Ran into a situation with a Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 that also seems to plague the Wireless Laser Mouse 8000. When placing the Laser Mouse on its charging cradle, the LED on the top of the mouse slowly flashes green for a few seconds, as if it was successfully charging the NiMH battery inside, but then switches to rapidly flashing the LED red.
Taking the rechargeable battery out also results in the flashing red LED. So, the battery is clearly not being recharged. This is further corroborated by the short battery life.
I saw online that some people have found some sort of button underneath the battery and that it’s not being depressed. However, the mouse I was having problems with did not have such a button. There is a small hole under the battery, but no switch or button in the hole.
Upon further investigation, I noticed that the positive metal plate in the battery compartment of the mouse has two plastic rails holding it in place.
When putting the battery inside, the rails tend to press back against the top of the battery such that the battery’s tip doesn’t make good contact with the metal. Since the metal plate is tapered inward, it only makes reliable contact with the battery when the battery is pushed all the way down into the compartment.
As a result of this plastic getting in the way and preventing the battery from making contact with the positive conducting plate, of course it can’t recharge. It also explains why it only charges for a few seconds–just until the battery slips out of position and loses contact. However, the fix for this recharging problem is rather simple.
- Cut a small piece of paper a little shorter than the length of the battery and about twice as wide
- Fold the paper in half to achieve a thickness of two sheets of paper
- Place the battery into the battery compartment
- Put the paper on top of the battery
- Close the battery cover
The cover should go on snugly so that it firmly presses the battery into the compartment. That will enable the positive tip of the Laser Mouse’s battery to stay in contact with the positive conductor plate. If it doesn’t press firmly enough, add one more sheet that’s half the width of the first one (for a thickness of three sheets).
After applying this little fix, the problem mouse’s LED properly throbs green and charges up completely.
(Update: Added photos)
Even shiny contacts can have oxidation on them. Did you already try connecting the mouse to the pad with wires to verify that it’s not a connection problem? Also, does the battery charge up if you use an external charger? If you’ve done all these things and it doesn’t work, return it for another one.
I bought it today(7000)and guess what. The same thing as for all of you. I need to fix batery. I solved it with the paper. Thanks for good and simple solution.
Question – do you have mouse power button on or off when you do the recharge on the cradle provided?
I’ve done it both ways and both positions recharge. The off switch is to save battery power when you’re not going to be using the mouse for a while (e.g., for a mouse that wil be sitting idle at the office over the weekend or if you’re going on vacation).
This was a great guide. Fixed my problem. Used 10sec to find it with google search. Many THanks
Thanks for the help.
This solved the “not charging” problem with my microsoft wireless laser mouse 7000.
Never have I been in a trance from watching a slow pulsing green light. Simply amazing. Thank you!
It is rather mesmerizing isn’t it? Happy mousing. 🙂
thank you
and a big fu to ms…i never expected a rrod on a mouse…
Not a happy Bunny as was expecting another trip to Costco and wasting loads of time. Had the 4 second green and then the flamin flasin red, but the fixes have sorted it out. My solution was a paper combo with extending the (-) spring to put more pressure on the (+) connection. Shame M/s didnt test it!! Thanks chaps
Padge, another clever variation. Thanks for the feedback.
This fixed my problem – thanks!
Excellent, quick post-it-note and all working, thanks for taking the time to post this.
Perfect cut a piece of paper and rolled it around the battery. Problem solved. THANK-YOU
Amazing! Much praise to you! Fire Bill Gates and hire you to fix everything! Thanks again!
LOL! Thanks, Eric. Happy mousing.
Wow, thank you so much, I thought I would need to throw this away and buy a Logitech.
Awesome fix. Was just surfing to find a new battery to replace the original with and came across this forum. Didn’t have a great deal of hope as I had been to another forum before which had said to ‘wiggle’ the battery (which worked for the first charge) Now the second time charging, wiggling didn’t work. The folded paper trick did!! Thanks so much! And to everyone else with equally brilliant ideas here, thank you as well, who knows they may come in handy down the line as well!
Green means GO! Hopefully I’ll be makin’ many more mouse tracks now! Thanks guys and gals!
Thanks for the help, it sure worked with the mouse.
However, since today I’m experiencing red lights whilst charging my keyboard.
I’ve tried the paper solution; didn’t work. So didn’t a set of other rechargables and a normal set of batteries.
Anyone have a solution to this problem please?
Stiebolt, for the keyboard, try bending the spring contacts out a bit. They might not be pressing against the batteries enough to charge properly.
Thank you so much! It worked perfectly! Very much appreciated. 🙂
Great. Helped me too with my 7000. Axel
Sure it works, but the problem is not exactly what you are saying. It makes no difference, but just to let you know, the problem is the plastic piece at the bottom of the battery compartment, laying vertically to the battery around the middle of its length. Under that piece of plastic there is a switch, known at the ‘battery present’ sensor. sometimes the battery sits slightly above the compartment bottom, thus not pushing down on the switch, the battery makes perfect contact to the compartment pins, so the mouse works, but without the switch pushed, the battery does not charge. your trick with the paper, pushes down on the battery, causing it to correctly push the sensor switch, thus resolving the problem 🙂
Hi Sotis. Thanks for the feedback. Do you have some photos of the circuit board for this mouse? I’m very curious to see the actual battery sensor switch and how much travel it has.
It appears that some owners of this mouse have contact problems since the paper trick doesn’t work for everyone. Some have bent the compartment pins to restore proper charging operation.
Thank you very much it works!!!!
3 weeks of thinking how to fix this problem, than wisit this site and salvation:] I’ve got Wireless Laser mouse 8000