Erratic trackpad behavior

The other day I replaced the hard drive in my iBook with a larger one, and every since I reassembled it the trackpad seems to be behaving erratically. I reopened it up and made sure that the trackpad ribbon cable was connected firmly, and it helped a little however the problem still remains. I know it is not a software issue because when I boot up holding option and play around with the cursor it has the same problem, skipping around and whatnot. I notice the mouse seems to work pretty well when I first boot, but gradually gets worse the longer the computer has been on. Could it somehow be related to the laptop overheating? Could heat from underneath the trackpad effect it? Would that explain why the longer it's on the worse it gets? That's the only conclusion I can come to. And just so you know I've reset the PMU, PRAM, and NVRAM. I've tried it all, wall outlet vs. battery (everything). So any thoughts? Is my theory valid?

I've never heard of overheating causing the trackpad to behave erratically.
I can think of several things that could cause this.
The PMU settings may be getting corrupted in some way.
From the Apple Knowledge Base article on _resetting the PMU_:
The Power Manager is an integrated circuit (computer chip) that is usually on the logic board of the PowerBook and iBook. As the name implies, it is responsible for power management of the computer. It controls backlighting, hard disk spin down, sleep and wake, some charging aspects, trackpad control, and some input/output as it relates to the computer sleeping.
Over time, the settings in the Power Manager may become unusable, which can result in operational anomalies with the computer.
Since making sure the trackpad ribbon cable was firmly connected helped a bit, it could be that the trackpad connector has been damaged slightly.
Another possibility is that the trackpad cable itself may have been damaged.

Similar Messages

  • Very Erratic Trackpad Behavior - Heat?

    The trackpad on my one-year-old MBPro has started exhibiting extremely erratic and intermittent behavior:
    • Taps react as control-clicks
    • Cursor jumps and becomes impossible to control
    • Drags and scrolls behave unpredictably
    The trackpad becomes impossible to use. Eventually, as now, everything returns to normal. I'm very experienced in the proper use of the trackpad, and am familiar with the 'phantom fingers' phenomenon, so no need to advise against keeping extra fingers and hands away from the trackpad.
    This behavior has even occurred when standing well away from the computer: after fighting to control the cursor and restart the computer via the Apple menu, I left the room and returned to see a contextual menu of the Activity Monitor (set to auto-launch at restart) being self-activated.
    I'm starting to guess that this is related to heat issues. In support of this theory, the following:
    - This behavior was first seen a few months ago when I traveled to the south of France where it was quite warm, and the computer had been playing video for some time. The computer was indeed rather warm.
    - Now it's summertime and the ambient temperature is warmer (though here in the Netherlands, it's not exactly tropical). The last two occurrences of this behavior (yesterday and today) have been hot sunny days. After allowing the computer to cool, the trackpad behaves as normal.
    Others have reported strange trackpad behavior, but they seem to believe it is caused by defective or damaged hardware, or else user-error. It is often suggested they check their trackpad System Preferences. This post which supports my theory that this is indeed heat-related problem, also remarks that the problem is more likely when the battery is charging.
    Can anyone offer advice, explanation or supporting arguments?
    Thanks

    Try using your laptop without the battery installed (ie remove the battery and run the laptop from the mains supply only), and see if that cures the problem.
    If it does, then you have a warped battery casing, and will need to replace the battery.
    The battery sits directly over the trackpad circuitry, so that if the battery casing warps, it presses against the trackpad circuitry and causes it to act as though you have pressed it.
    If that doesn't cure the problem, then you probably need to replace the trackpad, itself.

  • Erratic Trackpad Behavior - Result of RAM Upgrade?

    Hello, all. It's been a long time since I last posted here, but I was wondering if anyone could offer their advice or expertise on an issue I've been having.
    Last fall I decided to upgrade my MacBook from 1GB to 2GB of RAM. I installed the upgrade myself, and the RAM continues to work perfectly. Unfortunately, I must have been somewhat rough in re-inserting the battery (that, or I knicked something under the trackpad). Not long afterwards, my trackpad began behaving erratically, highlighting text I didn't want highlighted and generally skipping all over the place. The mouse button on my laptop is now all but un-pressable.
    Fortunately, I use my laptop on my desk 90% of the time, and I have plugged in an external mouse with the "ignore trackpad when mouse is plugged in" setting on- and my computer functions as normal. However, I would like to see if I can regain proper use of my trackpad.
    I know that the sensory hardware there must be extremely delicate (hence my problem), and most would probably recommend taking it to an Apple specialist to get fixed - but I'm not keen on forking over money for an issue that I can continue to work around. I would simply like to know if anyone else has had this problem, and/or knows of an easy fix/maneuver that might relieve whatever pressure is on the sensors and restore the trackpad to proper working order.

