One of the mice, I have had for about 4 years and for the past year or so the middle click has gott worse and worse, to the point where I have a dedicated key on my Ergodox keyboard specifically middle clicking as middle clicking is so handy in Linux (it acts as a copy/paste buffer - selecting text acting as copy and middle click acting as paste). The other mouse was acquired from a friend and the right click no longer worked.

As with any project to get inside electronics, the first step is to figure out how to get inside the thing. With this mouse it was a case of unscrewing two screws that were positioned underneath the running pads on the bottom of the mouse, sliding the top of the mouse back towards where the screws were removed from and then lifting the top away.

From there, I could see the printed circuit board (PCB) and all the button switches, including the problem child, the middle click switch.

When replacing mouse buttons, it is worth considering whether other buttons are near there end of life and replacing them at the same time. I found this out the hard way when the day after I fixed the middle button, the right button started to do the same. I am now replacing the other two buttons in the mouse.

After ordering a replacement part (a 6x6x5mm switch), I unscrewed the screw holding in the PCB and set about desoldering the little devil. I ended up snipping it legs off so that I could remove each leg as I couldn't get enough of the solder on each leg to set it free.

Switch removed, I soldered in the new one, slapped it back together and tested to make sure it was successful. Repaired mouse in hand I then set about the trickiest part - unlearning the habits I picked up from not having a working middle button.