Magic Trackpad Frustrations

I bought a Magic Trackpad this past weekend hoping to replicate the wonderful experiences I have with my MBP trackpad on my 24" iMac. Unfortunately, not all has gone well.
I downloaded the 'Magic Trackpad and Multi-Touch Trackpad Update 1.0' as recommended by the packaging on the Trackpad. Then I upgraded to 10.6.5. So far, so good. When I go into the 'Trackpad' area of system preferences and click on 'Set up Trackpad' and turn on the Trackpad it's detected. As soon as I click 'Continue' I get a translucent mouse icon that says 'Connection Lost'. I've tried system updates, restarts, etc, but nothing seems to work. I keep getting the 'Connection Lost' message before I can continue with set up.
I can USE the trackpad, but only for the cursor - no movies show up in the right hand side of the pane of the trackpad preferences and none of the gestures work
Any thoughts?

You didn't set up your trackpad correctly is what it sounds like.
Try this,
Open System Preferences-Bluetooth-then make sure both boxes at the top are checked (On and Discoverable) then click Set Up New Device and let the it find your MTP.
You should also have the Trackpad Preferences in your System Preferences. If you don't after the MTP has been discovered and installed run Software Update and it should download and install.
If you not having luck do both a SMC and PRAM reset using the following instructions:
_SMC RESET_
• Shut down the computer.
• Unplug the computer's power cord and all other peripherals
• Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
• Release the power button.
• Attach the computers power cable.
• Press the power button to turn on the computer.
_PRAM RESET_
• Shut down the computer.
• Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
• Turn on the computer.
• Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
• Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
• Release the keys.
If for some reason these instructions don't work, simply pick up the telephone and call AppleCare they can walk you through doing the installation.

Similar Messages

Problem editing Word docs with Magic Trackpad

Hi--I'm a playwright working in Word. I recently purchased a magic trackpad. I'm having a tough time selecting text for cutting, copying, etc. I'll want to select a word or two but wind up getting the whole paragraph, an incomplete chunk, or nothing it all. It's frustrating because I'm used to moving fast. How can I make it behave like the good trackpad in my MacBook Pro? And where can I get a good explaination of the I-beam cursor. Different parts of it seem to do different things.
Boggled

I have the same problem with a Trackpad paired with a new Mac Mini just purchased in September. After a while, my trackpad also starts to exhibit behavior similar to those described by Hecro. The trackpad cursor feels frozen, or else it jumps around, often trying to stay away from or jump over any hyperlink in either text or graphic form on the page I am viewing.
I find that if I pick up the trackpad and hold it above my palm between my thumb on one side and my fingers on the other side — so there is no pressure on the clicking feet on the bottom of the trackpad — a "jumping" trackpad instantly becomes a "stable" trackpad. Put it back down on a surface and it starts jumping again.
Also, when it starts jumping or skipping, I also find that if I use one finger and bear down hard on the trackpad, it resumes being responsive.
I am filing a comment about this on Apple's feedback forum at www.apple.com/feedback at the advice of a Genius at the Apple Store at Cambridgeside in Cambridge, Massachusetts USA.

Magic Trackpad Sensitivity

Is there a way (3rd party software perhaps) to adjust the sensitivity of the Magic Trackpad?
I use the one-touch option in preferences (Tap to click - one touch finger) because this works best for me, however I find it too sensitive - I'm accidentally tapping things I don't want which is really frustrating.

Hmm,
I have been using Mac's since they had the cute little handles in the top. I have no idea how many mice, track balls, pads..... I have used but it would be a large number.
If this is "simply an adjustment to the device issue", IMHO the thing is tooooo... sensitive. I have worked with mine for months and still have the same problems no matter what I do. There are times when no matter how much you call something a feature it fails to benefit the vast majority.
The other possibility is some sort of hardware/software malfunction in some of the track pads, hardware/software combinations...
There it went, for some reason, I could not type in all of pads ^ above, then it was like it was selecting some of the letters and not letting me type anything else. Tapping the track pad seemed to clear the problem. I don't think I even touched the pad before I saw the problem, I was just typing, until I saw the missing letters... It's kind of like the pad selects things for reasons only it understands...Or maybe it is a software bug, of some random nature, that got introduced with the track pad...Sometimes I just seem to be stuck, until I tap the track pad.
The fact that I am having exactly the same "other" issues the poster above mentions which I did not: added to the fact that person has apparently used multiple different Apple track pads without this problem, leads me to believe that "where there is smoke there is fire".
Maybe I will take it to the Apple Store and have it checked out.

