Monitor markings wipe off with ease

Q: I often print Excel spreadsheets to review during meetings with members of my team. I often use a highlighter to mark specific items in the spreadsheet. Today, rather than printing it out, I was displaying it on my monitor and took my highlighter and placed a few yellow lines on it. Is there a way to remove these or do I need a new monitor?

A:Computer monitors are pretty resilient and, with the right tools and a little care, not terribly hard to clean.

I would suggest using an isopropyl alcohol wipes to clean the monitor. Don’t be afraid to apply a little pressure, but don’t push so hard as to damage the screen.

If you’re not sure about the wipe or worried it might scratch your monitor, you can use a microfiber cloth with a little rubbing alcohol.

Q: My wireless mouse is suddenly unresponsive. And when it is responsive, it moves erratically across my screen. Is there a way to fix this?

A: This is one of the most common problems with a wireless mouse and can be caused by a few different things.

One possible culprit is dirt. Make sure the desk surface is clean and that the bottom of the mouse is free from dust buildup, which can accumulate over time. The dirt can interfere with the optics of your mouse, making it erratic and unresponsive.

Another potential problem is interference between the mouse and computer. If your wireless mouse uses one of those USB dongles to make the connection to the computer, be sure that dongle is not too far from the mouse or obscured by other things. Many times users will plug that dongle into a USB port on the back of the computer and place the computer under the desk, which can interfere with the wireless signal.

Finally, check your batteries. I know this seems obvious, but I can’t count the number of times I have fixed this very problem with this very simple solution.