    Thank you for the advice. I just tried that and it appears that with the battery removed, normal trackpad function is regained. Unfortunately, this defeats the purpose, because I only need to use the trackpad when I'm away from a power source.
    Though this may be an issue for a separate topic, it seems the cause of this is a slightly expanded battery. (I've already heard of similar instances.) I'm frankly at a loss for how Apple could allow such an issue to affect the vital components of it's laptops. My current battery still works just fine and I'd prefer not to purchase a new one over a couple of millimeters, but I'd also hate to risk any permanent damage to the internal components of my MacBook.

  • Erratic trackpad due to humidity?

    I have an erratic trackpad on my min-09 MB Pro, which began this evening. The pad is unresponsive to hand motion but also generates spontaneous cursor motion and clicks. After some googling, I saw that the pad can be sensitive to humidty and failing to cure the problem with restting the PRAM I took it down to the basement (55% humidty down here). Almost instantly the behavior disappears and normal operation is restored. I have tried the calibration by palm proximity technique and cleaned both the pad and my hands, to no avail. Is there a fix for this in software (ie calibration file)? If I swap a new keyboard/pad in will that fix it?

    I should note, the erratic behvior returns if I go back up to the kitchen and disappears when I return to the basement. The humidity level in the kitchen is high but not out of the ordinary for New Jersey. I am not shutting down or sleeping the machine while moving up or downstairs.

  • Trackpad behavior

    My trackpad will sometimes go 'weird' on me. Movement becomes jittery, cursor will jump across screen with barely a touch. I've resorted to taking the batteries out and popping right back in. This corrects the problem, but it has come back. Any ideas what's up?

    Is there a system setting to change this or is there
    Have you checked System Peferences/Trackpad?
    some third party software that gives me more options over trackpad behavior?
    Check Versiontracker, Macupdate & run a Google search.
    Please correct your system information by completing the "My Settings" preferences for this site.

  • Erratic trackpad issues

    Recently, my trackpad has been acting up.
    Symptoms: (just SOME, not all)
    -cursor/arrow will move on its own
    -random areas will become highlighted
    -gestures are wonky (ex: swiping from left to right with one finger will change entire desktops)
    -screens will zoom in
    -left mouse click acts as if the right mouse button was clicked
    It's almost as if someone has taken control of my trackpad.
    Note: I have Lion 10.7.1
    Remedies already tried:
    -PRAM reset
    -SMC reset
    -shut down computer and let rest for a few hours
    -software update
    -turning off all trackpad and gestures
    I've read Apple's official explanation for an erratic trackpad (which was useless to me) and other users' experiences but none seem to match what's going on with mine.  I know I can take it to a store and have some "Geniuses" look at it, but I was hoping to exhaust all possible at home solutions first.
    Has anyone had similar problems, and what did you do???
    I really appreciate any feedback.

    Ralph,
    I tried the SMC Reset - and it helps to an extent. It works fine, albeit a little sluggish, for about 10-15 minutes before it becomes sluggish and erratic again.
    The magsafe led colour is either orange/yellow or green (when fully charged). The charge button on the side shows that green lights fill up except for the last one which flashes.
    I'm now trying a software update but I don't know if that will work.

  • Erratic volume behavior

    I finally resolved my Nano's erratic volume behavior. I use my Nano with a wrist band when working out. Finally figured out that it was the heat / sweat coming off my body that was causing my ipod to go haywire. I cut out a small square of foam and adhered it to the back of the Nano. Problem solved. Just keeping something between the Nano and my Skin seems to work great. I have never had the problem since. Here's a close up off the type of foam I used.

    Thanks for the link. While the comments on that site do show that others are experiencing the same erratic volume issue, they don't say how to fix it, only that a nearby cellphone is the most likely culprit. I just don't see cellphone interference magically controlling the scroll wheel on my iPod. I guess I'll need to keep looking for a solution.
    By the way, I have previously had many other cellphones (made by a handful of different manufacturers) and have only now experienced this with my new iPhone.
    Additional thoughts?
    _rs

  • Erratic charger Behavior

    Hi your help is greatly appreciated.
    my macbook is 6 months old and and i am having having problems with erratic charger behavior. It varies depending on screen fluctuations and automatically switches off while switching to different applications on screen, or on switching on or turning off the computer. I am having to switch off and switch on power adaptor many times before i get my mac book charged. Battery has completed 60 cycles so far. Please help. Thanks