Inadvertent MS Outlook for Mac Email Sends w/Magic Trackpad

When using my Magic Trackpad (connected to my MacBook Pro) with Microsoft Outlook for Mac, there's a gesture that automatically sends emails. Anyone know what that is? I don't know how to repeat it, and it inadvertently sends emails sometimes, which is frustrating. Anyone else experience this, so I can disable that gesture if possible?
Thanks for your help,
Brad

Re: Consistent alerts error 3170...and my settings are correct! HELP!
Options
‎12-19-2013 09:47 AM
I had the same issue. After talking to a Verizon FIOS technician from thier techinical support center, he said that no changes are needed for Outlook for Mac. That means the settings should be:
Incoming server: incoming.verizon.net
Incoming port: 110
Use SSL to connect: UNCHECKED
Outgoing server: outgoing.verizon.net
Outgoing port: 25
Use SSL to connect: UNCHECKED
Hope that helps others not waste an hour searching Verizon's website and trying to navigate their massive phone tree to actually speak to a technician.

Need help with the Magic Trackpad

I really need help with my Magic Trackpad. I just got it in the mail yesterday and when I was trying to set it up, it's not responding to the "one click." In the TrackPad Settings, I managed to turn off the Secondary Click and just have the Single Click checkbox turned on. How I managed that was double clicking on the bottom right side of the trackpad, but that's if I'm lucky enough for that even to respond. I have also tried to turn off my Mac and turning it back on with the trackpad on hoping it would just turn on the default settings. This is really starting to get frustrated and I know the Magic Trackpad is really cool on fun to use because I used it plenty of times I the Apple Store. Now I do know that all the motion gestures work, the only problem I'm having is the clicking mechanism.

The clicking mechanism is located in the lower left or right corner of the trackpad, for single-click select, or secondary (menu) select, respectively. You can also configure single finger tap to select or double-finger tap for the alternate menu selection. Watch the trackpad preference videos by clicking on each setting text.
Here are my System Preference settings for the Magic Trackpad.
Point & Click
Everything checked but three finger drag.
Secondary click configured to click or tap with two fingers.
Scroll & Zoom
Everything checked
More Gestures
Everything checked but App Exposé

Magic Trackpad won't work properly

In the bluetooth preferences my magic trackpad connects, but in the trackpad preferences it doesn't show up. What's going on?!
I can use basic mouselike functions with my trackpad, but since it won't show up in the trackpad preferences I can't use it do anything "magical". That renders it usesless. (I can use an old-fashioned mouse to do that)
I'm usig a new iMac (quad core) with system 10.6.8. In the trackpad preference it says "no trackpad found". If I restart the trackpad it can be found, but when I click "continue" it disconnects. Then I go back to the bluetooth preferences to see that it's still connected! Like I said, I can use the most basic functions, but only those basic functions. Very frustrating...
The batteries are good and I place the trackpad right under the computer monitor to avoid interferrence, etc. Is it possible there's a software glitch somewhere?!

I'm guessing that, if you don't know what USB Overdrive is, you probably have not installed it. It is not something that comes with your computer. Here is is a link for USB Overdrive:
http://www.usboverdrive.com/USBOverdrive/News.html
If you have USB Overdrive installed on your computer you will see it as and icon at the bottom of the "System Preferences" window. If you see it there, you can click on it to open its control window and delete it from there. But like I said, I'm thinking that's probably not your problem. Still, go take a look at the bottom of your system preferences just to make sure.
I'm wondering, though, if you installed any other software for a mouse, or other type of controller, maybe it would cause similar problems too. Maybe you should check for other things you may have installed (?).

