Love triangle between two iMacs and a trackpad

We have two iMacs side by side, Wallace and Gromit, each with an Apple wireless keyboard and Magic trackpad.  Wallace started ignoring its trackpad -- it would not "discover" it no matter how much the trackpad tried to connect.  We checked, tested and replaced batteries, to no effect.  We then pulled out an old Magic mouse we had used (the kind with the flat, curved top) and Wallace accepted the mouse's bluetooth connection immediately. 
You might think that Wallace's trackpad's bluetooth had just conked out, but Gromit then began persistently asking if we wanted it to connect with Wallace's trackpad, which is still sitting next to Wallace, powered on but ignored by Wallace. 
In other words, Wallace is miffed with its own trackpad and is ignoring it, while Gromit, although has its own perfectly good trackpad, has developed a wandering eye, and wants to connect with Wallace's trackpad. Wallace's trackpad's bluetooth, of course, is working, because it is sending come-hither signals to Gromit.
We know which trackpad was connected to which computer, because we wrote their names on the undersides when we installed them.  In any case, Gromit's trackpad still faithfully works with Gromit, and Wallace will discover and connect with its old mouse, but completely ignores its trackpad, which is lonely and despondent and is desperately signaling to Gromit that it wants to set up housekeeping with Gromit. 
How can we restore the happy, stable relationship between Wallace and its trackpad?

Hi rrobbi,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.  It sounds like Wallace may need a little therapy in the form of resetting the PRAM and the SMC.  Instructions for doing that can be found here:
About NVRAM and PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
There are some additional troubleshooting steps in this article, but it sounds like you've pretty well isolated the issue down to being with Wallace's bluetooth records already:
Bluetooth Quick Assist
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1153
Cheers,
- Ari

Similar Messages

  • BT Yahoo mail no longer syncs between two iMac and MacBook

    I've used BT Yahoo Mail on an iMac, Macbook and iPad successfully for some time with IMAP settings.  Following recent upgrades, the inbox is no longer kept in sync on the different computers.  Messages read on one computer are not marked as read on the other, and newly arrived incoming mail is not displayed on the second computer, having appeared on the first.  The only solution seems to be to rebuild the mailbox - tedious as it takes time, and you don't know until you try whether there is mail to be synced. 
    I'm using Mail 6.5 (1508) on the iMac, and Mail 5.3 (1283) on the MacBook.
    Is there any solution to this please?
    Thanks.
    Stephen

    Hi unwina,
    Are you still having trouble with this? Fill out the contact us form in the about me section of my profile and we will have a look.
    Cheers,
    Chris
    BT Moderation Team
    If you like a post, or want to say thanks for a helpful answer, please click on the Ratings star on the left-hand side of the post.
    If someone answers your question correctly please let other members know by clicking on ’Mark as Accepted Solution’.

  • How do you configure the iMac so separate users can access each other's files, especially iPhoto and iTunes? I need to be able to transfer media between two users and not just gain limited access using 'share'.

    How do you configure the iMac so separate users can access each other's files, especially iPhoto and iTunes? I need to be able to transfer media between two users and not just gain limited access using 'share'.

    See Terence Devlin's thorough explanation here.

  • HT2500 how can I synch mail between an iMac and Macbook Air?

    I have a Macbook Air running10.7.4 and an iMac running similar.  I use Mail as local tool for my hotmail account but this means inevitably that mail is nt synched between the iMac and MBA.  I want to be able to access my mail from both computers but only do so nce.  I would love to be able to synch mail folders between the two so that I could keep my mail in order.  Only having to read/delete once would be a further benefit

    set it up as an IMAP account instead of POP. IMAP syn with server (which also means other devices using that mail sync too) where as POP doesn't modify what's on the server. most hotmail accounts setup by default as POP

  • How can I synch Mail application between an iMac and a Macbook Pro

    I want to be able to go back and forth between my iMac and my Macbook Pro using Mail application.
    I don't want to set up two completely separate accounts.
    Has anyone had to do this and if so, how do I do it?
    Thanks for your help
    Ed

