Designer Bluetooth Mouse Scroll Wheel Malfunction

Nope, not alone.

I bought a new designer bluetooth mouse less than 2 months ago (ordered Oct 17, got it a few days later). I've been using it normally - I'm not a gamer, just a web browser - ever since. No undue or unusual aggression in my scrolling.

This product failure happened to me tonight, and when I disassembled the mouse I discovered that a tiny piece of plastic was the problem.

A very small hex-shaped piece at the end of the plastic axle that goes through the scroll-wheel had sheared clean off in the hex-shaped socket in the "clicky" rotation sensor.

This is pathetic product engineering and woeful robustness to build into a "designer" product.

Why is cheap & brittle plastic used as the axle that's designed to push rotationally against another component that will naturally produce an opposing shearing force on it? Idiotic.

I binned the broken unit (not worth my time to argue with a nobody at BestBuy customer service about a warranty replacement) and went back to a super-cheap many-years-old wired mouse - I assume the scroll-wheel axle and sensor in it are not made of inadequate materials.

Hey it's just a mouse but for goodness' sakes Microsoft! Two months of use from a "premium" product?!*shakes head*

Hardware: Dell Precision 7000 Intel Xeon E5-2620V2 2.10ghz / 32GB/2TB/Win10x64

Ms product: Surface Wheel

I received the surface wheel this past Xmas, was looking forward to using it on above machine for software dev work as I read you can use it to breakpoint thru VS code.

product completely failed, replaced the batteries and light no longer blinks or is discoverable.

complete waste.

product sat on my desk for less than a week, hopefully a second version iteration will fix all these problems reported.

$100 magnetic paperweight!

Same problem here. The metal scroll wheel suggests a machined part alle made out of metal, but the scroll wheel axle is in fact made of plastic, less than a millimeter in diameter on the spot it broke. This construction is almost certain to fail within two years under normal workload. The torque forces of the motion sensor click will be enough to get it to fail over time. 

Howver, disassembly is not too difficult since only the back part of the top cover (opposite of the buttons) is attached to the body of the mouse, not the buttons. themselves So if you use both hands to get your nails in the crease between the two parts near the edges on the back side (opposed to buttons) and press on the cover with both your thumbs, the top pops off. Then uncrew the four torx (T-5H size) screws of the casing. Then unscrew the three screws of the printed circuit board to be able to retrieve the scroll wheel.

The broken hexagonal part of the axle is most likely still sticking in the socket of the wheel motion sensor (some sticky lubrication grease is involved). This part is so tiny that is virtually impossible to glue in on the scroll wheel axle.

Perhaps the only way to repair this is to file off the remainder of the axle end down to the little flange, creating a proper surface to glue a small hexagonal piece of a tool set on to it.

Or fit a suitable scroll wheel from a unused (wired) mouse. I don't recommend buying the same type of mouse as replacement; this one should be regarded as "consumable".

The scroll wheel is connection to the rotary encoder fails, loosing the hex drive portion.

It is easy to replace, if you can find a spare part.  No soldering is required.

You will need a Torx driver size T-5.

I'm sure there is YouTube video supporting opening the Designer Mouse, but if not:

The top pops off (use a small flathead screwdriver to pry, first one side, then the other on the end away from the scroll wheel.  Once that cover is off, there are 4 screws requiring a Torx T5 driver.

Once the screws are out, separate the inner cover from the base.  You can use one of the 'hinges' on the end away from the scroll wheel to help separate.

Then there are 3 Torx T-5 screws holding the board down.  

You will need to have removed the batteries and unplugged the wires (white connector, red wire on outside) from the board.  There are small plastic guide pins through the board - so lift gently from the end of the board away from the battery compartment, until you can release the board from the plastic guide pins, then pull it out - the battery buttons come out with it. 

If you have the same problem I had, the scroll wheel will not be attached to the rotary encoder on the board, and the wheel will no longer have the 'hex' drive end intact.

Replace the wheel by inserting the new wheel into the rotary encoder, engaging the hex drive.  

Re-assemble.  You will be able to test it as soon as you assemble the board to the housing, and before you completely close it up.

Good luck - and BTW - does Microsoft provide a way to get the wheel?  I used a mouse that had died due to battery leakage.

Same here. This is my second Designer mouse in 6 months. Both broke at the level of the axle of the scroll wheel. I glued it back after performing something I qualified as akin to brain surgery. Worked for 2 more weeks. If I justcould find a spare part I'd be happy, because I really like the device otherwise...