Using magic trackpad?

Hi All,
I'm thinking of adding a mini to my stable of mac products. I would like to hook it up to my home theater system via a HDMI cable giving me access to the internet in the living room. I bought a magic mouse for my mac pro on a whim and fell in love w/ it. take your mice and throw them away! The first question I have (since I'll be sitting on the couch about 10'away) is does the mini work w/ a magic trackpad instead of the magic mouse?
thanks,
Mike

I use a trackpad with my mini in exactly the situation you describe. I was frustrated in trying to click the thing, even though it's configured to tap-as-click. I tried sitting it on a book (and several other hard objects), but that wasn't very convenient. What I ended up doing was learning to pinch the lower left corner when I needed a click I couldn't register in any other way. It took a couple of days to get used to clicking that way, but now I don't even think about it and the trackpad has taken the place of a mouse altogether: no hard surface required.
Bonus Answer: I also use Remote Buddy. It provides an amazing level of control just using an Apple remote. It works especially well with media center software like XBMC.

App swipe features magic trackpad mavericks

I can not get the settings to save, they keep going back to 4 fingers and then not working. I am reffering to the settings in Magic Trackpad on a brand new mac mini with mavericks and a new trackpad. I want 3 finger drag enabled, 3 fingers swipe between apps and 3 finger swipe up for mission control. ***? I just spent $70 yesterday for a piece of hardward that doesn't work? I have to drive 30 minutes just to get to the apple store. I already did the reboot>>> command, option, P, R and it worked once then snapped back to the defualt for fingers etc. screenshots provided. I might be willing to accept a 4 finger swipe that it wants to default at, but that doesn't even work. HELP! FRUSTRATING.
I have 13 days before I return this product if not fixed.
it happens as soon as I close system preferences.

BDAqua,
No it does not matter. It either works for one swipe, or when I switch from "more gestures" back to "point & click" then back to "more gestures" it already changes back. As far as the plist you mention.
After reading this discussions forum below, I am now able to use 4 fingers to swipe between apps. Content for now. But for my memory I would lke to use 3 fingers like the software says I can. Only been 20 minutes so I am crossing my fingers. Apparently the "BIG GLITCH" is when I want to 3 fingers to drag.. it confuses the swipe gesture. I think if i were a computer i would do that also. time will tell. i can live with 4 fingers. "as long as I have them"
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16242792#16242792
https://discussions.apple.com/message/17703569#17703569

Magic Trackpad act funny

I have not seen any area for TrackPad support so this sections seems to me the next logical place to put this post.
Have my Magic TrackPad on a MacMini, believe it was JAn 2009. Everyonce in a while when I use it and move the pointer it selects and area. I sometimes cant get rid of the selecting mode. Tkes several tas. Also it moves wildly and it is difficult to select an item because it moves so erractically. I have it slowed way down in System Preferences. It will work for a while and then act frustrating erratic.
If someone can direct me to a solution it would be appreciated.

I do have a wireless Panasonic phone in the house. Though I don't use it now, I did have it configured so when I was in the house, my cell phone would also ring and visa versa. I don't know if that part of phone is still on. I also use this with the Apple Wireless Keyboard. Come to think of it, the original mouse used to do the same thing which is why I got the track pad. I use this all as my media server in the living room and the coffee table is glass so I had to use the optic mouse on a magazine. I figured that was part of this disfunction of the mouse. THe trackpad does work better but it still does the auto-select and erratic movement. It's hard to zero in on a button to choose if you know what I mean.