    You can get a Dropbox account, this will allow for 2GB of free storage and you can purchase additional storage if needed. You can find out about Dropbox from their website or read one of the many reviews about them. Their address is:
    www.dropbox.com
    and some reviews are at:
    http://www.onlinebackupsreview.com/dropbox.php
    http://www.onlinebackupdeals.com/dropbox/
    And you can Google to find additional reviews if you would like.
    Roger

  • My host name changes every few days, since Xmas adding a macbook its changed 6 times. Do I need to stop this? Does it cause problems with sharing between the iMac and macbook?

    my host name changes every few days, since Xmas adding a macbook its changed 6 times. Do I need to stop this? Does it cause problems with sharing between the iMac and macbook?

    There are several possible causes for this problem.
    1. Two (or more) computers on the local network have the same Bonjour name, such as "X's-MacBook-Pro.local".
    2. You have two simultaneous connections to the same local network: probably Ethernet and Wi-Fi. If applicable, disconnect the Ethernet cable or turn off Wi-Fi.
    3. A Mac wakes from sleep due to network traffic. This is due to a bug in OS X that may only affect some models.
    4. A device that gets its network address from the router wakes from sleep, and the address it was using before has been assigned to another device.
    5. A third-party wireless router has incompatible settings or firmware. In that case, refer to the manufacturer or ISP for support. Restarting the router may help, temporarily.
    6. See also this support article.
    Rename the computer in the Sharing preference pane.

  • Sharing files between my imac and my MacBook Air?

    How do I share files between my imac and my 2nd generation MacBook Air?
    I have my imac that holds alot of files that I want to transfer over to my MacBook Air. How do I do this at home through a wireless network. I enabled file sharing on my Imac and MBA. This did not work. Any Help would be greatly appreciated!
    Thanks.

    I've used Apple's file sharing for years but two programs have made my life tons easier. One is the freeware DropCopy - install it on both computers and you'll see a black dot on your desktop. Drag a file onto the dot and it is copied to the other computer. If you have more than 2 computers you can easily select which computer gets the file.
    The second is the freeware program DropBox. Like DropCopy you need to install the program on both computer. Unlike DropCopy, DropBox watches a folder on your computer called DropBox and any file put into it gets synced to the cloud and from there copied to the other computer. One of the great things about DropCopy is that you can also access your files via the Internet.

  • Using A FireWire cable between two Macs and Migration Assistance to transfer all my desktop to my macbook laptop, will all my apps, bookmarks, contacts and files be transferred? I am trying to make a complete copy of my desktop to my laptop.

    Using a FireWire cable between two Macs and the Migration Assistance feature, will al my apps, bookmarks, contacts and files be tranferred?

    See Pondini's Setup New Mac guide

  • After upgrading to YOSEMITE, I tried to use Airdrop between my iMac and iPhone 6 Plus but they don't recognize each other. It also didn't recognize my iPad. I need help

    After upgrading to YOSEMITE, I tried to use Airdrop between my iMac and iPhone 6 Plus but they don't recognize each other. It also didn't recognize my iPad.
    Please help!

    After upgrading to YOSEMITE, I tried to use Airdrop between my iMac and iPhone 6 Plus but they don't recognize each other. It also didn't recognize my iPad.
    Please help!

  • I can't get a thunderbolt connection to work between my iMac and new macbook air

    I would like to establish a connection between my iMac and new macbook air using a thunderbolt connector. Nothing seems to happen when I plug the cable in to each device. When I open Settings/Network it shows up the Thunderbolt bridge as 'Not Connected' on the MacBook and as 'Some Connected' on the iMac. I have no problems with connecting another device (iPad) to the iMac. Can anyone help please?

    Nothing happens when I try to boot up using the command+R keys.
    Did you hold down those keys before booting and continue till you get to a selections window?  You should get this:
    If you can't boot into the Recovery volume make an appointment with the nearest Apple Genius bar for a diagnosis.  You're still under warranty. 

  • How do i set a peer to peer network between my iMac and windows machines?

    I want to set up a peer to peer network between my iMac and Windows based computers in my house.  I also want it to a wireless set up.  Mostly being done to share videos, pictures, and music. Any insight would be appreciated.

