Troubleshooting Guide: Solving Connectivity Issues with Your Wireless Mouse in Windows 11

Troubleshooting Guide: Solving Connectivity Issues with Your Wireless Mouse in Windows 11

Daniel Lv12

Troubleshooting Guide: Solving Connectivity Issues with Your Wireless Mouse in Windows 11

Has your wireless Windows mouse suddenly stopped responding? It’s a frustrating issue that’s tricky to diagnose; the fault could lie with the hardware itself (like the mouse or the USB receiver) or with your computer software. But don’t worry—follow our advice to get your mouse working again.

1. Undertake Basic Device Diagnosis

Before doing anything else, you should determine whether your mouse is connected to your PC . So, perform some basic hardware diagnosis, like ensuring the mouse is switched on (the power switch is usually on the bottom of the mouse) and that the USB receiver is connected to the computer.

If the mouse still doesn’t work after these basic checks, try these other hardware-orientated fixes:


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Reconnect the USB Receiver

Disconnect the USB receiver, wait ten seconds, then plug it back in. This is age-old advice, but it may kick Windows to recognize the mouse.

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Use a Different USB Port

The USB port you’re using for the receiver may be faulty, so use a different one to check. If your computer only has one USB port, you could use an adapter or a dongle that connects to a different port to provide more USB connections.

Check the Mouse Battery

The battery is typically the reason for wireless mice not working. Check the battery is fully inserted in the compartment and that it’s positioned correctly. Also, replace it with a new battery if you’re unsure how much charge it has left (or plug it in to charge if the battery isn’t replaceable).

Unplug Other USB Devices

Other USB devices connected to your computer can cause interference. Disconnect these in turn; if it doesn’t fix your mouse, plug them back in again.

Check for Hardware Damage

Your mouse or USB receiver may be defective, especially if you accidentally dropped them recently. Examine your USB port, receiver, and mouse for physical damage. Check for dirt or dust in the USB ports and clean them if required.

Connect to Another PC

Connect the receiver to a different Windows device and see if the mouse works there. If not, the mouse or receiver is probably defective. To determine which is to blame, you could get another receiver—most manufacturers sell them standalone or will send you one under warranty. If this doesn’t work, you then know the fault lies with the mouse itself (so buy a new one or claim under warranty).

Alternatively, if everything works on another device, it means the issue is with your computer rather than the mouse or receiver.

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2. Disable USB Power Management

A USB receiver requires an adequate amount of power from the computer to work properly. Windows has a setting which disables USB devices to save power, and this can cause issues.

To change this, press Windows+X and select “Device Manager” from the pop-up menu.

Windows 11 right-click Start Menu highlighting Device Manager option.

In Device Manager, scroll down and double-click the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” section to expand it. Right-click “USB Root Hub” and select “Properties.”

Windows 11 Device Manager highlighting the USB controller right-click menu.

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In the Properties window, select the “Power Management” tab and uncheck “Allow the Computer to Turn Off This Device to Save Power.” Click “OK”.

Windows 11 USB Hub Properties highlighting power management tab.

Finally, remove and reconnect the USB receiver.

3. Disable Fast Start-up

Windows’ Fast Start-up feature launches your computer quickly, but Fast Start-up has drawbacks , including connection issues with USB devices. Therefore, it’s worth disabling it.

Search for “Control Panel” in the Start menu and open it. Go to “Power Options” (search for it if you don’t see it), then click “Choose What the Power Buttons Do.”

Windows 11 Power Options window highlighting 'Choose what the power button do' option.

Click “Change Settings That Are Currently Unavailable.”

Windows 11 System Settings window highlighting 'Change settings that are currently unavailable' option.

Now, uncheck “Turn On Fast Start-up” and click “Save Changes.”

Windows 11 System Settings window highlighting 'Turn on fast startup' option.

Shut down your computer, unplug and reconnect the USB mouse receiver, then turn the computer back on.

4. Update or Rollback the Mouse Drivers

If your mouse drivers are outdated or corrupted, this might cause connection issues. If they are outdated, you should update your Windows 11 drivers . Alternatively, if a recent update caused the issue, you should roll back.

