My Logitech M705 started acting strange with scrolling. Ideally one scroll of the scroll wheel would produce the same amount of scrolling each time and in the proper direction. Instead it would jump around, bounce back in the wrong direction and be generally unpredictable. The fix that worked for me was updating the firmware on the unifying receiver.
The bonus is that the new firmware fixes a security flaw.
The instructions can be found here on Logitech’s site.
*Update* The site linked to above now has a login-wall. Reproduced below:
Instructions to update the Unifying firmware on Windows
Download and install Unifying Software:
To check the firmware version on your Unifying receiver, go to Unifying Software / Advanced, and then select the Unifying Receiver.
The version of the firmware is listed in the right pane.
– If the firmware version is in 012.xxx.000xx format, download and save RQR_012_005_00028.exe through the following link: http://logt.ly/0222
– If the firmware version is in 024.xxx.000xx format, download and save RQR_024_003_00027.exe through the following link: http://logt.ly/0224
Run the downloaded firmware package.
Open Unifying Software / Advanced, then select the Unifying Receiver.
In the right pane, click on Update Firmware and wait until the firmware update is complete.
Note: To have all the features working correctly after updating the firmware, please ensure that you have the latest version of SetPoint and/or Options software that supports your device.
Open the unifying software, go to Advanced, check which version you have, 012… or 024… and grab the corresponding file. Close the Unifying software, run the exe then open the unifying software again and go to Advanced. You should now have a firmware update available by clicking on the Update Firmware button.
It’s hard to tell if this fixes the problem just by resetting the receiver or it was the actual firmware that fixed it. Either way, the scrolling is now fixed.
Update: New firmware update tool released here.
29 replies on “Logitech Marathon Mouse M705 Erratic Scrolling Fix”
Hi, thanks for your post.
I have got the same problem.
I did your recommendations, firmware update but the the situation is the same.
Did the firmware update solved your problem?
It did work for me. There might be some other issue you’re facing that’s different than mine but with similar symptoms.
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been cursing this mouse ever since I installed Windows 10 and the scrolling got all wonky. Installing the update did the trick!
I Faced the same problem for a week and found the solution.
Uninstall Setpoint application. It breaks the scrolling somehow.
Everything back to normal after removing it.
This is also driving me crazy, but I don’t understand the instructions to “grab the corresponding file” and “run the exe…”. I downloaded the Unifying Software and went to the Advanced setting but all I could figure out from there was to check the updates and Logitech says I am updated. Could you dumb down the instructions a little please?
Thank you.
From the unifying software determine what version of the receiver you have. This is in the advanced menu. It will list the version as something like 012.007.xx or 024.xxx. You need to know which version you have for the next step.
Now go to the forum posting linked above: https://community.logitech.com/s/question/0D531000055gw8YCAQ/logitech-response-to-unifying-receiver-research-findings
Here you will see instructions numbered 1 through 6. In step 3 it requires that you download a file for your receiver. Download the one that matches your reciver (either 012 or 024).
Close the unifying receiver software, unzip and run the file you just downloaded, launch the unifying receiver software, go back into the advanced menu and the update firmware button should be clickable (no longer greyed out). Click it to update.
Elias, thanks very much for your quick and thorough reply. Unfortunately after going thru all the steps including installing Setpoint and Options as recommended in the Note, it’s still doing it. The only thing I’m not sure worked was running the file I downloaded. Nothing happened when I hit open, so I hit run as administrator. So I don’t know if it ever actually ran the download. I was able to click on the update firmware button and it indicated that it was updated.
Thanks for the help.
For my Logitech mouse I went to Setpoint Settings and unchecked smooth scrolling. Now my scroll is smooth with no page jumping. Not sure why smooth scrolling would actually be unsmooth but it worked for me?
Don’t know why also, but this worked for me. Thanks
After trying all the excellent suggestions here and not hearing back from Logitech for over a week (with NO help from them), I found my answer on YouTube. Some kid had posted to either blow into it or use compressed air – I thought it was a joke, but what the heck…cleared up the problem Immediately!
So if all else fails try that.
