Trackpad Button Problems

Hey everyone,
So my Macbook is getting to be about a year and a half old and I'm starting to notice some issues with it that could be due to wear and tear. The biggest thing in question is my trackpad button.
Situation 1: I've noticed quite a bit of looseness to the trackpad button in general over the past few weeks. It all started when it would click loudly when I would press it. Eventually, the sound stopped but I noticed that it had turned into a "mushy" feeling. Any suggestions?
Situation 2: I have started to notice a slowly growing problem with the response of the trackpad button within the operating system. Its weird.....it will act like I "right clicked" something and pull up a menu. I've tried searching around to find a solution to this but this problem seems to be a rarity.
Hopefully someone here has a suggestion. I would go to an Apple store but the "local" one for me is about an hour away.
Thanks,
-Noah

Ah ha! Thanks for the incite. I went to the trackpad menu, which I have never noticed before, and found an option that will do a "secondary click". If you have two fingers on the trackpad when you click, it'll bring up the menu. Thinking back and noticing when it happens now, that is the culprit.
Since this was starting to act up and I've never noticed the trackpad menu before, it all makes sense. This is all started happening after the newest OS X upgrade! Maybe I should read the fine print on what has been updated next time.
Thanks again!

Similar Messages

  • Trackpad button problems? Could be your battery!

    My trackpad button lost all its clicking function yesterday, suddenly becoming much more mushy than usual. By the end of the day, it acted as though it were permanently clicked, arbitrarily dragging items all over the screen, wherever the cursor was moved. By this evening, the trackpad button wouldn’t move at all.
    I removed the battery and cautiously touched the trackpad from beneath, as that area is exposed in the battery compartment. It made the original clicking noise in the middle, both sides, front, and back. I then opened the lid (lifted the screen up) and pressed on the trackpad, finding that the clicking sound and action worked fine.
    After replacing the battery and restarting the computer, though, I found that the clicking function was still gone, and that the button wouldn’t move at all.
    Removing the battery, I looked at it against a light and detected an almost imperceptible bulge in the middle. I guess the specifications are so tight that bulge is raised enough to permanently press up on the trackpad from beneath, making it impossible to click from above.
    I then inserted my recently purchased backup battery and find that the trackpad button is fully clickable with it.
    I’m glad that this probably means I won’t have to live without my computer for a few weeks, as it should need to be sent in for repairs. However, because the battery still charges and supplies power without any noticeably problem, and the bulge is so slight as to be unnoticeable, I doubt that Apple will be willing to replace it.
    I’ve already had three power adapters melt within six months, and the last replacement took three weeks to arrive, so I didn’t want to lose that much income again while waiting for a trackpad button replacement (which appears to be unnecessary). Obviously, it is a heat problem for both the adapters and battery. I use the computer almost always on a hard-surface desk, but of course it is used about sixteen hours a day, seven days a week (minus four hours of church meetings on Sundays). The power adapters are in the open air, so I don’t know where all the heat is coming from. All of us who own a MacBook Pro notice within the first hour out of the box that it is too hot to sit on a lap, so I guess it is a design problem—and maybe quality control problems at the Chinese factories.
    I similarly went through eight iBook G3 logic boards due to heat problems without ever getting the computer replaced as hoped. This time, I have AppleCare to make it more likely that I can get a replacement once they solve their various heat-related problems with a revised design if I encounter too many more problems. I’ve lost so much income in recent years from long repairs (unavailable replacement parts) of new or nearly near Apple laptop computers. I’m still committed to the platform, though, after twenty years of devotion.

    Thanks! That’s great news. I’ve been delaying it until now, because I couldn’t find the original box of my second battery, so I assumed that I couldn’t send it in, and I haven’t had time to go to a local dealer yet.
    This general recall and ability to use the one working battery in the meantime will solve my problem and avoid future similar issues.
    The description on that page also makes it sound as though it won’t be a replay of my problem with the iBook logic board that I kept getting replaced (eight or nine times) with more than a two-week wait sometimes, only to have the last failure happen outside the three-year extended coverage. If this is in fact a quality control problem rather than a design problem as was the case with the iBook, I don’t expect a recurrence after this.
    Unfortunately, though, looking at the number of power adapters that I’ve been going through with this MacBook Pro, I do suspect multiple recurrences throughout the future, as it is clearly a design problem. Having two of them should leave me with one working one, though, while waiting for replacements.
    15" 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo MacBookPro1,1   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   2 GB 667 MHz RAM

  • Trackpad button problem

    Just bought new white MacBook 2.1 and the trackpad button has no click. Needs huge force to hold down to drag windows. This appears to be a problem but I really don't want to have to send it away for long time. Have seen lots of threads on this and Apple seem to have a pretty wide definition of what is an acceptable 'click'. Any thoughts?

