Following reboot cursor won't select anything

Question

Wife's computer late 2006/early 2007 MacBook w/2 GB memory, OS-X10.5.8, froze on website on eBay. Had to shut down manually, after re-start message to update software appeared (MS Office for Mac 04). When she tried to download, froze again, had second manual shutdown/reboot. Following this reboot the cursor would no longer select any menu item although trackpad was working (use only trackpad, no external mouse). Could not find any way to use keyboard shortcuts or commands to select any action. Despite a number of reboots manually (only way it can be done), the MacBook only opens to the start-up desktop (which appears OK). As an oddity, sometimes following reboot, the cursor (arrow) traces a box on the desktop background as if a Word drawing rectangle had been selected. Cannot see if any programs are stuck open since cannot select a utility. My friend says it might be a bad trackpad, but it acts like a software issue. Any suggestions on how to select things with the keyboard or what might be causing this? Her MacBook is past the service contract expiry date, so hate to spend money on a tech call when the solution might be simple.

Answer 1

Have you been able to use the Install-Restore OS X DVD
to start the computer and run Disk Utility from there?
Also, was the MS Office for Mac actually in use at the
time of the Update dialog box, or was the urge to update
Office a random element while browsing a web page?
While some applications could suggest an update is needed,
they often require you to be running the application if it
does, and then you'd have to allow an application to check
for updates online (not something I leave on, automatic.)
Some prompts to get and install software can be bogus, and
if they appear at random while browsing, I'd never do it.
You may be able to Repair disk, from the booted Disk Utility
in the OS X install disc; you may choose to Verify it first.
If you need to use a USB wired mouse to access the computer,
to troubleshoot and attempt the most basic fixes to the OS,
that may be the best thing; at least to get an interaction,
if the trackpad does not rise to the occasion after you've
booted from the Install DVD. You can choose options in the
booted Install DVD menu bar, where Disk Utility is accessed.
And there also is a restart option where you choose to boot
from the Macintosh HD after you're done with Disk Utility.
Was the offered MS Office update one you/her had to go to
the offical Microsoft download/update page to get, or was
there a link? (I've stopped using Office, though have '04
and used to go direct to MS for any updates, to be sure.)
If you can repair whatever may be wrong via Disk Utility,
then restart the computer from its hard disk drive OS; it
may be OK. If Disk Utility can't fix it, you may have to
get a retail copy of DiskWarrior to try & fix the drive.
Depending on the age and use of the computer, a portable
may have hard disk drive wear and replacement needs at a
rate of approximately 3 to 5 years before they fail.
If you can backup the user content and projects from the
computer to an external archive (or hard disk drive) it
would be a good idea, if you don't do backups already.
The original OS X install-restore disc set has an Apple
Hardware Test on there, in the first disc; you access it
by holding the Opt key on boot, in order to choose it in
the selection device on the screen. It can run extended
tests and a few other things to check the hardware.
If the computer appears to be able to restart OK, you
may try to boot in SafeBoot mode, by holding the Shift
key down on startup and hold it until you see a start
up dialog box (to be sure it really will safeboot) and
then you can run Disk Utility's 'repair disk permissions'
on the Mac HD item, when done, you can restart normally.
Not sure what is wrong with the computer, but it may be
anything from a failing hard disk drive, corruption of
the system files, some odd thing someone installed when
thinking they were installing a valid update when not,
or maybe the hard disk drive is way too full of stuff;
and so details on the HDD's capacity vs. the contents
capacity would be good to know. An over-full drive can
be a real problem since the OS and Apps live there, too.
Good luck & happy computing!