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.

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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.

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).

Lion produces weird trackpad behavior in Angry Birds

I upgraded to Lion this week. I know there are all sorts of new trackpad features, but the probem is that it messes up a lot in Angry Birds. For example, the various finger-swipes have unpredictable results; instead of resetting the screen, it might activate launchpad. Or it might jump you back to the "play" splash screen. The pinch and expand gestures might randomly activate mission control instead of zooming the way it did in pre-Lion Angry birds. And quite often, I'm finding that the trackpad stops responding at all! No matter what gesture I use, the bird sits there in the slingshot, unmoved, unless I restart the app. It's weird.
I've adjusted the trackpad settings in Settings as much as possible to accommodate gameplay, but AB still responds unusually to gestures, without regard to either the specified setting or to its pre-Lion performance. It seems like Apple put way too many features into every slight gesture on a trackpad, so it's become LESS intuitive because gameplay gestures trigger spontaneous resets and screen modifications instead of, well, game interaction.

Works for me and thanks i just try to see because i didn't play in Lion and the level that i was stuck in i pass it in the first try so thank you it works for me.But is true playing that game you can't do much gestures same thing happening before lion,just open it play it and close it.

TrackPad Behavior Has Changed

Something strange has happened recently and I can't pinpoint when it started happening.
Here's the issue...
In a web browser (Safari, Firefox, etc.) in the past, if I held the trackpad button down for 3-5 seconds, it accomplished the same thing at a CTRL-Click - it brought up the option window.
This feature is no longer working - I miss it. How do I get it back?
Furthermore, another issue related to web browsers (Safari, Firefox, etc.) - it seems that web sites with automatic downloads are not being processed correctly anymore.
Instead of opening the download window and downloading the app, the apps are opening in the URL field (ie: http://www.foobar.com/download.dmg) and nothing happens - downloads do not begin.
Since both my issues are related to web browsers - I am wondering if they might be related?
Any thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks!

I've gotten used to CTRL-clicking or right clicking when I have a 2-button mouse handy.

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.

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.

Trackpad behavior: Won't "unclick" Continues to highlight everything in its path

For unexplained reasons, my trackpad will not "let go" or "unclick" during highlighting and will drag the text/copy/whatever all over. The problem is intermittent but frequent. I have found that if I "bang" on the trackpad, it will eventually let go of the highlight. The problem most often shows up in Word.
Any idea what's going on? And how to remedy it?
I don't recall having this problem prior to Mavericks OS

Restart the computer, while doing so reset the SMC and if necessary reset the PRAM. Instructions for both resets can be found by clicking iMac SMC and PRAM reset

Odd trackpad behavior

I have a MacBook Pro i7, early 2011, Lion 10.7.2. An oddity has started, and it seems it is only on eBay pages when I try to click on "Watch This Item." I've had the MBP for a while, so it has to be something recently done to the system. If I Control-Click on the area, or hover over it, the place to click is a Javascript not a hyperlink. After frustration, I started saving the pages I wanted to watch then use my iPad later to click on the "Watch" button. So far this is the only site I've experienced this. I've also tried Chrome and FireFox and the same inaction from clicking on the "Watch" button.
Any ideas?
Thanks for any suggestions...
Tom

Whatever the issue was, the eBay site is now responding when I click on the "Watch This Item" button. I guess I should have written to eBay, but have you ever tried to send an e-mail to them - if possible I couldn't find a link. But the good news is that it had nothing to do with my system. It is still odd though, during that time, my iPad or iPhone could click on those eBay buttons. Oh well...
Tom

Trackpad Failure for no Known Reason - Should Apple be Held Accountable?

