How to Open a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 4?

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I have a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 4, i want to open it for clean but i dont know how to open it. Anybody know open area of it?
 
I have a optical blue mouse <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=26-105-128&depa=0" target="_new">Click</A> and it opens by taking off the skids on the bottom and using a screwdriver to take out the screws and then it just pops open. most likely the same for your mouse. have you used compressed air to clean it?

-lawler

A64 3500+ / K8N Neo2 Plat / BBA 9600pro / 2x512mb HyperX ddr500 / Audigy LS / Samsung 120gb

Wanna buy a Thermaltake XaserIII SuperTower Blk Edition w/ 420w psu UNOPENED, tell me.
 
Just like alawlz187 said, there should be screws under the pads on the bottom of the mouse.

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>
 
I'm actually sort of curious about that myself. The whole idea of an optical mouse is that you don't have to clean it regularly if at all. I've been using the same mouse for years and have never even thought about cleaning it.

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>
 
I know this is 2 years since the last post, but in case anyone is googling (like I was) and needs an answer for Intellimouse 2.0:

I've had mine quite a long time now. My wheel was getting stuck on turns so I knew there was a build up of junk from over the years in there.

On mine:
■Remove the batteries. Unscrew the screw inside the battery compartment.
■Lift the shell off the mouse.
■Life the secondary shell off the mouse (almost looks like it isn't there but it is, tilt it to the right).
■You now have access to the inside to clean.

Sure enough, mine has built up little dust strings and tiny hairs. Once I cleaned them away it works like a champ again. Make sure to unlock the wheel so you can tilt it and get underneath, also lift the white plastic covering and get inside there.
 
Ok. I had the same problem. The wheel felt gluggy and wouldn't turn properly. Remove the two oval skid pads at the rear of the mouse (the ones closest to your wrist) Ignore the others. Insert a flat bladed screwdriver into the black-on-black join on the underside curve of the mouse. (NOT the grey-on-black carapace join Gently (it is very easy, if it isn't you have the wrong join) separate the two parts.

Separate the top part of the mouse and the bottom part by moving the bottom part towards you and the top part away from you. There are small plastic lugs pointing backward on the bottom of the mouse that hold the top part on.

To clean the wheel, lift off the white plastic cover that surrounds the wheel, and blow the dust away with your breath. Put cover back on, and reverse all this to put it back together.

My mouse now works better, but is still old and shows its age. This method works but compressed air would too, even if it would be more expensive.
 
Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 has 4 screws. One under each pad. This is what i did (if you want the solution right away then go directly to step 5)

Step 1: Cleaned the wheel and the hole in the cover. Didn't work.

Step 2: Antifriction spray. Didn't work.

Step 3: I reduced the notch a little (using a small dremel). Didn't work.

Step 4: Screamed and kicked my wife. Didn't work. Just joking 😉

Step 5: Used the Dremel to enlarge the hole in the circuit board under wheel and THAT did the trick 😀 . Apparently the "bearings" get worn down over time and then the wheel get to low in the housing and touch the circuit board which course to much friction.

It feels like I have used this mouse for ever and it's still working great in any other aspect so i will try to keep it running as long as possible.

Update:
It wasn’t worn bearings. It’s the rubber that expands over time. That’s way it still didn’t work when I put the cover back on. I removed the rubber and boiled it in water for 10 minutes. That supposed to shrink some types of rubber but it didn’t work and it was almost impossible to put it back on again. I ended up cutting away a section and clue it back on the wheel. I also had to dremel the sides. This was time consuming so I can’t recommend it.

The best way is to leave the rubber as it is and use the Dremel to enlarge the hole in the circuit board and in the cover.

 
I googled my way here & I followed MetalAges method, as well as priseing the wheel mounting out of its plastic mounting, don't lose the little spring, this gives slightly better access to the wheel.
For cleaning, I used an electrical cleaning solvent & a bit of air to speed the evaporation.
The wheel no longer sticks on scrolling & the infra-red tracks a lot smoother. I also noticed a build of corrosion on one of the battery terminals, the solvent cleared that up nicely.
 
I also Googled my way here, as my left-click button was somewhat non-responsive, and my wheel would register much more effectively scrolling up, than down.

For the 4.0 version (no batteries), I followed AlexR's advice, and it worked like a champ. The reference to top and bottom might be mis-leading, because his reference is if you still have the mouse inverted to remove the screws. Note there are only two screws which need removal in the 4.0 version.

