Cleaning the Zs Middle Mouse Button Switch
If your middle mouse buttons tactile "click" is occurring, but no output is being sent there could either be a problem with your mouses configuration, or a hardware problem with the switch itself. Before proceeding with any hardware repairs please check the article below for steps to rule out the possibility of a configuration issue.
If your middle mouse button does not respond correctly with the "Button Test" profile, then there is a hardware issue. Failures of the middle mouse button switch are generally caused by contaminants working their way into the switch. But fortunately in most cases it is possible to resolve this by opening the mouse and dismantling the switch to clean it. The instructions and images below will show you how this can be done.
An alternative if you have experience with electronics repairs would be to replace the switch entirely. If you took this approach steps 1,2 and 9 below may still be useful to you. Compatible replacement switches are available
here on DigiKey. If you don't have the equipment or experience to do this yourself any electronics repair shop should be able to handle it. Especially if you bring them your mouse pre-dismantled, along with a replacement switch.
Required Tools
Demonstration Video
Either way, if any of the instructions below are unclear, or you encounter any issues please let us know.
Required Tools
- Small Phillips Head Screwdriver (PH0)
- Craft Knife
- Soft lint free cloth (microfiber)
Demonstration Video
The video
here demonstrates the full process of opening the mouse, dismantling and cleaning the switch, then testing and re-assembling. There are also text instructions further below which go into additional detail. So we recommend you read those too.
Step 1: Opening your mouse
The main body of the Z is held together with 7 screws in its base. 5 of these are easily visible once you remove the magnetic feet from your mouse, but two are hidden under the label at the nose of the mouse. So you will need to peel this off to access them.
The locations of all 7 screws and highlighted in the image below.
Once the 7 screws have been removed the top and bottom halves of the case can be separated. However you need to be careful when doing this as there is a small circuit board for the thumb buttons which sticks up from the bottom half of the case into the top. Also, there is a thin ribbon cable at the rear of the mouse which connects the two halves.
So when you are separating the two halves, do so gently, and with a direct vertical movement. Keeping the halves relatively parallel until you clear the thumb button circuit board.
Don't worry if the thumb button PCB pops out while you are opening the case. It is connected by another ribbon cable and can easily be placed back into its slot on the base.
The thumb button PCB, and ribbon cable are highlighted below.
Once the top half has cleared the thumb button PCB, the ribbon cable is long enough for it to be placed down on the table next to the bottom half. From here you can see all the components you will need to access.
Step 2: Detaching the top PCB layer
The middle mouse button switch is positioned beneath the axle of the scroll-wheel on the top PCB layer. So to access it the scroll-wheel needs to be removed, and it also makes the rest of the process easier if you detach the whole top PCB layer.
Before removing the top PCB layer take note of how it is only screwed in loosely, and is able to wiggle in place slightly. This is intentional as this PCB needs to be able to move slightly for the force sensors which are positioned beneath it to work correctly. So when this PCB is screwed back in you'll want to ensure it is still free to move.
To do this first detach the ribbon cable at the rear of the top PCB. This is done by pulling the black latches on either side of the ribbon our a few millimeters, as shown below.
Now remove the six screws highlighted below which hold the top PCB layer in place.
With the screws removed the two sections of the PCB can be lifted out of the mouse along with the scroll-wheel, which can then be slid out of the encoder and put to the side.
While the scroll-wheel is removed it would be a good idea to clean it as well. In particular if anything is wrapped around the axle.
Step 3: Opening the middle button switch
You now have unrestricted access to the switch, so it's time to open it up.
You'll see that there are 4 posts that stick out of the lid of the switch at its corners.
These need to be shaved down with a craft knife so they are flush with the top of the lid. This will allow us to lift the lid off the switch while still keeping enough of the posts to sit the lid back on when we're done.
Now slide the blade of your craft knife beneath the lid and twist it slightly on each of the three exposed sides to gently lift the cap off.
Try to avoid letting the blade cut into the posts beneath the lid. As if you cut through them it will be more difficult to secure the lid when it comes time to re-assemble the switch.
Step 4: Dismantling the switch
Once the lid has been removed there are three small parts inside the switch. First is the black plastic cap of the switch, which will come out easily with a bit of prodding.
Beneath the cap is a silicon nib, shaped like a wide brimmed hat. This also will come out with a bit of prodding with your screwdriver.
Finally, at the base of the switch is a slightly domed metal disk.
You need to be careful with this part as it is what creates the "click" of the button, and also what causes the button to activate. As when you put pressure on the button its domed shape inverts. This makes the click noise and allows the dome to contact the bottom of the switch completing the circuit.
If your screwdriver has a magnetic tip gently place this inside the switch until the dome latches on, then lift it out.
Step 5: Cleaning the dome and switch
Look very closely at the dome for any signs of contaminants on its surface, particularly its convex underside. Even a minuscule amount of material can prevent the switch from working so if you notice anything, it is likely the problem.
To clean the dome a microfiber cloth would be ideal, but any soft lint free cloth will work. Wipe it down with this very gently, trying to avoid flexing or inverting it unnecessarily.
