Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse: can you disassemble it? (for cleaning)

I have a Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop, which is comprised of a keyboard and a mouse. The mouse wheel started acting strange lately, and I am quite sure some dirt entered it.

Unfortunately the thing has no visible way to open it. I did not find a single useful resource on the web about the topic.

Do you have any experience in opening this mouse?

mouse

Palantir

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 548

The screws are usually hidden behind the feet/slider pads on the underside of most mice, you can peel the feet away as they are usually just held on by a medium adhesive tape. – Mokubai – 2015-06-05T10:16:25.633

There is no such a thing as feet. It has a removable magnetic bottom plate, which reveals the batteries. I removed all the stickers from within hoping for screws, but I did not find them... – Palantir – 2015-06-05T10:58:49.137

Can the left click not responding be fixed as well? common issue: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/microsoft-sculp-ergonomic-desktop-mouse-left-click/ac63a272-986d-4d85-800a-15023b557254

– Tilo – 2019-08-21T22:22:33.340

Answers

From http://forums.windowscentral.com/ask-question/348901-does-anyone-know-how-i-could-disassemble-microsoft-sculpt-ergonomic-mouse.html

The removable part of the mouse is the top cover (which includes the left and right button areas). It can be easily removed by wedging a spudger under the right mouse button area and going around until the whole top snaps off. There will be a few torx screws that need to be removed for the inner frame and you'll have access to its innards when that is removed

Basically you need a thin plastic tool to remove the top cover of the mouse and a set of Torx screwdrivers to finish the job.

Mokubai

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 64 434

Sweet, thanks. I couldn't find this post somehow. Now... I just need this spudger thing :-) – Palantir – 2015-06-05T11:38:52.120

Basically its a plastic screwdriver with a sharpened tip so you can insert it between parts without damaging them, a normal thin screwdriver could do the trick... – Mokubai – 2015-06-05T12:31:41.610

1For me a credit card worked fine instead of a spudger. I started around the right hand side rather than under the right mouse button, but I doubt it really matters. – pauldoo – 2015-10-20T14:53:50.217

I wasn't able to do it, until now, probably for fear of damaging it irreparably. However, an unused mouse is as good as a broken one, so I will try again soon :) – Palantir – 2015-12-02T06:57:51.297

Yes it works. I tried is some days ago, finally! Sorry for the delay in accepting your answer :) – Palantir – 2016-02-18T14:39:58.223

2This answer works, just to make the instruction a little more specific: you're taking off just the shiny plastic part that the buttons are a part of, not the rubbery sides. You wedge the spudger/debit card under the button on its side, not on its front, and then go around, towards the back of the mouse first. It comes off relatively easily and isn't held in place by any clips that could easily break off. – nietaki – 2016-05-06T13:18:47.927

In my case return button was stuck.

Tools needed: cross screwdriver, torx 8, lift tool (i.e. credit card or other material that is not sharp/could bend).

Start with inserting plastic tool under right button, than go to back and finish removing cover under left button. Be careful with rubber parts - in my case they were harm - I peel of a bit, but I glue them to mouse frame without any problem

Top cover

Remove scroll wheel by popping out bolts
Unscrew as much screws as possible. Button/scroll pad has 3 screws. When they are removed you can remove this board. Notice that connecting cable is stiff so on first look it may look that this board is still attached somehow.

Removing black board

Now I was able to remove back button. It was quite tricky - after removal of black board I was not able to remove black plastic panel that was beneath it. But after unscrewing all visible screws I was able to bend a little left side of mouse, so I was able to put out windows and back button mechanism. In my mouse, repair was done by refitting back button mechanism in place - it fixed stuck back button.

bednar

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 171

Omg, my back button got stuck in two of these mice- home and work. I got one mouse and keyboard set replaced because of that. – kvetis – 2018-07-13T08:32:07.123

@bednar In order to detach the black plastic panel from the rest of the mouse you need to unscrew two screws (these "silver" screws with pads). Then you need lift the plastic panel with a screwdriver (or something small enough) and quite firmly pull it outwards. Warning: be careful - you can damage it! If you take a closer look to the part from which you removed the screws I mentioned, then you would see that there is a pin that will not allow you to lift this case high and forces you to pull it out. – Arek – 2019-01-08T16:15:08.180

@kvetis I had the same issue! I found an easier way to fix it: take a very sharp knife (scalpel?) and cut off some of the rubber - just below the blue Windows button (over the entire length of this button). – Arek – 2019-01-08T16:17:43.057

So I just fixed a stuck back button on mine. This could come in handy to the next person finding this. I did disassemble the button assembly for the back and meta buttons, which is a PITA, only to find the actual switch was fine. When I replaced the assembly back into the shell without tightening the screws yet, the button worked. Only when I tightened firmly the screws that go against the shell of the mouse (not the two that go on the little blue board beneath the meta button), then the problem re-occurred. Slightly untightening both screws fixed it for me.

So try this:

Remove the plastic overshell from the top
Remove the plastic undershell beneath
Remove screws and put aside the board that houses the mouse wheel (although you might not even need to do that if you can reach the screws on the next step, big win as this is a pain)
Slightly untighten the two screws on the meta/back button assembly that go against the mouse shell while checking back button operation until it works

copong

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 21

This answer was the simplest of them all that solved my problem! Maybe this happens because of the cold, and the metal screws contract. although you might not even need to do that if you can reach the screws on the next step, big win as this is a pain - this is key. You don't have to dissassemble the mousewheel, you just need to unscrew each screw half a turn. So glad I found this answer! – jbx – 2019-01-24T12:35:42.833

Worked like a charm, thanks. You have to approach one of the back button assembly screws at an angle, but it works. Thanks! – Shawn Hoover – 2019-04-23T23:26:49.660

A much easier method worked for me. If work in a shop and have compressed air, then take off the battery cover, remove the batteries and blast air with a nozzle through the gaps around the scroll wheel. You will see fluff and crud shoot out the bottom. Done.

Frank Butty

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 11

I was unable to get the mouse cap off for cleaning, but I did fix the malfunctioning wheel by spraying a three or four squirts from a duster can around the base of the wheel. The vertical scrolling now works!

user891331

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 1

In my case back button was stuck and I followed instructions here, but loosening its bolts causesaidd win key to fail and vice versa. Turns out the culprit was the rubber over the back button and I didn't need to disassemble it as much. I slid guitar pick between the rubber and button and immediately things were back to normal.

Remove the top cover.
Remove the win button (just pop it, don't loose the spring!)
Carefully separate the rubber over the button from the plastic part that is moving.

Done!

szu

Posted 2015-06-05T10:08:58.660

Reputation: 1