I found it was easier to separate when I held the mouse with two hands, thus the reference was lost. What Alex calls the "bottom" is actually the part where your hand rests in normal operation, and the edge on the wheel-side (where the cable connects) is where the base "hooks" latch into the lid. I used my flat-head screw driver to separate the two on the screw-side, opposite the cable, and then lifted the lid most of the way, like the hood of a car, hinged on the cable side, and THEN shifted the lid and base horizontally to disconnect the lid from the latches on the base.

There were hairs and dust built up in the wheel area, and I needed my little flat-head to GENTLY drag it out of the wheel area after I removed the white plastic cover. There is a lubricant of some sort around the wheel, which is why the dust built up and blowing would not clean anything out of the wheel area, at least on mine.

But it made a world of difference in the performance! 😀
 
Hi kdk_warhead,

Your advise work real well, there were two screws underneth the pads at the oposite end to where the mouse wheel is, I undid the screws and used a small flat blade screw driver to open the base unit as to drescribed.


 
My IntelliMouse 4 had the same problem. I opened it per AlexR's instructions (updated by anchor40). I was surprised to find that it was pretty much clean, but what had actually happened was what kdk_warhead mentioned. The rubber had expanded. For the IntelliMouse 4.

The clearest indication that this was not caused by dirt was that the problem only appeared when the wheel cover was attached, without the cover the wheel spun perfectly.

I didn't have to enlarge the circuit board, luckily, I just had to increase the size of the plastic cover slightly. I used a round file, but a Dremel would also do the trick, and enlarged the opening by about 0.5mm on the sides, and a little more near the front and back. Once I realized that was the problem, it only took about five minutes to correct it.

Now it works just like new. Definitely worth the effort to keep this great mouse working.
 
After reading all of this and looking under the pads for screws (there aren't any), trying and failing to remove the phillips head screw inside the battery compartment with an eyeglass screwdriver, I have decided to do my part for the ecnomy and buy a new mouse. I am appreciated that so many people cared enough about a porrly performing mouse wheel to share their successes and faiures. You have renewed my faith in mankind.
 



thanks Alex, it worked great
 


So we can clean the wheel!

Thanks for the information people on how to open the mouse.
 
I have intellimouse 4 as well. Sounds like a great solution. But, how do you remove the oval skids!?!?

My IntelliMouse 4 had the same problem. I opened it per AlexR's instructions (updated by anchor40). I was surprised to find that it was pretty much clean, but what had actually happened was what kdk_warhead mentioned. The rubber had expanded. For the IntelliMouse 4.

The clearest indication that this was not caused by dirt was that the problem only appeared when the wheel cover was attached, without the cover the wheel spun perfectly.

I didn't have to enlarge the circuit board, luckily, I just had to increase the size of the plastic cover slightly. I used a round file, but a Dremel would also do the trick, and enlarged the opening by about 0.5mm on the sides, and a little more near the front and back. Once I realized that was the problem, it only took about five minutes to correct it.

Now it works just like new. Definitely worth the effort to keep this great mouse working.
Click to expand...
 
I had an Intellimouse Explorer 3, with a wheel that would stick (it would click instead of scroll). Since this is the best mouse ever and discontinued, I tried to clean it. I got it clean and scrolling fine again without having to open it up. Take small scissors (cuticle scissors), and scrape any gunk out of the detents on the scroll wheel. Then open the scissors up, and with the curved point, insert it between the wheel and the housing, removing any hair, gunk, etc. Make sure you get all up in there. After cleaning it this way, it scrolls "like new" and I didn't have to crack it open.
 


The oval skids are just self adhesive pads.
To remove them use something with a sharp thin point - a small kitchen knife or a modeling knife - and lift one of smallest radius ends.
Then use a pair of tweezers - ladies eyebrow plucking tweezers - to lift them of the base of the mouse.
Store the four oval skids by sticking them to the edge of a shelf or box with just a m/m of their ends out of arms reach while you clean the mouse. (this is so you do not spoil the adhesive)

In my case no amount of cleaning would make the wheel move smoothly.
The stiffness was because due to wear the wheel was leaning over and rubbing against the side of the mouse top casing.
I cured the stiffness by using a modelling knife to very carefully enlarge the oval aperture that the wheel emerges from.

The mouse is again a pleasure to use :)
 
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