Magic trackpad help

Hi just bought another imac 27 top of the line, and the trackpad is not working, I've looked at 10.7.4 i removed the bamboo driver (wacom) and the griffin powermate driver and prefs and still am not seeing the correct trackpad system prefs nor does the bluetooth say i'm connected yet the bluetooths says I am.
I don't get what could be wrong because last night I did see the correct and nothing had changed from then. I'm really frustrated since I wasted 3k on my macbook pro 17 which doesn't charge when the computer is running over 40% etc... and now to find the imac issues including the massive work to change the hard drive?
I just want their products to work and not be pretty for once.... sorry to rant but does anyone have a fix for the trackpad not working....
Thanks

Have you run Software Update? Once you do it should locate and download the preferences for the Magic Trackpad. After the preferences are installed go to: System Preferences-Trackpad and then you can begin customizing your gestures.
Regards,
Roger

After pairing in Bootcamp, magic trackpad does not work

after pairing in Bootcamp, magic trackpad a) does not control cursor and b) does not persist after closing Bluetooth devides dialog.
Summary of Problem:
Magic Trackpad is found and paired, but does not control the mouse.
When you shut the Bluetooth devices and reopen (or reboot and reopen), the device is not listed.
Detials of problem:
Bootcamp 3.1 (i cannot find a later one) Windows XP all updates, All Apple Software Updates (to bootcamp and mac os x) installed, Magic Trackpad driver download and installed.
Control Panel, Bluetooth Devices, Add - it detectes the magic track pad (ie track pad blinking, click add) everytime
- It asks about a pass code, I have tried it without a pass code and with automatically Generate Passcode; does this setting matter?
In bluetooth devides, the track pad shows with "Auto Generated passkey" when that is the option selected
Found new hardware comes up, Apple Wireless Trackpad, everything looks fine.
- In Bluetooth Devices, it shows the trackpad wiht "no passkey", even when I told it to automatically generate one.
The track pad does not control the cursor.
Close Bluetooth Devices and reopen it, or reboot and reopen Bluetooth devices, and the track pad is gone.
Rebooting does not change the outcome of above.
I have gone to device manager and tried to update the two (apple & microsoft) Bluetooth drivers with the update button, it says I have the most current.
I do not see how to tell if the Magic Trackpad driver is installed, so I tried installing it again. It does appear to be listed under HID in device manager.
I have done a lot of googling, wasted a lot of time, if I cannot get it to work, I will return it to the apple store.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
bob

Bob, cannot help directly but I am having a similar problem on my MacBook Pro with Windows 7 Pro. Pretty much the same symptoms except my trackpad is not always recognized - it seems I have to click it to get Bluetooth to see it. Windows claims to have seen it OK on one occasion and installed the drivers, asked for a reboot etc. but the TrackPad still does not respond.
Works OK on the Mac side although it is not recognized as a separate Bluetooth trackpad which can be configured differently from the built-in. I wonder if this might be a clue?
I have installed the patch and tried a bunch of other things. Seems like Apple has some work to do sorting out the bugs on both the Mac and Windows side with this device. Pity because its an excellent piece of kit otherwise!

Problem with Magic TrackPad and Macbook Pro

I just bought the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Magic TrackPad for my home desktop setup. I connect my Macbook Pro 13" (from august 2010) to a Dell U2410 screen.
Everything works perfectly for a while, but then the cursor starts jumping around on the screen when I use the Magic TrackPad. Now here comes the weird thing, if I open the lid on the Macbook just a few inches the jumping stops completely and the Magic TrackPad works perfectly again.
I have tried googling a bit and browsed these forums also - no luck finding a solution.
I have also tried connecting a USB mouse to the Macbook when the cursor started to jump around - no problem with the USB mouse. I have also tried a different Magic TrackPad that my friend also just have bought for his setup - same problem after a short time.
Everything is updated to the latest software and firmware.
Thank you in advance for your help.

I have the same problem with a Trackpad paired with a new Mac Mini just purchased in September. After a while, my trackpad also starts to exhibit behavior similar to those described by Hecro. The trackpad cursor feels frozen, or else it jumps around, often trying to stay away from or jump over any hyperlink in either text or graphic form on the page I am viewing.
I find that if I pick up the trackpad and hold it above my palm between my thumb on one side and my fingers on the other side — so there is no pressure on the clicking feet on the bottom of the trackpad — a "jumping" trackpad instantly becomes a "stable" trackpad. Put it back down on a surface and it starts jumping again.
Also, when it starts jumping or skipping, I also find that if I use one finger and bear down hard on the trackpad, it resumes being responsive.
I am filing a comment about this on Apple's feedback forum at www.apple.com/feedback at the advice of a Genius at the Apple Store at Cambridgeside in Cambridge, Massachusetts USA.

