While users have had trouble with erratic mouse movement, that’s usually a software issue and can be fixed quickly. But when you have the mouse not clicking, the troubleshooting approach changes altogether. Let’s find out!

Why can I move my mouse but not click?

Here are a few reasons the mouse click is not working sometimes:

Hardware malfunction: In most cases, it’s a hardware malfunction, be it the problem with the buttons or the mouse components. Even a dying battery could be the underlying cause. Issues with the driver: An incompatible, corrupt, or outdated driver often leads to issues where mouse clicks are not registering. Connection issues: A wireless mouse is more prone to such issues, but even with a wired mouse, damaged cables or loose connections cause several problems. Third-party programs: When the mouse can’t click on some parts of the screen, it’s most likely an app responsible for the problem. In this case, uninstalling the app triggering the issue is the best solution.

What can I do if mouse click is not working?

Before we head to the slightly complex solutions, here are a few quick tricks to try:

Restart the computer. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and then click the Cancel button when the mouse click is not working in Excel or other programs. Remember, this is just a workaround but should give you the time to troubleshoot things. Unplug the mouse, then hold both the left and right buttons, reconnect it to the PC, and release the buttons after 5 seconds. If it’s a wired one, connect the mouse to a different USB port on the PC. Also, for the wireless mice, you can follow the same approach for the receiver. Plug another mouse into the same port on the computer to verify whether it’s a problem with the PC or the device. When facing the issue on a laptop, disable the touchpad, and reboot the computer.

If none work, head to the fixes listed next.

1. Reinstall the mouse driver

In most cases, when the mouse click is not working, reinstalling the driver should do the trick. So, that should be your primary approach.

2. Update the mouse driver

A quick way to fix things is to update the mouse driver. If that doesn’t help, do try to manually install the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website when the mouse click is not working. On the other hand, you have the option to update any drivers correctly and automatically in minutes. The only action you need to take is to install the software below and let it update the mouse driver.

3. Run the SFC scan

If it’s the corrupt system files to blame when the mouse click is not working, running the DISM commands or the SFC should help get things up and running. This has worked for users, so we recommend you give it a try. Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.

4. Remove conflicting applications

Oftentimes, a third-party application is responsible when the left and right mouse clicks are not registering. And it’s usually the ones that control the mouse and are used to modify its properties or optimize the performance. So, make sure to remove these.

5. Uninstall recent Windows updates

In many cases, users found out that the mouse click was not working after the Windows update, and uninstalling the update got things up and running. One of these solutions should have helped with the problem. If not, it’s likely a problem with the device itself, and we recommend you get a new reliable mouse for Windows. For any queries or to share another solution with us, drop a comment below.

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