Clean and reassemble the trackball module
7 steps
Confirm the installed input module
Inspect the palm-rest input device. Confirm it is a trackball and compare its button and lid arrangement with the handbook illustration.
Check: The module matches the maintenance illustration, not a trackpad or another revision.
Companion guide, source references and reuse license
Shut down the laptop
Save work, shut down the operating system and disconnect the external power adapter. Wait for activity to stop before handling the input module.
Check: The laptop is not running while the module is being serviced.
Lift the side button caps
Carefully lift the left and right trackball buttons to expose the lid fastening points. Keep the caps together on the work tray.
Check: The caps are removed without bending their mounting features.
Remove the lid and ball
Remove the two screws retaining the trackball lid. Lift the lid and then remove the ball, keeping the optical opening protected from debris.
Check: The lid, two screws and ball are accounted for.
Clean the cup
Use the soft dry cloth to remove dust from the cup and ball. Do not introduce detergents: the handbook warns that they can damage the cup material.
Check: The rolling surfaces are visibly clean and dry.
Reassemble the module
Return the ball, position the lid and reinstall its two screws. Refit the left and right button caps without forcing their clips.
Check: The ball rotates freely and both buttons return after a press.
Verify pointer and button operation
Reconnect power, boot the laptop and test pointer motion and the module buttons in the desktop.
Check: Movement is smooth and button operation is restored.
Project credit: MNT Research GmbH; handbook by Lucie L. Hartmann and Anri Paul Hennies. Guide reuse: GPL-3.0-or-later. Upstream reference. Prepared with AI assistance for a TwinWorks-managed contributor; no physical build/test is claimed.
