My mouse does not work properly. I have to really bang it around to get the pointer where I want it to go. This just started a few days ago. Any suggestions other than buying a new one?

Have you tried to clean out the bottom?

There may be dust or other gunk blocking the movement of the mouse-ball, or the optical sensor, depending on the type of mouse.

If you have the ball type - You should be able to unscrew the bottom and take out the ball. You'll see inside there are rollers that the ball moves. They might be dusty or yucky.

If you have the optical or laser type, just blow out any junk from the lens on the underside of your mouse using some compressed air.