• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Optical Mouse not working on white paper...

J

Joaopps

n00b
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Messages
35
I recently bought a logitech M185 wireless mouse. It worked great, even on surfaces where my old crapy LG mouse would struggle.

Then I realised that it didn't track at all when I used it on plain white paper. I tryed everything but still no go. I went back to the store and got a new one, same problem. A third one and also the same problem so I gave up and just returned the thing.

I found this to be very odd as with my old mouse, the surface where it worked the best was on any white sheet of paper, why the hell would this work on everything but that? :p

The paper was not glossy, the battery is fresh, and the crappy lg works fine there.

After that I searched online for the issue and some microsoft mice have the same problem.

The manual doesnt say anything about this, and even states that if tracking problems are found to try the mouse on a pad or white sheet of paper :p

Any ideas?
 
I tryed on the store also, over a wooden counter and with another paper. Same result.
Also, at my home the mouse worked on a white table, but not on white paper :confused:
 
Stop using plain paper as a mouse pad? What is the point of this thread? Do you have an entire office made of white paper and you can't use the mouse anywhere?

There are hundreds of people using mice where I work, and I used to be a PC repair guy. I have never seen a single person trying to use a sheet of paper for a mouse pad.
 
So the mouse supposedly works on everything, and that's the reason I bought it in the first place, but it doesn't work on a white paper.
But even if it should work on everything and it doesn't, I should use a mouse pad. So it's my problem really, not the mouse's.

Wow... I would expect that answer from the manufacturer, but not here on this forum... :\
 
Last edited:
We are being sarcastic, but it's true. If it works 100% on every surface except white paper, does that really matter? Do you honestly use your mouse often on white paper? I personally have never used a mouse on white paper intentionally, it's a horrible surface because it moves around a lot. You are making a big deal out of nothing. If it matters that much to you buy a different mouse that markets the ability to track well on white paper.
 
Even if it seems odd, yes, for me it matters. I work on a laptop and usually I need to have all my desk filled with huge sheets of paper (large format ploted construction plans), so there is no space for the mouse, and even the computer needs to be put over these sheets from time to time. So paper becomes my mouse pad.

So yes, it really bothers me that I bought a mouse that 'works on everything' when it doesn't.
And even the manual states that I should use a piece of white paper if I have tracking problem.

Bottom line is that paper always tracks fine, I never had a problem with that, even with crappy mice. And now a mouse that 'works on everything' doesn't.

btw: why the hell would companies sell mice that track on everything if the general assumption is that everyone uses a mouse pad?
 
I think they started that marketing due to htpc's. Logitech's first everywhere mouse was used a lot on arms of couches and coffee tables. If it bothers you this much just try a different mouse. Try one that isn't marketed as an everywhere mouse.
 
The mouse should work fine on a piece of paper. What are the symptoms you are seeing. It could be caused by something else entirely and you are just attributing it to the paper.
 
I've had trouble using my optical mouse on white paper too. Never thought to try more than one sheet though.
 
It entirely depends on what laser the mouse is using to illuminate it's optical sensor.

Different papers use different glues, probably the wavelength of laser is incompatible with the glue in that paper (either it sees the glue in the paper as too bright or too dark).

You can think of the process as when you look at stuff under a blacklight it looks all crazy and neon, this is like what the mouse sees.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top