Some mice deliberately change the feel of their wheel as you scroll faster. A sudden transition from small clicks to free spinning can be a feature, rather than a broken wheel or a software fault.

Identify the wheel behaviour

Check the exact mouse model and its manual. Logitech's MX Master 3S uses an adaptive wheel that changes between line-by-line ratchet scrolling and free-spin scrolling. Its guide also describes a mode-shift button and SmartShift controls in Logi Options+.

Use a harmless long document for comparison. Scroll slowly, then faster, noting whether the feel changes at a repeatable point. Keep the pointer over the document, not over a numeric field or drop-down where wheel movement might change a value.

Try the documented manual mode switch. Check whether ratchet mode gives you better control for short lists, and whether free-spin mode helps traverse long pages. Do not infer a mechanical defect solely from the lack of clicks in a mode designed to spin freely.

Match the mode to the task

If automatic switching feels unpredictable, the cited model lets you disable SmartShift and switch modes manually. It also allows adjustment of the transition sensitivity. Change one setting at a time and repeat the same slow and fast movements.

Test in the application that prompted the change. Some applications respond to scrolling differently, so a comfortable setting in a browser may still feel too fast in a dense editing view. Keep the original setting recorded while comparing.

A mode adjustment is not a fix for every scrolling symptom. Reversed direction, missing movement and an application losing focus are different observations. If the wheel still skips unpredictably in both modes, record that separate behaviour rather than continuing to tune the adaptive threshold.

Save the setting that makes navigation controllable for your work. Recheck it after installing another mouse utility or changing devices, and keep the manual mode button identifiable so you can recover the expected feel without guessing.

Sources: Logitech MX Master 3S wheel modes.