    Consider what will make you most happy in the long term. Do you want to accept this as it is or do you want it fixed, even though that means being without it for a while longer?
    Some people have fixed this by removing the battery and pressing on a round spot on the underside of the tracpad. On some model of iBooks there was a mod or fix where Apple sent you a little foam pad that you stuck on the underside of the tracpad so the battery would press against it. You might see if your little pad is in place.

  • Trackpad Button... intermitent problem

    Hi Guys...
    I've been having some issues with my trackpad button lately, its goes through stages where it'll only respond on one side and then the other, sometimes it'll only respond if i click it in the middle and more recently, it only responds when i click it in really hard. Its getting quite difficult to use.
    Bought it (Macbook) in 2006 and this is the only problem I've had with it so far.
    I read a few topics that suggest you ccan remove the battery and sort it out that way but I'm a novice, never opened it before and wouldnt know what to do.
    Any suggestions? Many thanks xx

    Thanks for your suggestion... the problem is that I use the computer a lot for work (I'm a journalist) and my nearest Apple store is almost 2 hours away and I cant get there until the weekend. I'd be more than happy to hazard a go at fixing it myself... obviously if its complicated and involves taking the thing apart I wont touch it:)I was hoping a quick clean of something inside might work... but I'm guessing not. Perhaps its not quite so simple as that.