    Tim Bergman wrote:
    I've checked the firmware on battery; it's 1.3, presumably the latest.
    The 1.3 update is the MacBook Pro update. You need to remove it before you can find out if anything else might be wrong. Leopard installs it.
    Try these two locations for it. It will be one or the other.
    MacBook/Library/System/Library/SystemConfiguration/BatteryUpdater.bundle
    MacBook/System/Library/SystemConfiguration/BatteryUpdater.bundle
    Drag it to the trash and then reboot. After you reboot you will be able to empty the trash. Once you have done that run software update and it should install Battery Update 1.2. You should reset the SMC (System Management Controller) after doing this.
    Then watch your battery and see if any of the things continue to happen.
    How many cycles do you have on your battery?
    Apple: Determining Battery Cycle Count

  • Macbook erratic trackpad and stuck on right click! NEED HELP!

    Hi,
    Got a Macbook Unibody, 10.6.8, 2.4GHz, 8GB RAM.
    Basicly it was working fine. I installed a driver for a Tascam audio interface, still working fine for about 2 hours. Took it round to my girlfriends and after a few more hours the pointer started moving around the screen on it's own, clicking only operates the right click function and it will right click on it's own sometimes.
    I've removed the driver and software that came with the Tascam Driver the best I can (Not sure how to do it fully on a Mac, Windows is much better at these things!), I've clean the pad itself and tried 'resetting' it by placing my palm on it for a few seconds. All these things haven't worked.
    USB mouse seems to work ok but even the erratic trackpad will take over sometimes.
    The interface was plugged in via USB and I'm wondering if this could have effected it?
    Any help is much appriciated, it seems like everytime I touch her computer something goes wrong with it!!!
    Oh and no Apple warranty so going to apple ain't an option.
    Many thanks,
    Karl.

    If you have a model with a removable battery, pull the battery and try running without it. I had a problem with my battery swelling and it created all weird trackpad issues. I replaced the battery and it cleared them all up.
    Check out the new remodeled MacOSG website! 24-hour Apple-related news & support.
     MacOSG: An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast  Follow us on Twitter: MacOSG

  • Jumpy, erratic trackpad on MBA (Is there a firmware update?)

    There have been complaints about jumpy/erratic/random cursor behavior with Macbook Air's trackpad. I have the same problem, and it's driving me nuts.
    However, I noticed that, from users who were complaining about similar behavior on their MBP mentioned an April 12 keyboard firmware update that seemed to have solved their issue.
    Does anyone know if there is something similar for the MBA that can solve it.

    Hi guys, I thought I was going crazy here after owning my MacBook Air for a couple of months now.
    This happens to me as well. In fact, it happened a few minutes ago and I had no other choice but to hit the power button and select Shut Down. After a restart, it was fine. I have seen this problem come up a few times on this machine.
    Sometimes the trackpad would not respond at all, the cursor doesn't move. At other times, it has a mind of its own and seems to 'catch up' to my actions and moves around the screen really fast, starts right clicking, clicking on things, being erratic.
    I have also noticed that I'm unable to drag-lock (tap and keep a selection) and sometimes lose the ability to right click with two fingers.
    I may have to get this looked at but I don't want to put this baby in for servicing since it has had a clean record.

  • Erratic trackpad when ethernet plugged in

    Hi,
    I've got a brand new MBP 15" with a trackpad that works perfectly while on wireless. However, as soon as I plug in an ethernet cable - even when the network is not being used - the trackpad immediately becomes erratic and unusable.
    As soon as I unplug the ethernet cable, the trackpad reverts to working fine again.
    It only seems to be a problem when on battery.
    There's a post from Jan 2010 that reports exactly the same problem but is now archived so I can't respond to it.
    To summarise,
    Ethernet cable plugs in --> Trackpad doesn't track correctly.
    Ethernet cable out --> Trackpad tracks fine.
    Is this a known problem ? Should I be taking the laptop back to Apple ?
    Thanks !
    Andrew

    Hi,
    AS the MacBook Pro is new I would take advantage of the Service and AppleCare level you still have.
    10:02 PM Tuesday; September 21, 2010

  • Odd trackpad behavior, opens Command+ F in any program.

