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When I load the Workbench, it loads normally and I can use the mouse to select and open folders and load programs as expected.

What happens is, at random, if I double-click on an icon the icon will indicate that it has been selected but the second click does not get processed and the command to load the program from the Workbench disk does not occur. Clicking on any other icon results in nothing occurring at all.

Eventually, I notice that the mouse cursor will just freeze. The interesting thing is that the mouse clicks seem to be buffered because if I remove the Workbench disk from the internal drive and then re-insert it, there is then drive activity and the Workbench screen suddenly becomes active again and all my previous clicks get processed. Obviously, this behavior is annoying with the disk having to be removed and re-inserted each time to unfreeze the screen.

Can anyone shed any light on this as to why this is happening? The only thing I could find on an internet search was the following comment that someone made: "If the system clock is not "clean" one can expect these issues as the Workbench relies on the clock for timing." If anyone can clarify this statement, explain what is going on here and possibly recommend a course of action for resolution it would be greatly appreciated.

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2 Answers 2

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Workbench 1.2 is known to have some bugs, and it would be better if you could boot into Workbench 1.3 instead.

Based on your description, I suspect your mouse could be malfunctioning. It sounds like the left-button might be "sticking", meaning that it registers as pressed after you release it or fails to detect the "click" when you press it. Can you try an alternate mouse?

Servicing the mouse internals would be a reasonable troubleshooting step.

Disassemble the mouse and inspect the button switches internally. They need to be clean, free of obstruction, and reliable in their action. Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol and mechanical agitation of the switches may be useful to ensure they are not obstructed. Also, inspect the wiring connected to the switches for any possible shorts or opens. And, as long as you have it disassembled, you should also clean the internal rollers with alcohol and wash mouse ball in warm, soapy water too.

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  • Thanks for your response. I plan on taking your advice and giving the mouse a good cleaning as after many years it probably needs it. I'm a little reserved at this being the cause since, as I mentioned in my post, re-inserting the Workbench disk allows the second mouse click to be processed which indicates to me that the command did, in fact, get registered from the mouse to the system. To clarify, the second click I'm referring to is the one that occurred just prior to it freezing.
    – Raymond Livezey
    Jan 18, 2021 at 19:44
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This sounds a bit like the issue I was having with my Amiga 500. It seemed to work fine shortly after power up, but at some point a click on the Workbench would freeze it just like you describe. I posted a question here on it: Fixing an ailing Amiga 500

In my case the issue was fixed by applying contact-cleaner to all the socketed ICs inside the Amiga. The system is still working fine since that fix, so could be a solution for you as well.

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  • I appreciate the response. I referenced the question that you posted and, in my case, I don't experience any issues like you did with booting up. My Amiga boots up every time without freezing. The only time it will freeze is when I double click on icons and this occurs at random. In many cases when I double click the behavior is normal. your advice to apply contact cleaner to all the socked ICs is definitely worth the try seems that it gave positive results on your end.
    – Raymond Livezey
    Jan 18, 2021 at 20:04

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