My mac pro won't pair with my magic trackpad.

I'm posting in this forum because I am using a Mac Pro, what we used to call a "tower," and my Magic Trackpad isn't recognized & won't pair. This has been an increasing problem over the past year, and I actually blamed the trackpad and bought a new one -- and of course it doesn't work either. My MacBook Pro (actually two of them) use the same latest version of Mountain Lion and they pair up just fine, never dropping the connection. I'm an old-timer with 25 years on the Mac, and I'm stumped. The support forums here confirm that this is a common problem -- MT not pairing -- and I have tried every suggestion I can find. Booting in safe mode, repairing permissions, trashing the bluetooth prefs file, VRAM and SMC resets, moving computer away from any possible interference, and probably two or three more I can't recall. I don't have any exotic apps installed (there's one that has something to do with Windows that can cause this problem, but I don't have it), nothing on the tower that's not on the two laptops running the same OS X version. For the record, I have a 2x2.8 Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 4 GB 800 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM, all the original Apple installation. OS X is 10.8.4. I've tried three different brands of alkaline batteries. For a time the problem was intermittent (the dreaded "dropped connection") but now it doesn't pair up at all, i.e. neither of my two trackpads pair up. I've let the "searching" function run for as long as 30 minutes, including some restarts of the trackpad...you get the picture. Although this has been addressed in other places in support, I am posting here because so far I don't have a solution. Any ideas? I really appreciate the forum, have been here a long time, and hope that someone has that next good idea that's going to help me. Thanks in advance!

I had the same problem as you with Bluetooth stuff. It was suggested to me that I buy an external BT dongle
as the bluetooth reception in the stock Mac Pro was spotty at best.I did so- iogear 421 (the 521 is supported but ONLY in Mountain Lion, so I was told) and bluetooth works just fine. Of course it might be that the cables for your Bluetooth/Airport card in your Mac Pro could have been installed incorrectly (just google bluetooth in Mac Pro help) but...if they have been, then the dongle might be your best bet, or some kind of external antenna
(the G5 had one, as you may know, but we don't......)
I see by your posting you have tried every suggestion you possibly could, and it's not software related
and it's not a simple one-shot-done fix...
that's the best I have for now. I think I paid about $25 for the dongle and it was easy as pie to install
John B

Swipe between pages feature is freezing with magic mouse and magic trackpad in Mavericks

I am experiencing a bug in Mavericks with my Magic trackpad and the Magic mouse. This bug comes and goes and is very sporadic. When it happens I am usually in a browser like Firefox or Safari, or in iPhoto. Anything that uses the Swipe between pages feature usually locks up, and on top of this it locks the scroling up and down function in the browsers and in iPhoto. The only thing that makes these functions work again is to reeboot or turn off bluetooth and turn it back on. I see that many people are having this problem in other posts, and I am just wondering if Apple is actually working on this bug or has somebody found what trigers this bug and do they have the fix for it?
Thanks for your help
Chris

Maybe this will help. You can look for other ideas in the 'More Like This' box to the right.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/25421934#25421934
Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.
Feedback

Is there a way to control the Magic Trackpad scrolling speed?

I just got the new magic Trackpad.
I am finding the speed of scrolling in window to be quite fast such that I it goes to far. Is there anyway to control the speed of it so it does not go to fast?
Thanks and I look forward to your reply.

I haven't received my MTP yet but if it works like the trackpad on my MBP you just don't flick your finger so fast. The speed is governed by how quickly you move your finger across the surface which is something I find very cool because it puts me in total control.
Regards,
Roger

Magic Trackpad Frustrations

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