How annoying is it when your left mouse button stops working? You change the batteries, bang it on your desk a few times, and curse at the applied science gods—just it'south all to no avail.

It doesn't have to be this way. In that location are steps you can take to go your left click working over again on your mouse. Here are some ways to get moving over again when your mouse left click is not working properly.

1. Ready a Corrupted User Profile

windows local account

You need to institute whether the problem is unique to your user account or a arrangement-wide issue.

Make a temporary new local business relationship by navigating to Start > Settings > Accounts > Family and Other Users> Add Someone Else to This PC. The app will inquire yous for the new user's sign-in details and name.

Now, log into the new profile. Is your left-click working over again? If so, your primary user account has probably get corrupted.

Endeavor copying all your user data to a new profile. You need at least 3 profiles (your new one, your corrupted one, and one extra) on your machine to undertake this procedure.

Log onto the actress one. All the following steps demand to be washed from the "spare" account.

Firstly, open up File Explorer and ensure both the hidden files and folders and the protected operating system files are viewable. If y'all cannot meet them, go to View > Options > View and make the necessary adjustments.

Side by side, navigate to C:\Users\[Corrupted Username] and select all the files except Ntuser.dat, Ntuser.dat.log, and Ntuser.ini. Copy the files and paste them into C:\Users\[New Username].

Finally, log off and sign in to your new account. One time yous've verified everything is working, you tin delete the spare business relationship and the corrupted account.

ii. Bank check for Corrupted Windows Data

System File Checker tool

If you lot however couldn't apply the left mouse button on your new profile, it'due south indicative that something has gone wrong within Windows itself. Ane of the about common culprits is a corrupted Windows Update.

To exam for the presence of corrupted Windows files, yous need to run PowerShell (by right-click on the Get-go carte and select it from the listing).

Next, you demand to run the System File Checker tool.

Blazon sfc /scannow and press Enter. You'll encounter i of 3 results:

  1. Windows did not find whatever integrity violations.
  2. Windows Resource Protection establish corrupt files and repaired them.
  3. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files just was unable to fix some (or all) of them.

In the case of the last, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and printing Enter. PowerShell will re-download whatsoever corrupted files. Information technology could take a long fourth dimension, and then exist patient.

3. Delete Any Recently Installed Apps and Drivers

windows settings apps

Take yous recently installed any new apps and software? It could be the reason that the left click is not working. Similarly, a program update might have caused the consequence.

Go to Settings > Apps. Delete any apps that you've recently installed, any apps that have recently received automatic updates, and whatever apps you no longer use. Restart your auto and see if the problem is solved.

In a comparable vein, lots of users accept pointed to errant drivers causing the problem. The most common culprit appears to be printer drivers.

Delete your existing drivers by heading to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers and Scanners. Click on the printer you want to delete, and hit Remove.

4. Delete and Reinstall Your Antivirus

Something every bit straightforward as uninstalling and reinstalling your antivirus suite could solve your issues.

Occasionally, they observe false positives or blackness-flag harmless processes. Panda Anti-Virus seems to pop up more often than near. If you're using Panda, this could be your problem.

Earlier you completely uninstall and reinstall, you can soft-test whether this is the upshot. Disconnect from the cyberspace and temporarily disable whatsoever tertiary-party security suites. You can also try booting into Safe Fashion to exclude software issues.

five. Hard Reset Your Estimator

Performing a difficult reset is not good practice and should be done sparingly. That said, many users have reported that it fixes a non-functioning left mouse button.

It is easy to practice a difficult reset (besides known as a hard crash). If you're on a desktop without a battery, pull out the ability lead. If you're on a laptop, pull the ability string and the battery. In both cases, you demand to be logged into a user account on the PC before executing the reset.

6. Update Mouse Drivers

mouse drivers windows

Information technology'due south prudent to brand sure your mouse drivers are ever upwardly-to-date. If the left click isn't working, you definitely need to check them.

Correct-click on the Showtime Menu and then cull Device Manager. Don't worry: you can likewise utilize the right-click button to brand your selection.

Next, use your keyboard arrows to scroll downwardly to Mice and other pointing devices and press Enter. Select your mouse and press Enter once again. The Properties window will open up.

Use Tab and the arrow keys to navigate to the Driver tab and select Update Drivers. Windows will have intendance of the rest.

7. Enable ClickLock

mouse settings windows

What if everything is working except drag-and-drop? If you've already worked through the six fixes and you lot're however encountering the outcome, you tin can temporarily enable ClickLock.

ClickLock lets yous drag-and-drop files and folders using single mouse clicks, rather than having to hold down the left mouse push physically.

To turn information technology on, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Mouse > Related Settings > Additional Mouse Options.

The Mouse Properties window will popular up. At the lesser of the Buttons tab, you'll see the ClickLock options. Put a tick in the checkbox to enable it. Clicking on Settings will allow yous to customize your ClickLock preferences.

Is the Left Mouse Push button However Not Working?

Did none of these fixes piece of work? You did think to check the batteries, didn't you?

Of course, your mouse itself might be faulty. Try using a wired mouse and encounter if the problem vanishes. And remember, it's ever worth thoroughly cleaning your mouse. Dust can quickly build upwards inside its electronic components.

If all else fails, recollect that you can navigate around your figurer using null more than than the keyboard if yous know the right shortcuts. This is good, because the mouse can endure from a wide range of different issues, and you lot'll need to know how to navigate Windows 10 with minimal mouse use and so you can make the proper fixes.

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About The Author

Dan Cost (1604 Articles Published)

Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2022 and has been Partnerships Director since July 2020. Achieve out to him for inquires about sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and any other forms of partnership. You tin can also find him roaming the prove floor at CES in Las Vegas every year, say hullo if yous're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Fiscal Consultant.

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