    I have an odd behavior on my Mac that's starting to get pretty annoying.
    I have a late 2009 model. If I am in say Safari, and I wiggle my finger near the bottom of the track pad, (wiggling up and down on the bottom center edge of the trackpad) it opens up the search bar for Safari.
    Basically Command+F.
    If I am on the desktop (Finder) and do the same action it opens Command+ F once again, this time just in Finder.
    In iTunes, the same motion on the trackpad puts me in full screen, which is, you guess it. Command+ F.
    I have tried to get rid of this behavior by terminal commands killall Finder, killall Dock, and also by moving the user/library/preferences folder contents to the desktop, so that programs rewrite their preferences, but everything still has the same behavior.
    Any ideas?
    - Pixel -

    Never heard of anything like it, frankly. Run the Apple Hardware Test you'll find on one of the DVDs that came with your MBP, and make an exact note of any errors it reports. Then make a Genius Bar appointment at an Apple Store and demonstrate the problem to the Genius. Also show the Genius the text of the error report (if there was one).

  • Erratic Trackpad Issue - Very Annoying!

    I've got a MacBook Pro running Mac OS X 10.5.2. Ever since I upgraded to Leopard, I've had intermittent problems with my trackpad/cursor. Sometimes, after sleeping the computer and waking it up, I get very erratic cursor movements (it "jerks" around the screen). It is getting very irritating. I thought 10.5.2 would fix this issue, but it didn't. What I've had to do is restart the computer whenever it happens - which is multiple times a day...
    Anybody know what I could do to fix this? I would be extremely grateful for someone's help. Thanks!

    Try switching to another application and see if it fixes the problem temporarily. Hold down Alt and then hit the Tab button.
    I have been fighting what seems like the same problem. Switching to another application and back seems to fix it - at least for a few minutes..

  • Erratic trackpad fixed temporarily with external mouse

    I've been having issues with the trackpad on my Mid 2012 MacBook Pro lately, where it acts erratic and goes from jumping around, to staying completely still, to clicking things that I never meant to. There aren't any updates for my laptop either, as I currently have what I believe to be the most recent installment of Yosemite, and my computer is not notifying me of any possible change.
    I've had this issue occur before but on a lesser scale, and I was able to fix it by simply going to the trackpad system preferences, unchecking everything, and then rechecking everything. This time, however, that method's only worked for about five minutes or so before it went back to acting strange. Eventually, I found an old Logitech plug-in mouse that I've been using so far, and I've discovered that when it's plugged in the trackpad works just fine, so I took out the mouse and the trackpad began working for about twenty minutes before it acted up again. So, again I plugged in the mouse, but this time, the trackpad worked in spurts where it would be fine one minute and act up the next. I've also shut down my computer entirely and waited anywhere from a few minutes to overnight completely, which would once again fix the issue for the first ten minutes of use once I turned it on before it began going haywire.
    Any help would be appreciated as I'm totally lost with this. It might be a while before I can carve out some time to visit an apple store myself, so if I could get this fixed on my own that would be wonderful. Also, apologies if this was placed in the incorrect community/category. Thanks in advance (:

    Jumpy Trackpad
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1449
    Go step by step and test.
    1. Restart
    2. Shut down the computer.
        Clean the trackpad with moist not wet microfiber cloth.
        System Preferences > Point & Click
        Try turning off three finger dragging and then turning it on after  testing.
    3. Is there any Bluetooth device nearby with failing batteries? If so, replace the batteries.
      4. Reset PRAM:   http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14222
    5. Reset SMC.     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
        Choose the method for:
        "Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".
    6. Close all windows and quit all applications.
        Click the Spotlight -the magnifying glass icon- in the menu bar. Enter Disk utility in the box.
        Select Disk Utility. When the Disk utility window opens up,
        select  Macintosh HD, then First Aid.
        Click Repair Disk  Permission
        Ignore the  time remaining estimate.
        Last 1 minute may take longer.

  • Macbook pro retina erratic trackpad issues

    Mapbook pro with retina display trackpad has erattic behavior after 2 - 3 minutes of use.  The behavior is most noticeable in Final Cut Pro X.  When dragging and dropping clips, multy touch gestures will trigger unintentionally, causing the app to switch to the desktop, and launchpad and back dozens of times per second.  the behavior continues and gets more frequient the longer the computer is awake...  I'm hoping its a software issue... spent 3400 dollars on this thing... this is a rather infuriating bug for this, one of the most expensive laptops a person could buy.
    ordered around june 18th, recieved around july 10th.  upgraded to mountain lion and installed all updates.

    I'm having the same issue. I have mountain lion installed for a while now and just yesterday the trackpad went crazy (nothing new installed recently). The click works but the mouse just jumps all over the place or sometimes doesn't move at all. It's completely unusable now and I've had to revert back to my old MacBook :-(
    Booted into the recovery partition and had the same issue. So I assume it's a firmware problem. Tried installing the trackpad 1.0 update (took 15 mins to lauch safari, download the update and try and click on it, that's how bad the trackpad is) but that was for 10.7 and it won't let me install it.

Maybe you are looking for