How to Connect an Evoluent Mouse to a Computer

On this page (9 sections)

1. What do you need before you connect an Evoluent mouse?
2. How do you connect the wired Evoluent VerticalMouse D?
3. How do you connect an Evoluent VerticalMouse 4 Wireless?
4. Do you need to install Evoluent Mouse Manager?
5. How do you set up the buttons after connecting?
6. How do you check the mouse is connected on Windows?
7. Why isn't my Evoluent mouse working after I connect it?
8. How do you connect an Evoluent mouse to a Mac or Linux computer?
9. Which Evoluent mouse should you connect?

Here's how to connect an Evoluent mouse to a computer: plug its USB wireless receiver or USB cable into a free port and let the system detect it. It works as a basic mouse straight away on Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

Setup takes a minute or two. The rest of this guide covers the wired and wireless versions, what to install afterward and what to try when the cursor stays still.

What do you need before you connect an Evoluent mouse?

A free USB port and, for the wireless models, a charged battery are all you need to start. Evoluent lists Windows, Mac OS and Linux as supported systems, so you don't need to buy anything else to get the pointer moving.

Have the mouse and its receiver or cable within reach of the computer. A USB port on the machine itself is easier to reach than one around the back of a desktop tower, and it makes the first check simpler.

Windows users who want the six buttons to do custom jobs should plan on installing Evoluent Mouse Manager. It's free, and it's the only extra step in the whole process.

Mac and Linux users skip it and use the standard button functions.

Set aside a clear patch of desk before you start. The upright shell needs room to the side of the keyboard so your forearm can stay relaxed rather than reaching across.

How do you connect the wired Evoluent VerticalMouse D?

Plug the VMDL's USB cable into a free port and it's ready. There is nothing to charge and nothing to pair, so the mouse starts working as soon as the computer sees it.

Evoluent builds the VMDL as a wired USB mouse. Basic button and wheel functions need no driver on any system that supports USB, which makes it the simplest of the three to set up on a locked-down work machine.

1. Plug the USB connector into a free port, directly on the computer where possible.
2. Wait a few seconds while the system detects a new USB mouse.
3. Move the mouse and click once to confirm the pointer responds.
4. Install Evoluent Mouse Manager on Windows if you want to reprogram the six buttons.

That's the whole job. If the pointer moves but the buttons behave oddly, the fix is nearly always in the software settings rather than the cable.

The VMDL's tall shell suits larger hands. If it feels too big, the same design comes in a smaller size; our guide to the best ergonomic mouse for small hands compares the compact options.

How do you connect an Evoluent VerticalMouse 4 Wireless?

Plug the wireless receiver into a USB port, then switch the mouse on. The VM4RW connects over USB Wireless, not Bluetooth, so the receiver does the pairing for you and there's no Bluetooth menu to fight with.

The receiver is the small USB plug that ships with the mouse. Treat it like a tiny flash drive: push it fully into the port and leave it there while you use the mouse.

Once it's in, turn the mouse on and give it a few seconds.

Move it across the desk and watch for the cursor. If nothing happens, the usual culprit is the battery rather than the connection.

The wireless models take one AA battery. Evoluent rates battery life at about 3 months, so a fresh cell is a sensible first step when a mouse that used to work goes quiet.

Keep the receiver in a port that stays live. A hub on a monitor that sleeps with the display can cut the connection when the screen turns off.

Do you need to install Evoluent Mouse Manager?

No, not for the mouse to work. Basic pointing, clicking and scrolling run without any software on Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

The manager is there for the people who want more from the buttons.

Evoluent Mouse Manager is a free Windows program. It lets you give each of the six buttons its own job, and you can set a different job for the same button in different applications.

Undo in a spreadsheet can sit on a button that closes a tab in your browser.

The four pointer speeds are set on the mouse itself. A speed button steps the cursor from extra low to high and the indicator lights show the current setting, so you change speed without letting go of the mouse or opening a settings panel.

Mac and Linux users get basic functions without a driver. If you rely on custom buttons in specific apps, a Windows machine is the better fit for this mouse.

