Keyboard, Mouse or Buttons Not Working

There’s (almost) nothing more frustrating than going to use your computer, and the mouse just refuses to work. The only thing worse is realising there are a hundred different reasons why that could be. Let’s dive right in, shall we?

If your mouse takes batteries, you should definitely replace those. Wait, you haven’t done that already? Ok, did that fix it? No? Alright, search the mouse for an on/off switch. Plug and unplug it from the computer. Switch the USB port that it’s plugged into. If none of that fixed it, restart your computer.

A broken keyboard is largely the same story. You press the buttons, but nothing happens. Infuriating, I know. The solution is largely the same - test USB ports, try another keyboard, etc.

If none of the above worked, it’s time to narrow down the cause of the problem. Are your USB ports working? Test them with something, like a flash drive that lights up when plugged in or your cell phone, and see if they’re getting power. If they’re not, and a restart didn’t fix it, call your local computer shop and ask them to look at it - something is either fried, or came unplugged. Or both.

The front and back USB ports on your computer are only plugged in by small 3 or 6-pin connectors. If the person who assembled your computer was in a hurry, they could’ve simply become disconnected. Or worse, your computer suffered a fatal blow at the hand of our mortal enemy, gravity.

Another common problem with computers is the sudden failure of hardware keys or buttons, and unfortunately this problem is a bit harder to solve. If you’re using a laptop, it’s game over. No, not really. But the guy at the computer store is going to be whimpering, knowing that it’ll be a 2-hour job to take apart your entire laptop to try and find the power button and see why it’s not working. A pro-tip for the tech-savvy user or computer technician: check the BIOS to see if the computer can be powered from a keyboard press. It’s an easy work-around, and everybody’s happy.

If a physical button on your desktop (tower) computer failed, things are a lot easier. You’re no longer dealing with a cramped laptop, and making sure something is plugged in will only take a minute after sliding the case open. If necessary, replacing the USB header will be a quick and painless job as well.

To summarize, things fail, and that’s life. The key is to never rely on one thing to always be dependable. Have two computers, just in case your preferred machine decides to retire. The same goes for the files you keep on the computer - don’t trust it to last forever.

If some part of your computer’s hardware is failing, get in touch. At Milford Computer Service we’re always happy to help, and with the utmost courtesy and professionalism.

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