About a week and a half ago while using my MacBook Pro, purchased December 31st, 2009, I began experiencing intermittent erratic trackpad behavior. Untouched, the cursor would move across the screen and even opened Garage Band on its own. I was unable to use the trackpad due to this, as the cursor would jump around causing me to select things unintentionally. I attempted restarting, cleaning the trackpad, cleaning my hands, etc. The only way I was able to use the computer was by plugging in a USB mouse and selecting the option of turning the trackpad off when a mouse is present.
I began searching the discussions on here to determine what may be the problem at hand. I hadn't spilled anything or mishandled the laptop in any way, so that was not to blame. I came across discussions of battery swelling disrupting trackpad operation and thought it seemed possible. Not wanting to attempt a diagnosis on my own, I called customer service. The woman I spoke with said it didn't sound like a software issue as the mouse did not behave in the same manner. She did tell me that because my phone support had expired I would have to pay a fee to receive any troubleshooting help. This infuriated me - a company not willing to help a customer troubleshoot via the phone??? Mindy informed me that I could take it to the nearest apple store (over an hour away, might I add) and see if they could be any help. She set up an appointment for me the next day at 3:00.
At the Apple store, I checked in with a man whose role was not entirely apparent to me; he seemed disinterested in the swarm of people in the store and more focused on looking important with his iPad (A sales rep. had to tell me that he was the one I would need to check in with - I don't even think Mr. iPad made direct eye contact with me during this process). After I was paired up with my designated "Genius" I informed him of the problem, and what I suspected it might be. He turned the computer off and back on running his diagnostic tests. Nothing seemed to be out of sorts, so he took it to the back to inspect the innards of my beloved MacBook Pro. He came back a few minutes later, and told me the battery looked fine, and that everything else looked fine as well. He then told me that the trackpad itself must be to blame, and that it would cost me 50 some dollars and an additional 30 something for labor. I asked why the trackpad was malfunctioning, as I had taken good care of my computer. I was informed that sometimes trackpads stop working. Sure, they may stop working, but not on a computer under two years old that shows no signs of mishandling! I told him I shouldn't be expected to pay for this due to this reason. He told me that he couldn't waive the parts fee and that IT WAS A CHEAP REPAIR ANYWAYS. I was appalled and told him that actually, $50 is a lot of money to me - the computer was a gift and I don't take $50 lightly. He backtracked, saying that in comparison to other repairs it was cheap. I asked to speak with his manager, who came out and told me the same thing. They would waive the labor fee and charge me for the part. The labor wound up taking about 15 minutes - definitely not justifying the cost of the "labor". The final paperwork I received stated:
Issue Verified: No
Known Liquid Damage: No
Issue: Trackpad tracking issues
Steps to Reproduce: Checked at the bar
Proposed Resolution: Replace trackpad and waive labor
Cosmetic Condition: Minor scratched and abrasions
Seeing as how a laptop is useless without the mouse, and the fact that I have no car and had to get a ride for the over-an-hour trip, I really had no choice but to have them replace the trackpad. I am, however, FURIOUS that I was made to pay for a new trackpad when I had done nothing to cause the first one to fail. I thought that when you purchased a MacBook PRO that you were purchasing a top of the line product "DESIGNED TO LAST...FOR A LONG, PRODUCTIVE LIFE". No one in their right mind would shell out over a grand for a machine designed to last...less than two years! I have babied this computer and rarely ever take it of the house - solely because I did not want to make a stupid mistake and ruin a very expensive, very important piece of equipment!
I am wondering if Apple is ever held accountable for these sorts of issues? In the case that a piece of hardware malfunctions on an otherwise pristine computer with no known reason, should Apple be obligated to fix the part? As Apple states that their products are "designed to last for a long, productive life", shouldn't they be required to fix problems like this? Isn't that false advertising? I wasn't even given a real reason as to why my trackpad failed! Also, if the trackpad has a manufacturing/design error, Apple should be required to replace this for me - warranty or not. (After over a month of calling about a problem with an iPod out of warranty for over a year, I finally found a rep who recognized the manufacturing error presented and had it repaired, free of charge).
Has anyone else had success in holding Apple accountable for this on a product that is out of warranty? If so, I would love to hear about it - I am going to be writing Apple a formal letter of complaint and would like to know if anyone has had them own up to the problem, along with the case #. Also, does anyone know what could have caused the trackpad to malfunction in the first place?

This is going to be a hard argument and you may not like the answer.
Were you ever offered the AppleCare extended warranty when you purchased your MBP? Like you said above ..its a "Pro" model and it should have good quality parts. Believe it or not the MBP is very well made. However, like all stuff we buy it there is a chance it breaks. Unfortunately you had a failure. There isn't much you can do when you purchased the MBP you were made aware of the one year warranty and were giving the option to extend the warranty through AppleCare. Thats the arguement that Apple is going to make.
If I were you I wouldn't write a angry letter to Apple. If you write a reasonable letter that expresses your concerns over the quality of the Apple product you will be suprised what you may receive rather then writing a angry blast of their company. Basically write the letter step away from it for a couple hours reread and rewrite it.