How do you set up the buttons after connecting?

Install the manager, then assign each button a job and save it per application. The setup is the same on the regular and large shells, and it takes a few minutes once.

1. Install Evoluent Mouse Manager and open it.
2. Pick the button you want to change on the mouse diagram.
3. Choose the function, such as undo, close tab or double click.
4. Repeat for the other buttons you use most.
5. Set application-specific assignments where the manager offers them.

Don't assign every button on day one. Start with the two or three actions you reach for most and leave the rest at their defaults, then add more as the habits settle.

The pointer speed settings stay on the mouse and don't need the software. That means the speed control keeps working even on a machine without the manager installed.

How do you check the mouse is connected on Windows?

Open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, and look for the mouse in the device list. A listed mouse that moves on screen is connected and working.

On Windows 10 the path is Settings, Devices, then Mouse. Windows 11 puts it under Settings, Bluetooth and devices, then Mouse.

Either way, the page shows the connected pointing device and lets you check the basic settings.

On a Mac, open System Settings and go to the Mouse pane. The pointer should move as soon as the receiver or cable is in place.

If the mouse appears but the buttons do nothing unusual, the manager isn't running or the assignment hasn't saved. Reopen the program and check the profile for the app you're using.

Why isn't my Evoluent mouse working after I connect it?

Try a different USB port first, then check the battery on a wireless model. Most connection problems come down to the port or the power, not the mouse itself.

The checklist in order:

• Move the receiver or cable to a port on the computer rather than a hub.
• On the VM4RW, fit a fresh AA battery and switch the mouse on.
• Unplug and replug the receiver so the system detects it again.
• Try the mouse on another computer to rule out the port or the system.

If the pointer moves but jumps or stalls, the surface under the sensor matters. Evoluent fits an optical sensor that tracks on a bare desk, a cloth mat or a laminate top, so a reflective or glass surface is worth swapping out.

A mouse that works on one machine and not another points at the second machine's port or settings. Start there rather than replacing the mouse.

How do you connect an Evoluent mouse to a Mac or Linux computer?

Plug in the receiver or cable and the mouse works with basic functions. Evoluent lists Mac OS and Linux support, and neither needs Evoluent Mouse Manager, which is a Windows program.

Mac users connect the same way as on Windows: receiver or cable in, mouse on. The pointer and standard buttons respond without extra software.

Check the Mouse pane in System Settings if the pointer speed needs adjusting.

Linux users get basic functionality without a driver. The mouse shows up as a standard USB pointing device, and the speed button on the side still steps through the four settings.

The trade-off on both systems is the custom button programming. Without the Windows manager, the six buttons keep their standard functions, so the extra assignments are a Windows feature.

If you also run a trackball, the steps differ, and our walkthrough of how to connect the Logitech M575 covers that pairing process.

Which Evoluent mouse should you connect?

The regular-size VerticalMouse 4 Wireless is the easiest starting point for most right-handed users, because the receiver pairs itself and the shell suits an average hand. The large wired VMDL is the pick for bigger hands or a machine where charging isn't practical.

For a closer look at the wireless model, our Evoluent Vertical Mouse review covers the shape and the button layout in detail. Left-handed readers need a different model, and our guide to the left handed ergonomic mouse covers the options that fit that hand.

Whichever model you choose, connecting an Evoluent mouse to a computer comes down to one USB plug. Put the receiver or cable in, switch on the wireless versions, and the pointer should move within seconds.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a driver to connect an Evoluent mouse to a computer?

No. Every Evoluent model here works as a basic mouse without a driver on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Evoluent Mouse Manager is optional and Windows-only, and it adds custom button functions.

How do I pair an Evoluent VerticalMouse 4 Wireless?

Plug its USB wireless receiver into a free port and turn the mouse on so the receiver finds it. The VM4RW connects over USB Wireless rather than Bluetooth, so there is no Bluetooth pairing step.

Why is my Evoluent mouse not moving the cursor?

Try a different USB port first, and on the wireless VM4RW models check that the batteries are seated and the power is on. The wired VMDL needs only a working cable and port.