  • Trackpad and trackpad button often unresponsive in Mavericks

    This is an offshoot of discussion about a mouse right click not always working since upgrading to Mavericks.
    I said using the trackpad and trackpad button on my MBP often doesn't effect the computer; I have to repeat those actions multiple times before anything happens.
    Drew Reece offered some suggestions for my issues:
    First, I came to Mavericks from Snow Leopard because I'd tried Lion and Mt. Lion but found my old laptop (early 2008 MBP v4.1) ran way, too slow.
    Before going whole hog on Mavericks I read a lot, then installed it on an external drive (spinning, connected with FW800) and played with it for a few days.  I used Migration Assistant to make the move, which segregated software that was not compatible.  Mavericks was slow for a few days, but did gradually speed up.   However, that was when I first ran into the issue with the trackpad and button not registering with the computer's display.  I also ran into the problems with Mail not liking my 3 Gmail accounts but actually solved that using by booting in safe mode, thanks to another poster here.  Not sure why - I attributed it to Spotlight indexing the drive - everything about the computer was very slow and extremely funky while in safe mode; no way I would want to judge the OS based on performance during that boot.  It was awful.
    I did update a lot of applications to Mavericks-ready versions while I was using 10.9 on that external drive.
    When I felt comfortable, I wiped my NBP hard drive and did a clean install of Mavericks, followed by repeating the same software updates.  Then used Super Duper to just bring over User folders from that external drive.  Because SD restores the Spotlight state there was no "break-in" period so Mavericks ran reasonably fast right away.  I wasn't ready for iCloud deleting my Address Book data but, fortunately, I replaced everything from the external drive's Users/me/Library/Application Support/Address Book folder.
    So, per Drew's suggestion, I ran EtreCheck:
    Hardware Information:
              MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008)
              MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro4,1
              1 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores
              4 GB RAM
    Video Information:
              GeForce 8600M GT     - VRAM: 256 MB
    Audio Plug-ins:
              BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0
              AirPlay: Version: 1.9
              AppleAVBAudio: Version: 2.0.0
              iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3
    Startup Items:
              FanControlDaemon - Path: /Library/StartupItems/FanControlDaemon
              Tor - Path: /Library/StartupItems/Tor
    System Software:
              OS X 10.9 (13A603) - Uptime: 0 days 0:53:59
    Disk Information:
              Hitachi HTS542520K9SA00 disk0 : (200.05 GB)
                        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                        Power 10 (disk0s2) /: 199.71 GB (71.1 GB free)
    USB Information:
              Apple Inc. iPod
              Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
              Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
                        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
              Apple, Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
              Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
    FireWire Information:
              Other World Computing OXFORD IDE Device 1 400mbit - 800mbit max
                        EFI (disk3s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                        Banksy (disk3s2) /Volumes/Banksy: 299.21 GB (180.6 GB free)
              Other World Computing OXFORD IDE Device 1 800mbit - 800mbit max
                        EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                        Got Your Back (disk1s2) /Volumes/Got Your Back: 319.73 GB (196.91 GB free)
              OWC Mercury Elite Pro 800mbit - 800mbit max
                        EFI (disk4s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                        Video (disk4s2) /Volumes/Video: 1 TB (561.34 GB free)
                        Repechage (disk4s3) /Volumes/Repechage: 1 TB (513.06 GB free)
                        Wayback (disk4s4) /Volumes/Wayback: 999.39 GB (108.82 GB free)
              OWC Mercury Elite unknown_device 800mbit - 800mbit max
                        EFI (disk2s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
                        Check It! (disk2s2) /Volumes/Check It!: 1 TB (513.38 GB free)
                        The Shed (disk2s3) /Volumes/The Shed: 300 GB (180.43 GB free)
                        Space (disk2s4) /Volumes/Space: 697.3 GB (558.43 GB free)
    Thunderbolt Information:
    Kernel Extensions:
              at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch          (4050)
              com.rogueamoeba.InstantOn          (6.0.3)
              com.bresink.driver.BRESINKx86Monitoring          (9.0)
    Problem System Launch Daemons:
    Problem System Launch Agents:
    Launch Daemons:
              [loaded] at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist
              [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist
              [loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist
              [loaded] com.barebones.authd.plist
              [loaded] com.bombich.ccc.plist
