My computer mouse, which is actually a trackball, got damaged with a electrostatic discharge. I knew I was carrying static because I felt a little shock every time I touched a door knob.

Yesterday, I changed into my sweater, a warm fluffy one made of light synthetic material, and touched my mouse. The zap I felt was bigger than usual, and I immediately noticed that my mouse’s left button stopped working. I unplugged the mouse, rebooted my laptop…. nothing worked. So, I used Control Panel to switch the function of left and right mouse button.

I used it that way for about a day then realized that it wasn’t a practical solution because I basically lost the functionality of right-mouse click. So, I dug into my misc. computer box, took out an old mouse and started to use it.

I’m glad only the mouse got damaged, not the computer itself. Now, I’m careful when I use my mouse and computer. When I remember, I touch some metal surface to discharge the statics before sitting in front of the computer.