Arc Mouse Not Working – Why and How to Fix It

By Deep Shrestha Updated July 15, 2022

Microsoft’s Arc mouse is undoubtedly one of the slickest-looking computer mouse out there. However, some users may have issues using it due to its flat design. The Arc mouse will not work if it lays flat. You need to curve the mouse’s physical shape to use it.

Bending the mouse at an angle, making an arc, will pair it to a device. In this article, we have answered a few queries users might have when their Arc mouse does not work. So without further delay, let us get right into it.

Why Is My Arc Mouse Not Working?

The mouse will not turn on until you curve the mouse. Besides this, incompatible Bluetooth versions, low battery, and driver issues are some common reasons your Arc mouse is not working.

Here are a few other reasons why the Arc mouse does not work.

Mouse paired with another device
The system turned off the device due to inactivity
Outdated Bluetooth driver
Bluetooth version mismatch

How to Fix the Microsoft Arc Mouse?

Before we jump onto the fixes, you must check if the device and the Arc mouse Bluetooth version match. You can only pair it with Microsoft’s Arc mouse if your device’s Bluetooth version above 4.0 and above. If you have a device with Bluetooth 3.0, you cannot pair the two of them.

Another thing you can try before getting to the solution is unpair and re-pair the device and turn the laptop’s Bluetooth on and off. Sometimes simple steps might do the trick.

Now, if you have a device with Bluetooth 4.0 or higher and reconnecting the mouse does not work, follow the solutions mentioned below.

Reconnect the Mouse

Microsoft Arc mouse will not connect automatically with an already-paired PC if the mouse is currently paired to a different device. You need to reconnect the mouse manually every time you pair it with a different system.

Just turning on the Bluetooth on your computer will not work. You need to put the Arc mouse in pair mode and connect it to the device.

Follow the steps mentioned below to pair Microsoft Arc to a computer.

Roll the mouse over and search for a button with a Bluetooth logo on the side.
Press and hold this button for three seconds to go into pairing mode.
The LED should blink blue light.
Once in pairing mode, go to the Bluetooth settings on your computer and pair the two.

Replace the Batteries

If the mouse is not blinking LED under or on the surface, there is a high possibility that the battery on the mouse is dead. The batteries in the Arc mouse usually work for four to six months. So if you have not replaced the batteries in a while, you might need to replace them.

Microsoft Arc mouse uses two triple-A batteries. These batteries go in a compartment under the mouse. A cover will be located under the Bluetooth logo and the LED. Opening this cover will reveal the battery compartment.

Change Power Management Properties

A computer can turn off certain hardware components to save power. Although it is a useful setting for laptops to save power, it will stop the device’s functionalities even if the device is connected.

The same is the case for Microsoft’s Arc mouse. Follow the steps mentioned below to change the power management settings.

Press the Windows + X key and select Device Manager.
Expand Mice and other pointing devices. Here, you will see all the pointing devices connected to the computer.
Double-click on the correct device. If you are having issues determining the correct device, i.e., the Arc mouse, disconnect the device and check the pointing device list. Connect the device again and check this list. The device that gets added is the Arc mouse.
Head on to the Power Management tab.
Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

Run Hardware and Bluetooth Troubleshooter

The hardware troubleshooter locates and tries to fix any issues with the hardware components connected to the computer. This includes both wired and wireless devices.

Similarly, the Bluetooth troubleshooter fixes any issues with the system’s Bluetooth. If there are some internal configuration issues with the Bluetooth or the mouse itself, running these troubleshooters may fix the issue with the arc mouse not working.

Press the Windows + I key to open Settings.
Go to System > Troubleshooter > Other troubleshooters.
Under Other, run the Bluetooth troubleshooter.
The troubleshooter should run a few tests to determine what’s wrong with it and try to fix the problem.
Once the Bluetooth troubleshooting process is complete, press the Windows + R key to open Run.
Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and press Enter to open the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter window.
Click on Next.
Once the process completes, the troubleshooter should display the error and whether it is fixed or not.

Update Windows

Microsoft constantly brings updates to Windows providing security and visual upgrades. These updates also fix bugs and errors in the current version of Windows. Furthermore, Updating Windows to the latest version will make the Operating System communicate smoothly with its connected hardware.

If any bugs or communication issue is causing the Arc mouse to stop functioning, a Windows Update should fix it.

Press the Windows + I key to open Settings.
Go to Windows Update (Security & Updates > Windows Update for Windows 10)
Select Check for Updates or Install updates.
Restart the computer once the download and installation process is complete.

Update Bluetooth Driver

Since the Microsoft Arc is a Bluetooth device, any malfunction with the Bluetooth adapter in your system may stop the Arc mouse from functioning. An up-to-date driver will also have fewer bugs and be more compatible with newer OS.

Therefore, updating the Bluetooth driver should fix any issue with the mouse.

Press the Windows + X key and select Device Manager.
Expand Network Adapter.
Double-click on Bluetooth Device.
Go to the Driver tab and select Update Driver.
Select Search automatically for drivers.
Restart your computer once the driver is up-to-date.

If updating does not work, try reinstalling the Bluetooth driver.