              [not loaded] com.bombich.ccc.scheduledtask.1F60888F-BFED-41C0-85FC-E077C4E6162C.plist
              [not loaded] com.freemacsoft.appcleanerdaemon.plist
              [loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist
              [loaded] com.micromat.TechToolProDaemon.plist
              [loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist
              [loaded] org.glimmerblocker.proxy.plist
              [loaded] org.macosforge.xquartz.privileged_startx.plist
    Launch Agents:
              [loaded] at.obdev.LittleSnitchUIAgent.plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist
              [loaded] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist
              [loaded] com.divx.dms.agent.plist
              [loaded] com.divx.update.agent.plist
              [failed] com.google.keystone.agent.plist
              [loaded] com.micromat.TechToolProAgent.plist
              [loaded] com.sony.PMBPortable.AutoRun.plist
              [loaded] net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist
              [loaded] org.glimmerblocker.updater.plist
              [loaded] org.macosforge.xquartz.startx.plist
    User Launch Agents:
              [not loaded] ca.madefresh.BodegaAgent.plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
              [not loaded] com.akamai.single-user-client.plist
              [not loaded] com.bombich.ccc-user-agent.plist
              [not loaded] de.metaquark.appfresh.plist
              [not loaded] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist
    User Login Items:
              GrowlHelperApp
              GrowlMenu
              KeyCue
              SizeUp
              BookMacster
              MagiCal
              Caffeine
              Dates to iCal 2
              iTrashGhost
              Rogue Amoeba Schedule Helper
              Aurora Wakeup Helper
    3rd Party Preference Panes:
              A Better Finder Preferences
              Akamai NetSession Preferences
              EarthDesk
              Fan Control
              Flash Player
              Flip4Mac WMV
              GlimmerBlocker
              MacFUSE (Tuxera)
              MenuMeters
              Perian
              TechTool Protection
    Internet Plug-ins:
              AdobeAAMDetect.plugin
              AdobePDFViewer.plugin
              AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin
              Default Browser.plugin
              DirectorShockwave.plugin
              DivX Web Player.plugin
              Flash Player.plugin
              FlashPlayer-10.6.plugin
              Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin
              Google Earth Web Plug-in.plugin
              googletalkbrowserplugin.plugin
              iPhotoPhotocast.plugin
              JavaAppletPlugin.plugin
              npgtpo3dautoplugin.plugin
              o1dbrowserplugin.plugin
              OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin.plugin
              OVSHelper.plugin
              QuickTime Plugin.plugin
              RealPlayer Plugin.plugin
              SharePointBrowserPlugin.plugin
              Silverlight.plugin
              Unity Web Player.plugin
    User Internet Plug-ins:
              CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin.plugin
              SheepSystemsNPAPIPlugin.plugin
    Bad Fonts:
              None
    Time Machine:
              Skip System Files: NO
              Mobile backups: OFF
              Auto backup: NO
              Volumes being backed up:
                        Banksy: Disk size: 299.21 GB Disk used: 118.61 GB
              Destinations:
                        Wayback [Local] (Last used)
                        Total size: 999.39 GB
                        Total number of backups: 85
                        Oldest backup: 2012-11-13 14:09:20 +0000
                        Last backup: 2013-11-10 12:12:44 +0000
                        Size of backup disk: Excellent
                                  Backup size 999.39 GB > (Disk size 299.21 GB X 3)
    Top Processes by CPU:
                  18%          firefox
                   6%          WindowServer
                   2%          EtreCheck
                   2%          Finder
                   1%          SystemUIServer
                   0%          Little Snitch Agent
                   0%          Little Snitch Network Monitor
                   0%          fontd
                   0%          Aurora Wakeup Helper
                   0%          Little Snitch Daemon
    Top Processes by Memory:
              616 MB   firefox
              365 MB   com.apple.IconServicesAgent
              160 MB   Finder
              127 MB   WindowServer
              98 MB    Mail
              94 MB    mds_stores
              86 MB    Dock
              78 MB    AdobeAcrobat
              49 MB    Contacts
              45 MB    soagent
    Virtual Memory Statistics:
              696 MB   Free RAM
              1.73 GB  Active RAM
              1.05 GB  Inactive RAM
              552 MB   Wired RAM
              517 MB   Page-ins
              0 B      Page-outs
    I don't see anything that mentions software - good or bad.  And I don't see anything else that indicates a problem but maybe I just don't know how to read this report?
    Sorry about the length of this but I wanted to addres all Drew's suggestions.  And I'm still seeing those intermittent trackpad/button issues.
    - thanks

