[jon.alford]

I'm new to posting here at cb.com but I've been lurking around for about 3 months now . . . anyway, on to my problem:

A few days ago my trackball lost its ability to select things (you know when you click it to select something) well I figured the situation would fix itself and it did, kind of. Now the track ball is overly sensitive so if I'm typing a message or email the trackball automatically clicks by itself and the message is sent although it is only partially typed. I've tried soft and hard resets and shooting some compressed air to try to clean it, but no luck. I'm really hesistant to take it apart because I don't want to break it and then have the warranty voided. Any suggestions?

[sunkast]

Did you check your settings at Options > Screen/Keyboard. The trackball can't automatically select things... That is not unless the trackball assembly is damaged.

[jon.alford]

I suppose that is a possibility but I baby my Blackberry. However, the trackball is automatically selecting things. I can't scroll through a webpage without it selecting links. It is actually quite annoying. Should I call ATT and have them send me a new one?

[whizzard]

Did you check your settings at Options > Screen/Keyboard. The trackball can't automatically select things... That is not unless the trackball assembly is damaged.

you should try this first, and adjust the trackball sensitivity, mines is currently set to 70 for both horizontal and vertical.

[centamc]

My pearl 8100 did exactly the same thing. It stopped clicking with the trackball for a couple of days and now it clicks on everything. The worst is when I'm on the phone. It clicks and then selects mute. It mutes and unmutes repeatedly. When I'm sending a text message it will often send random pictures to people. Did you find a fix or did you end up replacing the hardware?

[smaug]

you should try this first, and adjust the trackball sensitivity, mines is currently set to 70 for both horizontal and vertical.

That's not what the OP is talking about.

This definitely sounds like a hardware issue. If you don't want to take it apart, call up AT&T and have them send you a new one.

[miller0829]

This happened to me too. I noticed it after I had my Blackberry in my pocket after a night out...so I'm thinking its a hardware issue too. Did you ever figure anything out??

[tander2417]

This same situation happened to me today. I've had my BB replaced before through warranty. I carry my phone in my pocket all the time.

This evening, I removed the tracker ball assembly and ring. I cleaned the ball and contact area with a Qtip and a little rubbing alcohol. After waiting a bit for everything to dry, I put back together.

After scrolling a while, it appears the problem is gone.

Hope this is the answer for others.

[sergey2master]

the same thing happened to me after my track ball kept getting stuck, so then I took off the track ball and used a Qtip and water to clean it out a bit, well that wasnt that smart, b/c after that some of the buttons didnt work and it kept freezing and weird stuff, 1 day later my track ball kept selecting things or not select when I tryed, how ever it moved around fine just didn't select app. Would Qtip and rubbing alcohol help in this situation, because I think that water got inside or should I just dry it up and how?

[Unscrew]

My phone is starting to do the same thing. I remove the battery when it happens and it seems to stop for about a day, then it acts up again.

I have disassembled my trackball before, and it does stay in my pocket mostly.

It almost, to me, seems like the ring is pushing it down to hard, or my whole trackball assembly is jacked.

I just ordered a new assembly. I'll clean it up with alcohol and see if that fixes it.

[Crackberrykills]

I would just take out the trackball following the instructions on CB. Make sure there is nothing in there causing this problem. A particulate of some sort for example.

[dmoon79]

From what I'm reading in other sources this sensitivity is caused by liquid damage, and there is really no way to fix it.

On my curve 8310, I ordered and installed a new trackball and I was having the same issues before and after.

It appears that a small coffee drip has killed my trackball!

[mimic777]

I have the same issue. I'm not sure it's liquid damage though. I work as a bouncer in a night club and it sometimes gets extremely hot and humid in the club so maybe it was humidity but I think its something else.

I had it in my pocket at a club and when I pulled it out 6 hours later it was doing that. I would scroll and it would click or select things with major delays. I did a hard reset and the delays disappeared but it still selected and clicked while scrolling. I swapped the track ball and it no longer auto selects things but if I apply too much pressure on the ball without actually clicking, it still thinks I'm clicking.

I believe it might have something to do with my pack of gum having applied too much pressure on the track ball or casing and as a result it no longer sits far enough up and so the phone thinks it's being clicked. It's either that or possibly the humidity from the club and off my leg. I also tried cleaning the pad the ball sits on and that is clicked with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol and still no change.

Looks like I'm gonna have to get a torch now.

[sethasaurus666]

I had the same problem just now with the trackball being way too sensitive. Talk about Pissed Off!
Just the slightest touch on the ball would cause a 'select', and if you scrolled it would select things at random also.
So, I removed the ball and had a look - nothing unusual.
I found I could do a select just by touching (no force needed) the little copper switch top that sits beneath the ball - pretty weird.
I was ready to pull the thing apart and start pulling the top off the trackball switch on the PCB but thought better of it.

This is what worked for me:
Press down on the trackball (normal pressure) and roll it around at the same time. Perhaps give it a little bit more force and work it around a bit if you don't get a result first time, but I wouldnt overdo it.
I believe the button may have picked up some dust or other gunk (who knows what?).
Typical really - moving parts will always cause a problem sooner or later.

Overly sensitive trackball FIXED. I hope it works for others.