HT203171: If your pointer is jumpy when you use a trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse

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ejhma

Q: Continued erratic trackpad issues

I continue to have an erratic trackpad.  I've done PRAM resets, PMU resets, cleaned it, I even had it replaced.  It worked well for about a month and a half, and now I'm back to the same issue.  The Genius Bar says it is not a swollen battery. What to do?

 

I do not use a 3rd party powersource.  I'm aware of not having my wrist on the trackpad (and it is jumpy even when I'm not touching it).  It is not an oil or moisture issue.

 

The only thing that helps (briefly) is pressure on the trackpad (over the whole surface).  This gives me about 30 seconds of unerratic behavior, and is how I managed to type in this question.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 12, 2013 5:59 AM

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Q: Continued erratic trackpad issues

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  • by LeJaguar,

    LeJaguar LeJaguar Feb 14, 2013 8:28 PM in response to ejhma
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 14, 2013 8:28 PM in response to ejhma

    I had the same exact thing happen to me today, out of nowhere.  It was working one minute, and then it became possessed, even without touching it at all.  It would just jump all over the screen, clicking, right-clicking on things, I was afraid it was going to start forward emails to random people. 

     

    Did a PRAM / RAM reset like Apple tech told me.  Seemed to do the trick, however, I did notice it just did it a little bit, but so far hasn't.  Apple tech told me to repair disk permissions, and then finally, re-write the OS system. 

    I'll keep checking back to this to see what this might be, seems like a hard ware issue, but unsure.  Good luck! 

  • by eshute,

    eshute eshute Mar 4, 2013 5:15 PM in response to ejhma
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 4, 2013 5:15 PM in response to ejhma

    Try cleaning the trackpad if you haven't already, as this fixed my erractic trackpad.  I updated and the next day the track pad started working erractically.  I tried all kinds of things, but cleaning it worked. 

     

    To fix it, I turned the computer off, used a cleaner for my eyeglasses and made sure I cleaned the trackpad really well.  I used a tip of a needle to clean out the edges of the trackpad, as it was dirtier than I thought.  Maybe something about the update makes the trackpad more sensitive to dirt.  In other threads I read not to use hand lotions before using trackpad and to keep the trackpad as clean as possible.  

     

    This completely solved the problem.

  • by Lara_au,

    Lara_au Lara_au Mar 27, 2013 3:44 PM in response to eshute
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 27, 2013 3:44 PM in response to eshute

    After installing 10.8.3 my trackpad went nuts... Did the Killall Dock followed by cleaning it thoroughly and still the thing is completely out of control, moves on its own account. I am positive that it was something to do with the OS upgrade because it started immediately after.

  • by steve359,

    steve359 steve359 Mar 27, 2013 3:48 PM in response to ejhma
    Level 6 (14,032 points)
    Mar 27, 2013 3:48 PM in response to ejhma

    If you are going to clean it, please DO follow these precautions:

     

    The unit should be turned off (not just sleeping)

     

    Use only a soft cloth that is damp (not dripping) with alcohol-based cleaner that evaporates quickly (water just sits and corrodes)

     

    The corners are less relevant the the center portion where body oils accumulate -- do not force anything hard