    I'll try to break down each of these sections & point out any bad signs below.
    Hopefully the color helps…
    Alex Machi wrote:
    Startup Items:
              FanControlDaemon - Path: /Library/StartupItems/FanControlDaemon
              Tor - Path: /Library/StartupItems/Tor
    Kernel Extensions:
              at.obdev.nke.LittleSnitch          (4050)
              com.rogueamoeba.InstantOn          (6.0.3)
              com.bresink.driver.BRESINKx86Monitoring          (9.0)
    Launch Daemons:
              [loaded] at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist
              [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist
              [loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist
              [loaded] com.barebones.authd.plist
              [loaded] com.bombich.ccc.plist
              [not loaded] com.bombich.ccc.scheduledtask.1F60888F-BFED-41C0-85FC-E077C4E6162C.plist
              [not loaded] com.freemacsoft.appcleanerdaemon.plist
              [loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist
              [loaded] com.micromat.TechToolProDaemon.plist
              [loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist
              [loaded] org.glimmerblocker.proxy.plist
              [loaded] org.macosforge.xquartz.privileged_startx.plist
    Launch Agents:
              [loaded] at.obdev.LittleSnitchUIAgent.plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist
              [loaded] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist
              [loaded] com.divx.dms.agent.plist
              [loaded] com.divx.update.agent.plist
              [failed] com.google.keystone.agent.plist
              [loaded] com.micromat.TechToolProAgent.plist
              [loaded] com.sony.PMBPortable.AutoRun.plist
              [loaded] net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist
              [loaded] org.glimmerblocker.updater.plist
              [loaded] org.macosforge.xquartz.startx.plist
    User Launch Agents:
              [not loaded] ca.madefresh.BodegaAgent.plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
              [not loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
              [not loaded] com.akamai.single-user-client.plist
              [not loaded] com.bombich.ccc-user-agent.plist
              [not loaded] de.metaquark.appfresh.plist
              [not loaded] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist
    User Login Items:
              GrowlHelperApp
              GrowlMenu
              KeyCue
              SizeUp
              BookMacster
              MagiCal
              Caffeine
              Dates to iCal 2
              iTrashGhost
              Rogue Amoeba Schedule Helper
              Aurora Wakeup Helper
    3rd Party Preference Panes:
              A Better Finder Preferences
              Akamai NetSession Preferences
              EarthDesk
              Fan Control
              Flash Player
              Flip4Mac WMV
              GlimmerBlocker
              MacFUSE (Tuxera)
              MenuMeters
              Perian
              TechTool Protection
    Internet Plug-ins:
              AdobeAAMDetect.plugin
              AdobePDFViewer.plugin
              AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin
              Default Browser.plugin
              DirectorShockwave.plugin
              DivX Web Player.plugin
              Flash Player.plugin
              FlashPlayer-10.6.plugin
              Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin
              Google Earth Web Plug-in.plugin
              googletalkbrowserplugin.plugin
              iPhotoPhotocast.plugin
              JavaAppletPlugin.plugin
              npgtpo3dautoplugin.plugin
              o1dbrowserplugin.plugin
              OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin.plugin
              OVSHelper.plugin
              QuickTime Plugin.plugin
              RealPlayer Plugin.plugin
              SharePointBrowserPlugin.plugin
              Silverlight.plugin
              Unity Web Player.plugin
    User Internet Plug-ins:
              CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin.plugin
              SheepSystemsNPAPIPlugin.plugin
    Red items are loaded at the system level
    Blue items are loaded at the user level
    The other stuff gets loaded into apps like Safari - they are internet plugins.
    Cleanup:
    All the usual caveats apply, backup before you modify the system, delete the items (or move them to another disk or folder if you are worried about deleting the wrong thing) but ensure the originals are gone or updated.
    Use the Finders "Go menu > Go to Folder…" to open the hidden ~/Library (your users library).
    Reboot for the system changes to take effect.
    How to find updates:
    The critical launchd jobs & kernel extensions use reverse domain notation e.g.
    at.obdev.littlesnitchd.plist means look at http://obdev.at for 'LittleSnitch' updates
    You want to try to update or remove all the system level items.
    Startup Items: Stored in /Library/StartupItems/
    Startup Items have been discontinued by Apple since Mac OS 10.4. They are responsible for making changes at a system level. Remove them all or spend time ensuring ALL related software is up to date. You need a very good reason to have anything installed in here.
    Kernel Extensions: Stored in /Library/Extensions/
    Kernel Extensions also load third party code, but they insert it into the 'core' of the OS. These can be safe, however you must ensure the related tools or apps are up to date, otherwise the system is basically built upon quicksand. Remove them all & see if the OS works better.
    Your LittleSnitch is out of date for example, how about hardware monitor or Rogueamoeba's software?
    Launchd jobs: several types
    LaunchAgents          - Stored in /Library/LaunchAgents
    LaunchDaemons       - Stored in /Library/LaunchDaemons
    User LaunchAgents   - Stored in ~/Library/LaunchAgents
    These are all background jobs, they are not necessarily bad, but if they are loading old code it could be doing untold damage to the performance & stability of the entire OS. Focus on the System level jobs (the ones inside /Library - the system level) also remove ['failed'] jobs.
    EtreCheck gives a status on launchd jobs…
    [loaded]                  - a running job
    [not loaded]            - jobs that are set not to run, basically harmless, remove them unless you plan to use the associated software (if it is up to date)
    [failed]                    - jobs in a crashed or unknown state, it could be forking processes or using all the system resources, remove these.
    User login items:
    Applications and helpers that are managed inside 'Systems Preferences > Users and groups > Login Items tab'.
    These are loaded at the 'User level', consider removing all of them whilst you troubleshoot.  When you decide to re-add them ensure the software is up to date.
    3rd Party Preference Panes: & Internet Plug-ins:
    /Library/PreferencePanes/ and ~/Library/PreferencePanes/
    /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ and ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
    Once again these items all must be up to date, or remove them from your system. If the prefpanes manage additional software use the uninstaller or see the developers site for uninstall instructions.
    Read the list of Internet plug-ins carefully, there are often duplicate Flash player versions that won't help stability, it's just wasted space too.
    Don't forget to also update Safari's extensions in it's preferences (if you have any).
    Re-run EtreCheck after cleaning up to see if items have returned (some apps will reload the background jobs when re-opened, so either update or remove the software).
    Hope that isn't too daunting, the OS should be better if there are less old items running at the system level.