How to Update the Mouse Drivers

The best way to do this is through Windows Update. Press Windows+i to open Settings and go to Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates. If available, click “Driver Updates”, select those you need (any related to connectivity and the mouse), and click “Download & Install.”

Optional Updates in Windows 11.

If Windows Update doesn’t detect any available driver updates, manually install them. To do this, go directly to the mouse manufacturer’s website. They should have a driver section, or they might have dedicated software—in either case, download and run the executable, then follow the prompts.

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How to Roll Back the Mouse Drivers

To roll back the drivers , press Windows+X and select “Device Manager.” Double-click the “Mice and Other Pointing Devices” section to expand it. Right-click the wireless mouse and select “Properties.”

Windows 11 Device Manager window highlighting 'Mice and other pointing devices' right-click menu.

In the Properties window, select the “Driver” tab and click “Roll Back Driver.”

Windows 11 mouse Properties window highlighting 'Roll Back Driver' option.

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Click “Yes” on the warning pop-up and wait until Windows automatically restores to the previous version.

5. Reset the USB Ports

If you suspect the fault lies with your USB ports, resetting them can resolve this.

Press Windows+X and select “Device Manager.” Double-click “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” to expand it. Right-click “USB Root Hub” and select “Uninstall Device.”

Windows 11 Device Manager window highlighting 'USB Root Hub' right-click menu.

Select “Uninstall” in the pop-up window.

Windows 11 Uninstall Pop-Up Warning window highlighting Uninstall button.

Repeat the above steps for each USB Root Hub on the list.

Restart your computer, and it will automatically scan and reinstall the USB controllers. If it doesn’t, go back to Device Manager and select Action > Scan for Hardware Changes.

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6. Update Windows 11

Install all available Windows 11 updates (Windows+i > Windows Update > Check for Updates) and restart your computer. Keeping Windows up-to-date can resolve many issues.

Click "Check for updates."

On the other hand, sometimes Windows updates can be buggy and be the root of the problem. If you recently updated Windows and your mouse stopped working afterward, uninstall the recent Windows update (Windows+i > Windows Update > Update History > Uninstall Updates).

7. Run a Malware Scan

If your system is infected with malware, it can interfere with external devices like mice. This is why you should run a malware scan to detect and remove harmful threats, either using Microsoft Defender or any reliable third-party antivirus software .

8. Connect the Mouse With Bluetooth

The majority of wireless mice also connect to your computer via Bluetooth, bypassing the need to insert a USB receiver. However, your PC must also support Bluetooth.

First, switch your wireless mouse’s connection to Bluetooth (usually via a switch or button on the bottom of the mouse.)

Next, enable Bluetooth on your Windows 11 PC . To do so, press Windows+i to open Settings and click “Bluetooth & Devices.” Toggle the “Bluetooth” slider to “On.”

Windows 11 Settings window highlighting 'Bluetooth & devices' and Bluetooth toggle switch.

After turning on Bluetooth, select “Add Device” and then select “Bluetooth” from the list.

Windows 11 Add a device window highlighting Bluetooth option.

Your PC will start searching for Bluetooth devices. Choose your wireless mouse from the list.

Windows 11 Add a device window highlighting Bluetooth mouse.

Wait until the connection is established. After a few seconds, your mouse is ready to use via Bluetooth.

9. Perform a System Restore

If none of these steps helped and your wireless mouse is still not working, consider performing a system restore to set Windows back to an earlier state and uninstall drivers and updates added since the last restore point.

However, you can only do this if a restore point has previously been created .


After following all these steps, your mouse should successfully connect to your computer again. If not, it might be time for a new mouse—there’s plenty of great wired and wireless options out there, whether you need it for productivity or play.

  • Title: Troubleshooting Guide: Solving Connectivity Issues with Your Wireless Mouse in Windows 11
  • Author: Daniel
  • Created at : 2024-08-27 23:54:29
  • Updated at : 2024-08-28 23:54:29
  • Link: https://win-answers.techidaily.com/troubleshooting-guide-solving-connectivity-issues-with-your-wireless-mouse-in-windows-11/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.