TrackPad physical click not working after upgrade to Mountain Lion

Does anybody know how to get my trackpad working again after upgrading to Mountain Lion?
I recently upgraded my MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009, Intel Core 2 Duo) from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion. Everything seems to have gone well, except for trackpad behavior.
The primary problem is that the physical click of the trackpad is now erratic. Sometimes a physical click will work, and other times it will not work.
Note: The "tapping" of the trackpad DOES work consistently. I have confirmed that System Prefs > Trackpad > "Tap to Click" is enabled, and so tapping is not the problem. (The "tap to click" selector does exhibit a unique behavior however--if I DESELECT "tap to click," then the physical click no longer works at all. It looks like the "tap to click" selector can completely disable the physical click of the trackpad, but cannot enable the physical click completely.)
I have also checked the settings on System Prefs > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad, but none of those settings affect the physical click of the trackpad.
I tried zapping the PRAM, but that did not change the problem with physical clicking on the trackpad.
Grateful for any ideas...
Nertz

I ended up taking my MacBook to the Apple Genius Bar. The staff were very helpful.
The apple staff said that there is no known link between the upgrade to Mountain Lion and trackpad misbehavior. In my case, they made some hardware adjustments to the trackpad, and all is working properly again.
Bottom line: if you think that your trackpad misbehavior is related to Mountain Lion, you might want to take it to an Apple Genius Bar. If there really is no connection between Mountain Lion and trackpad behavior, then perhaps they can fix it for you (as happened to be true in my case). But if there IS a connection in some way, it would be helpful for Apple employees to see your evidence firsthand.
Best wishes to all...
Nertz

Trackpad erratic in Safari

I have a late 2011 MacBook Pro 13" running Mountain Lion.
When surfing in Safari I have an intermittent problem regarding the trackpad. The following symptoms have been observed:
Multi-gesture movements stop working
When moving the cursor text is erroneously highlighted
When moving the cursor text is erroneously magnified
The curson can't be moved at all
I have noticed these symptoms predominately in Safari. I started using Chrome which seems to improve the situation (less occurences) but I have still observed similar symptoms.
I don't believe it is a hardware failure. My intuition is it is a software issue. If I close the browser and reopen the condition is corrected.

I agree, it sounds like a software problem. But sometimes trackpad trouble can be fixed by cleaning the trackpad with a damp cloth (even a slight film of oil or grease can cause problems). Another thing to try: does it make a difference whether or not the power adapter is connected? When the MagSafe power adapter is connected and the three-prong grounded mains plug is not used, this can sometimes cause erratic trackpad behavior.

Single or double click with thumb doesn't work well on trackpad since upgrade to mountain lion

I'm using a 2009 MacBook Pro recently upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion.
The internal AND external trackpad behavior is disappointing compared to Snow Leopard. Neither one seem to register my thumb single or double click unless I do it pretty hard. For instance, selecting a word or double click to select a line.
A single finger works better but it's inconvenient to change years of training.
Sometimes I tap w/ my thumb on a button or link and it works and sometimes and I get no response until I use my finger. It's like the trackpad sensitivity is off. Single tap only half works.
I was really efficient with the old trackpad behavior and my thumb.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.

I'm the OP and I'm the one that listed the problem originally. I spent an hour with apple care and the genius level two guy suggested I wipe my whole system. LOL, for a 40MB app, yeah right. The issue with Safari 6 is javascript, according to yahoo javascript is turned off. If you try to change your classic yahoo mail to the newer version it will give you a javascript turned off error. So for whatever reason Safari 6 has javascript turned off even though it is clicked ENABLED in preferences. Crazy. I did find my solution though and that was to dump Safari 6 by giving myself "read and write" permissions and then dumping the safari chache, plist, and preferences files. Then I installed Safari 5.17 by downloading the dmg from the net using PACIFIST. I had complete directions but somebody at apple decided to delete the whole post.

Input manager & trackpad

Hi all!
I've got an idea for a new project, but I'm not sure how well the mac architecture would support it.
Where can I find a good introduction to making/using input managers as well as some info on their intended use and limitations. Can I make an input manager to change the way the trackpad can be used?
Should I be using input managers to give custom trackpad behavior, or is there some other way of doing it that I'm not aware of?
Thanks for sending me off in the right direction,
~Jordan

I have the impression that the trackpad can be customized via a driver. One is
http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/sidetrack/
The references I have seen for input manager seem to relate to text input.
There is a developer forum here:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=727

Refurbished Macbook Pro (Mid 2012) Trackpad Jumpy/Non Responsive

Just purchased a refurbished Macbook Pro (Mid 2012) from the Apple Online Store. It worked fine for the first few days and then I noticed the cursor would occasionally go absolutely berserk and open up windows and fight against what I was doing.
Ended up chatting with Apple Care, and we reset a few things which did not work. Have tried almost everything I've read in the Apple forums and nothing is working. It seems to work for a while sometimes and then out of nowhere it randomly goes crazy again.
Am I just going to have to take this to an authorized Apple service location?

Hi bapesta94,
If you are having intermittent erratic trackpad behavior with your MacBook Pro, you may find the following article helpful (apologies if you have already seen it):
Portables and Magic Trackpad: Jumpy or erratic trackpad operation
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1449
Regards,
- Brenden

Trackpad behavior

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