  • How I fixed my Powerbook G4 Trackpad Button

    I'd like to share a solution I've found to a problem that plagued me.
    For months, my trackpad would intermittently act sticky. I thought it was the trackpad itself, but as the problem became more frequent and intense, I realized that it was the button itself.
    Because the machine was unusable without an external mouse, I decided to do whatever I could to fix it today. I tried cleaned it with a lint-free cloth, cleaning the gap between the trackpad and the button, resetting the PMU, and resetting the NVRAM. None of this helped.
    SO, I deduced that it must be a hardware problem and I could probably fix it since I knew the problem originated under the button itself. So I went to iFixit.com.
    I found the Upper Case removal instructions here: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/PowerBook-G4-Al-15-Inch-1-5-1-67-BT-2-0-LR/Upper -Case/64/3/
    Overall, it took me about an hour of meticulous work. Opening the Powerbook went fine. I removed the top cover with some hesitation, but no damage was done. I located the trackpad circuitry and removed the 2 inner and the 2 outer screws. I discovered a very small button, THE button. I clicked it a few times and it seemed okay. Perhaps the screws had loosened over time. I lightly vacuumed the inner trackpad area with a small brush attachment, and I put it all back together.
    I have apparently repair the problem completely. I can only guess that some dust got under the area and/or the screws were too lose to operate properly. If anyone is having a similar problem with their trackpad button, I highly recommend that they locate their model at iFixIt.com, locate the correct tools, and carefully remove the top casing in a clean work area.
    Go here: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/
    Tim-tim-poorah.

    Zenskanitsky - thanks for sharing!! My trackpad started to act funny a month ago and a week ago it totally stopped working. I didn't want to spend the USD250 for the new trackpad uppercase so I started wondering if I could try to fix it myself.
    Well i came across your post and it really helped!! My trackpad button works like new and is very sensitive.
    For those wanting to do the same thing, I would like to add some points to Zen's post:
    1) print out the instructions from ifixit.com - they are super easy to follow
    2) equipment i used was the 75mm philips style screwdriver, and the EC-T6, plus a plastic letter opener (to replace Spudger) to carefully pry open uppercase.
    3) I don't have the little vacuum cleaner but i took a cloth and also blew out (with my mouth) any dust that may have been there.
    4) When I put everything back together again, the trackpad button was responding but still needed some very hard pushing, so I opened up the powerbook again (which was where I realized it would be easier to just print out the ifixit.com instructions than follow on the other computer)...
    5) this time I sprayed a cotton swab ear cleaner with WD-40 and dabbed THE BUTTON with it, until it was wet. Then i clicked the button with my finger and dabbed more WD-40 on it.
    6) When I reassembled everything the mouse button worked like new.
    In fact I am so happy with the state of my mouse button i thought I would do my bit to first thank Zen for encouraging me to try to fix my own mouse button and 2nd adding my own lessons learned for others looking to do the same thing.
    Regards from jakarta everyone and happy new year!!!
    jakartaguy

  • Occasional MacBook Pro 8,1 / Feb 2011 trackpad button fails to work

    Having this really annoying problem on occasion with a new 13" MBP (purchased a month ago in Toronto from the Apple Store Eaton) - every once in a while the trackpad button will fail to work. The trackpad will function just fine, but the button will not work no matter what you do. I also have a Magic Mouse; if the trackpad button won't work, neither will the MM.
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    Cheers
    Massimo Savino

    Delete CleanMyMac2.  You do not need it and may be a contributing reason for your problem.
    Check Activity Monitor for applications that may be using a lot of CPU resources:
    http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203184
    Run an Apple Hardware Test:
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  • Trackpad button not working on 2.53GHz MBP 13in...

    Hi Guys,
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    rich

    rustyintegrale wrote:
    codekitty wrote:
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    Rich

  • Trackpad + Typing Problem

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    Have you tried resetting your Power Management Unit?
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  • Stuck trackpad button on Macbook Pro late 2011?

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    If you're having trouble 'clicking' using the trackpad, you really need to take your unit into your local Apple Store for service. It might be something minor. But the trackpad is one of the most delicate pieces of your computer and it should be working.
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  • 2.33 GHz MacBook Pro Trackpad Button Not as Responsive as Expected

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    Hi,
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    MBP C2D 2,16GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8)
    MBP C2D 2,16GHz Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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  • Stuck trackpad button?

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    Just take it in.  Let the staff know how temperamental your MBP is.

  • Trackpad Button Repair Question

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    It is probably more productive to post in the PowerBook forums here:
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