Much of the standard "knowledge" says to clean mice and trackballs with alcohol and cotton swabs--Q-Tips. I have found this to be useless. When you open the device, you will find lint on the little rubber rollers that contact the ball. What you need to do is to scrape the lint off, using the edge of a knife blade. Also, look for lint on the roller-bearings at the ends of the axles that the little rubber rollers are on, and get rid of it. Finally, make sure that the little hair-spring wires that push the rollers against the ball are really doing so, or if not, bend them so they do. If there is animal hair adhering to the ball, remove it. This is a job for sure eyes and careful hands, and a good light. I use a high-intensity desk lamp, a sharp pair of tweezers, a small pen-knife, (an X-Acto will work fine) and a binocular magnifier, obtainable from Edmund Scientific, or (cheaper) from several tool companies. You may not need the last, if you are young and sharp-eyed. As you surmise, I have just done the aforementioned task, with good results. --doug