You click once to select a file, and it opens. You try to drag a window, and it drops halfway. In a game, a single shot fires twice. If this sounds familiar, your mouse probably has switch chatter, a common fault where worn contacts inside a button bounce and register multiple clicks. Before you throw the mouse away, it is worth working through a few options, from the easiest to the most involved.

Step 1: Confirm the problem

First, make sure the mouse is actually at fault. Open Double Click Test and click the affected button deliberately, one click at a time, fifty to a hundred times. If the counter shows double-clicks you did not make, the switch is chattering. Then try the mouse on another computer, or another mouse on your computer. If the problem follows the mouse, the hardware is to blame. If it stays with the computer, check drivers and settings instead.

Step 2: Check software and settings

Update or reinstall the manufacturer's software and firmware.…