How to Fix a Double-Clicking Mouse in Windows

Is your mouse double-clicking when you don’t want it to? This can lead to a bundle of problems, as simple actions like clicking to select, dragging files, and more don’t behave like you expect them to.

We’ll show you how to fix a double-clicking mouse so you can figure out what’s causing the problem and resolve it.

1. If a Single Click Is Double-Clicking

A common reason for a double-clicking mouse is a simple setting in Windows. You may have enabled this by mistake, so it’s worth checking first.

To do so, open a File Explorer window. On the View tab, click Options. Then in the resulting window, on the General tab, you’ll see a Click items as follows header.

The default behavior is Double-click to open an item (single-click to select). If you have Single-click to open an item (point to select) chosen, you only need to click a folder once to open it. Just mousing over a folder or other file is enough to select it.

While this can help you reduce the number of clicks you make in a day, it’s confusing if you’re used to the default behavior. And with this option flipped, you might think your mouse is physically double-clicking when it’s really a software option.

2. Change the Mouse Double-Click Speed

The click speed is another Windows option that you can change to fix a double-click problem. For most people, the default double-click threshold is manageable, but you might have changed it by mistake or have it set to a level where Windows won’t properly recognize your clicks.

To change your double-click speed, go to Settings > Devices > Mouse and click Additional mouse options in the right sidebar. If you don’t see this, drag the Settings window to make it wider.

When you click that link, a new Mouse Properties Control Panel window will appear. On the Buttons tab, you’ll find a Double-click speed option.

Move the slider per your preference; you can double-click on the folder icon to the right to test it. The closer to Fast you place the slider, the less time Windows allows between clicks to register a double-click. If it’s too close to Slow, Windows might be registering two single clicks as a double-click.

3. Clean Your Mouse

If you ruled out the above two options, your issue likely lies with hardware. You should next take a look at your mouse, especially around the top buttons where you click, and see if there’s dirt or other grime there.

The excessive build-up may interfere with your mouse’s internals and cause it to keep double-clicking or click incorrectly. Give it a clean using cotton swabs, compressed air, and similar tools to remove any grime present. You can even make some DIY cleaning putty and use that if you’d like. Once it’s clean, see if your double-clicking issue subsides.

4. Check the Battery Life and Interference

Another cause of a double-clicking mouse is poor communication between your mouse and computer. This usually happens for one of two reasons: low battery life or interference. These are both problems unique to wireless mice, so you can skip this step if you use a wired mouse.

If your mouse uses batteries, try replacing them, as it can misbehave when the power runs low. Similarly, you should plug in a rechargeable mouse and give it some time to regain battery power.

If the batteries aren’t the problem, your mouse might have trouble communicating with your computer wirelessly. Try bringing your mouse closer to the computer if it’s far away. Also, if your mouse uses a USB receiver, make sure it’s placed away from metal and other materials that block wireless signals.

5. Try Another Mouse

If you’ve walked through all of the above and your mouse is still double-clicking all the time, it may be faulty. To test this, try either plugging your current mouse into another computer or connect a different mouse to your current computer.

Should your mouse continue to misbehave on a different computer, it’s very likely defective. If you try another mouse on your PC and don’t have any issues, that’s another sign your original mouse is defective.

However, if the original mouse works fine on the second computer, or a second mouse has the same problem on your original computer, you may have a piece of software or something else interfering with your mouse’s normal operation. There’s one more step you can take…

6. Reinstall Mouse Drivers

As a last troubleshooting step, it’s worth a try to remove your current mouse driver and let Windows reinstall it. To do this, right-click the Start button (or press Win + X) and choose Device Manager.

Expand the Mice and other pointing devices category and right-click your mouse. Choose Uninstall device, confirm, then restart your PC.

Note that you’ll have to navigate your computer without a mouse to reach to the restart command after you do so. Tap the Windows Key, then press Tab until it focuses on the left group of icons. Use your arrow keys to get down to the power button and hit Enter, then use the arrows and enter again to choose Restart.

If you have trouble with this, you can also press Win + R to open the Run dialog and enter shutdown /r to restart.

Fixes When Your Mouse Double-Clicks

Hopefully, one or more of the above strategies fixed your double-clicking mouse. If nothing worked, it’s likely that your mouse is not working properly. You may be able to fix it by opening it up and repairing the mechanics, but this probably isn’t worth your time unless you have an expensive mouse.

For more general troubleshooting, check out how to fix Windows 10 mouse issues. And if you decide to replace your mouse, read our computer mouse buying guide.

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