Performance glitches and random disconnections are common problems among users who have skipped the last few updates of a device.

Also, your current drivers could be corrupted.

How To Fix

You should be able to fix this issue by uninstalling your current driver and installing the latest version.

For driver updates, you can check the manufacturer’s website.

If you don’t have the time, patience, or skills to update the driver manually, you can use driver updater tools.

You can also download any additional drivers from the manufacturer’s website to maximize the performance and use all the features.

These files are usually free and easy to access.

Here’s a quick way to update your drivers manually:

Press Windows key + R. Once the dialog pops up, type in “devmgmt.msc” and hit enter to open Device Manager.
Once you’re inside Device Manager, open Mice and other pointing devices.
Right-click on an HID-compliant mouse and choose Properties from the menu.

Note: If you have more than one HID-compliant mouse listed, you need to go through the following steps for each one.

It could be that you have more than one mouse connected to the device.

On the HID-compliant mouse Properties screen, look on the top to find the Driver tab, where you’ll see an Uninstall Device button.

Click on it and confirm the choice to remove your device.

After the uninstallation, open a search engine and look for *Mouse Model* + *Manufacturer* driver.

Open the official website for your mouse’s manufacturer and find the download page for the updates from the search results.

The usual address for these websites is support.<company’s name>.com.

Note: Make sure to replace “mouse model” and “manufacturer” with your mouse’s actual model and manufacturer.

Open the executable you’ve downloaded and follow the wizard to complete the installation.
Restart your computer and see if your mouse is working normally (without random disconnects).

Cause 6: Pending Windows Updates

Suppose you have Windows 10 installed on your device.

In that case, these disconnects may be because of a Windows 10 glitch that only affects USB-connected mice, as many users have reported.

How To Fix

Fortunately, Microsoft came up with a new update shortly after, which is confirmed to have solved the problem.

If you think this is the case and you have pending Windows updates, you could give this solution a go.

Here’s a quick guide to keeping your Windows updated:

Tap on the Windows icon on the taskbar down below and type Windows update settings to open the settings app.
Click on Check for updates.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install all pending Windows updates once the operation is done.

If you see a prompt to restart, do so, and then make sure to go back to the Windows Update screen and install the remaining updates.

After these steps, lift your mouse to see if the disconnection issue persists.

If so, read on for a few other possible solutions.

Cause 7: Faulty Mouse

Another reason that comes to mind when mouse disconnections happen is hardware issues with the mouse itself.

It could be a damaged housing, a missing part, or failure of the optical sensor suggesting the device is flawed.

How To Fix

First, you have to make sure it’s your mouse that’s causing the disconnections.

Try another mouse (a functioning one) in the same port to confirm this.

If it works, there may be an issue with your mouse.

If the same problem happens with the second mouse, it’s probably your USB port that’s causing the issue, which we’ve talked about before.

To be 100% sure about your mouse’s hardware issues, try connecting the mouse to your device’s second port or a different device.

See if any changes occur.

(Tip: If you don’t have another computer, you can connect your mouse to a smart TV or your Android smartphone using a USB OTG cable).

If the disconnects still happen, you’ll have to send your mouse in for repair (if your warranty is still valid) or consider replacing it with a new one.

Cause 8: Power Draw Issues

Random mouse disconnects can also happen when you draw more power from your USB-connected devices than your PSU (Power Supply Unit) can provide.

How To Fix

To reduce the power, remove all external USB-connected devices other than your mouse and see if you still get random disconnects.

You may have to continue using your computer for about an hour (or more) until the issue resurfaces.

If disconnection occurs again, you may be able to solve the problem with these solutions:

Upgrade your PSU. A stronger PSU can supply more power to your USB devices. Note that this is only applicable to desktop configurations.
Get an external power supply for your USB hub. If you’re experiencing the issue on a laptop or an ultrabook, this should be the fix.

USB hubs that come with a dedicated power adapter reduce the load on your power supply, preventing random disconnections.