    I'm trying to connect my MacBook Pro to Wifi using internet sharing
    Why?
    Just connect the MacBook to the same internet as your iMac.
    MacBook > Wi-Fi router > Internet.
    You are connected to the internet with your iMac.
    iMac > Wi-Fi router > Internet
    Why do you want to go MacBook (via Wi-Fi)  > iMac > Wi-Fi router > Internet?

  • How to share a HP Laserjet between a iMac and a PC Laptop

    I have been sharing a HP Laserjet 1200 between my iMac and a Toshiba Satellite laptop for years by using the USB port for the iMac, and using the parallel port for the PC. This has worked great for years. I've just purchased a new laptop, and it no longer has a parallel port. Is there a way for me to still connect the printer to both computers? I also have a Color LaserJet 2600n, does the 'n' means wireless? The 2600n is only connected to the iMac, being I don't use it much. Most of my printing comes off the Laserjet 1200, for both computers and would really like to keep it like that. I've also just purchased Snow Leopard for the iMac, just haven't gotten a chance to install it yet. Upgrading one machine at a time. First I need to print from both machines. Any help would be appreciate it! Thank you.

    Hi Barney,
    Finally got a chance to download Bonjour for Windows to my laptop late last night, and after a few tries (to get the correct driver for that old HP1200...), it worked! The original driver disc wouldn't work, guess it was just too old. But was able to get one from HP web site. Anyway, thank you so very much. Though I have to make sure the Mac is on when I want to print from the laptop, as the printers are on sharing, they're right next to each other and I tend to work off both at the same time anyway, so it's not a big deal. Sometimes over the weekend, I will play with the wires some more to do what you and Bruce suggested, and make sure the mac and the 2600 is connected via Ethernet, not USB. Right now the 1200 is connected directly to the Netgear, but doesn't seem to work as a server. Oh well. Again, thank you for your suggestions. It was of great help!

  • I'm a Dropbox user and I migrate between my iMac and a Toshiba notebook.  Is there Apple software that will work on the notebook allowing me to open Pages, Numbers or Keynote documents that I've placed in Dropbox?

    I'm a Dropbox user and I migrate between my iMac and a Toshiba notebook.  Anyone know if there is Apple software that will work on the Toshiba that will allow me to open Pages, Numbers or Keynote documents when I access them in Dropbox? 
    Maybe I should just always export from Pages into Word  (and likewise for the other types) before I upload to Dropbox?  I hope not!!

    If you don't want to export files and consider the Microsoft formats to be your basic working format, then you need to consider either using MsOffice for Mac or LibreOffice instead of the iWork suite.
    You could always run a virtualised OSX on the Toshiba, but I don't think Apple will appreciate me telling you how to do that.
    Peter

  • It appears that I can not share documents between my iMacs and mac air without first opening document in an IOS device.  Is this correct?  If so then iCloud for me is a giant step backward especially since idisk will be discontinued next year.

    It appears that I cannot share documents between my iMacs and and Mac air using icloud without first opening document in and IOS device.  Is this true.  If so, then icould is petty much worthless for me, especially since idisk will be discontinued next year.

    jack198 wrote:
    You are correct.  However, a document can not be opened by another computer unless the document has first been open by an iDevice.
    iwork on iOS uses different file formats ( *.tef ) then iwork09 on Mac ( *.key , *. number , *.page ).
    Uploaded documents to icloud.com must first be updated to the *.tef format and then re-written to the cloud system. The online service behind the iwork web-app does the re-conversion to Mac formats, pdf or Microsoft office. All that is happening "in the cloud", not on your Mac as he misses the engine to do the transcoding from the *.tef to the other formats. Mac simply does not know what *.tef is.

  • HT4783 Why can I not airdrop between my iMac and iPad Air?

    Is there a way to airdrop between my iMac and iPad Air?

    AirDrop uses different systems to transfer data in iDevices and Macs, so you cannot use AirDrop between an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and a Mac. If you want this feature, send the idea to Apple > http://www.apple.com/feedback
    Instead, there are other ways to transfer data between the Mac and your iPad, like Dropbox, or use iTunes.

Maybe you are looking for