Thank you for the write up… That worked for me!
yay, fixed…awesome thanks elias….it’s the liitle things in life….:)
If all else fails the small rectangular button on top can be depressed and will engage a ratcheted click stop which will stop the “free wheeling” scrolling and bouncing
This comment helped me to realize exactly what that button did. And, it fixed the problem of the randomly scrolling m705!!
I had to do switch over the the ratcheted click as none of these solutions worked for me. The blowing suggestion helped, but only a little.
Shame.
Help please, I followed all the steps, made sure my unifying software and setpoint was up to date, found i had 024.xx and downloaded that, ran as admin and clicked update in unifying and the download failed, can’t use my mouse and can’t reconnect my mouse to the receiver, went to devices and printers and pc no longer recognises it as a unifying receiver but as “USB BootLoader”… I’m currently using a steam controller as my mouse 🙁
You should open a support case with Logitech.
I managed to find out what happened, some how the 24.xxx update fried my unifying receiver…. Went to Walmart and bought a $15 Little M325 with a unifying receiver and connected my M705 to that, It had the 12.xxx software and I updated that. After all that work my scroll wheel jitteryness is finally fixed at least.
Awesome, glad you were able to find a good solution.
It’s good to find this discussion, I assumed the problem was just me!
Sadly, I’ve tried everything above and still have the problem.
Curiously, if I move the receiver from USB socket to another, the fault goes away for a few hours.
Without doubt, it’s the Setpoint software at fault.
Uninstall it, problem is gone – but I need it for my Logitech Keyboard, and the shortsighted programmers at Logitech won’t allow for removal of the mouse in the software.
Meanwhile Logitech Support is totally hopeless, I’ve had a ticket open for 6 weeks and communication is dire.
If I ever do find an alternative fix, I’ll be sure to post it here.
Hi Richard,
Is there any new piece of information about it?
UPDATE: After nearly 10 months of chasing Logitech for a fix on this, they sent me a brand new replacement.
It works perfectly which makes me think it’s a hardware issue and not really fixable with firmware (or driver changes). I may be wrong but does seem to be the case for me.
So I’m using the same PC, same drivers – just a replacement mouse of the same model and now works perfectly.
I kicked myself last month as Amazon had the M705 in a sale at £19 which they’ve done before, so for those wanting to get a replacement keep an eye out for that.
I tried a lot of things and finally the “blowing solution”.
It works perfectly now !
I’m flabbergasted, I wasn’t thinking at all that it was a hardware problem.
Thank you so much. It finally solved my problem.
My scroll wheel wouldn’t work in interaction with some pages/documents and on other ones it would zoom in and out dramatically with just one turn/click of the scroll wheel.
Trying to avoid the hardware stuff if I could and then I found an easy solution.
FIX: In the Logitech Options dialogue box (I just searched my computer for the application), I clicked on “Point & Scroll” at the top of the box, 2nd tab,
Then I disabled “Smooth Scrolling”
(…which initially sounded like a good thing but apparently made the scrolling so smooth, the scroll wheel couldn’t find any stability and was just moving all over the place)
Hope this helps. Happy scrolling.
The “free scrolling” vs “ratchet scrolling” was my problem.
To test if this is your problem, put some small sharpie marks on the side of the scroll wheel. Change to free scrolling mode. Scroll up-down as you would normally, and when you take your finger off of the scroll wheel to stop scrolling, look down at the sharpie marks on your scroll wheel. You may notice at certain positions of the scroll wheel’s rotation that the scroll wheel continues to rotate after you have released your finger from the wheel. If this is the case with your scroll wheel, then blowing the wheel mechanism out may fix this issue. Otherwise just stick with the “ratchet scrolling” operation mode.
This issue has been quietly chipping away at my sanity for years. Updating the firmware on receiver seems to have worked. Thank you!
This firmware update works like a charm!!!
Thank you so much!
I was convinced my trusty M705 was failing due to erratic scrolling and was dreading replacing it as I have one of the original models with the thumb button that was removed in later generations. I never would have guessed that a receiver firmware update could fix the problem but it did. Thanks!!!!