Once the dome is looking spotless, we also need to check the base of the switch. As if any contaminants were only the dome, they likely have been ground into the contact points at the switches base as well.
This is more durable than the dome, so if there are visible contaminants you can start by gently scraping them off with your screwdriver. Once they've been loosened up, use a corner of your soft lint free cloth to wipe down the remnants.
Step 6: Reassembling the switch
When you're happy that the dome and internal base of the switch is clean of any debris it's time to start putting it back together.
First the dome needs to be inserted so that it is pointing up (e.g. like a hat, not a bowl).
Next place the silicon nib on top of the switch (making sure it hasn't collected any dust or debris while outside the switch). The tall cylinder should stick up, and the smaller cone shape should point down.
Now the black plastic cap can be placed on top of the nib. Take note of the two small tabs sticking out of its sides; these should point to the left and right.
Finally the button lid can be pushed back onto the four posts that are sticking out from the top of the switch.
Step 7: Testing
At this stage the switch itself is in a state where it can be tested. So it is a good time to do so; before we seal the switch and put everything back together.
In order to test it sit the PCB back into your mouse with the scroll-wheel in the encoder, but don't screw it back in yet. Next slide the ribbon cable back into the socket at the rear of the PCB (Solid Blue end facing down). Once it is in place push the black latches on either side of it closed.
With the main components partially assembled we can test the buttons response using force values on the OLED. So set the OLED mode in the driver to "Deep Click Forces" the plug your mouse in and press on the scroll-wheel test its response. Try normal taps of the button and very slow press and releases.
If the button is working correctly "Middle" should be displayed on OLED as soon as your feel the click of the switch. Then it should remain on the screen until you feel the second click after releasing the button. Don't worry about the force percentages yet, we will tweak those during the final reassembly.
Step 8: Sealing the switch (Optional)
Once you are happy with the buttons response it would be a good idea to add some extra protection to the switch to try and prevent more debris getting inside it and causing problems again.
The simplest method to do this is just to put a small square of tape over the top of the switch. Just make sure not to apply the tape too firmly on the top of the switch. As otherwise it could hold the switch down permanently, or make it more likely to get stuck down after some use.
If you apply tape to the switch do some testing with it before committing to putting everything back together. You'll want to not only check that the button is still working, but also how it feels to use with the top half of the case back on. Pay particular attention to the feel of the button release to make sure its not sticking.
Step 9: Reassembly
Reassembly is relatively simple except for a few points. So read the steps below to make sure your force sensors to still work when you're done. You will have already done the first few, but I'll include them for completeness sake.
- Slide the small side of the scroll-wheels axle into the encoder.
- Lower the top PCB layer and scroll-wheel back into position. The pegs sticking out of the base will slot into the holes in the PCB; so you can't go too wrong here.
- Slot the ribbon cable back into the socket at the rear of the PCB (Solid Blue end facing down). Once it is in place push the black latches on either side of it closed.
- Start screwing the top PCB layer to the base (3 screws on each side). Only do these up very loosely, as the PCB needs to be able to move for the force sensors to operate properly. Fully tightening the screws can cause them to go to 100% as soon as your press a button.
- Check that the thumb button PCB is sitting it its slot in the base.
- Lower the top half of the case back on, making sure that it sits flush along all edges.
- Loosely use two screws in opposite corners of the base of the mouse to hold the case together.
- Quickly check the force levels of all 5 force enabled buttons. If they are hitting 30%+ even when you press gently you may want to open your mouse again to adjust the screws on the top PCB. If this is required also check the circular white plastic spacers which sit directly beneath the two main mouse button switches. The two force sensors sit beneath these so give them a bit of a prod to make sure they have some movement to them as well.
- When you're happy with your force readings add the remaining 5 screws to the base of your mouse. Only tightening them until they start to catch.
Related Articles
Customizing a profiles button mappings
If you want to customize one of the pre-configured profiles, or are building your own profile from scratch. The following article will show you the different methods you can use to customize a button mapping. Demonstration Video Sean shows how you ...Pushing the scroll wheel to the right activates a button, but to the left does not.
This behavior from the Z's scroll wheel is normal, and is just due to the middle mouse buttons switch being on the right side of the scroll-wheel. This means that when you push the scroll wheel to the right, the axle of the scroll-wheel still ...Mouse button outputs 6-16 are not working?
While mouse buttons 6-16 are "standard" mouse outputs, unfortunately they are not very widely supported by applications; since so few mice actually use these outputs. We have made them available as they are still useful in application that do support ...Don't release mouse buttons on profile change fix.
Explanation of the issue this firmware will resolve: Currently all outputs from the mouse are released whenever its active profile is changed. This is to ensure that no outputs are left stuck-down if they happened to be in a pressed state during the ...Cleaning/Replacing the Scroll-wheel Encoder to address reverse scrolling
If your Z/Tracer/Creators scroll-wheel is starting to register scrolls in the opposite direction when scrolling rapidly in one direction (e.g. repeatedly scrolling up while already at the top of a page causes frequent scrolls down the page). Then ...