Q: Jumpy erratic cursor/arrow - Moves & Selects without touching

I've been experiencing this problem off and on for over one year.  I tried everything on this topic, without luck.  I've been using a usb mouse.  Today I read a users post about turning blue tooth off, which I did and it worked!  I turned blue tooth back on and it's still working.  Fingers Crossed!

Hi Y'all,

  After reading all the posts!, not only this one but other sites. lol, "I, Believed it was my friend's android phone with a virus that was connected at first", so here was the fix for me atleast. The touchpad sidewall was to far pushed in the left side wall. I pushed it over a bit gently! to the right, fixed. I hope this helps out alot of people. Cheer lol some of the fix ideas are great laughs!

Hi,

Just thought it would be nice to share my experience and maybe even help someone.

I have 2011 13" MBP and I've been using it almost everyday (design student) with few exceptions (the times when Im too drunk)

Problem occurred after updating to OS X 10.9.1

To briefly describe the malfunction, yes my cursor was jumping across the screen (always seemed to go more on one side, then the other) but what I haven't read on this thread (I got to page 5...) is that it moved only horizontally, strictly on x axis only. Over a course of a week and half, the problem occurred about 3 times, for about full day, every time.

Some half year ago someone spilled a few drops of coke on my keyboard, so naturally my first reaction was to open it up and see if there's any sign of dried up coke. What I found on the inside of the track pad was a brown mould like stuff in size of a small coin. I cleaned the stain off very gently, with screen wipe cloth and glass cleaner (do not use, under any circumstances, cleaning liquids with alcohol. If you do use something, then better just use water). Assembled everything back together and at first it seemed that I have fixed the problem, but in few moments it appeared again, though only for few minutes - then it disappeared for about 4 days.

After it coming back I:

-reset PRAM / didn't help at all
-clean the top of the trackpad / this was not the case...
-press down all for corners of the trackpad / when did this,my screen went bananas (made apps transparent)
-change its settings (I normally use tap instead of click) / worked at first, then not again
-use mouse / worked partly

-verify disk permissions+repair disk permissions / seems to have fixed the problem instantly

If the problem comes back again, I still haven't tried to reconnect the track pad internally and some people say that it can be 'aligned' (the position of it can be changed + you can change how easy or hard it clicks, with the screw under the pad. check youtube -how to change track pad.

Also I have to mention, that my laptop has survived couple of drops, though it's not damaged severely, few dents and scratches. Another thing is that my battery is running out (now lasting maybe for about an hour, when fully charged) and I had to replace the charger once, because it got burned by the charging point on the machine. The new charger, now about half year old, is burned again, but still works. Looking to change my charging point in a short while and get a new charger, because this might have been a part of the problem...

Hope this is useful,

Best of luck to find the solution.

Cheers

Martin

Hello Martin,

A really interesting set of experiences I'm sure will be very helpful to those reading but I have to ask why do you so positively condemn alcoholic based cleaning aids?

Rubbing alcohol is a standard item in the tech mans bag; I agree it may not be suitable for everything (especially brown mould that just happens to appear after a spill of Coke) but batteries and their metal contact points are ideal for its use.   It cleans and evaporates quickly, making the job easy and swift to accomplish.   Or do you know something more?

Hi seventy one,

thanks for question!

I suppose I have only one reason to say this, but maybe not a really good one. Because Im not a technician, but I know for fact that alcohol can harm some certain materials (for instance, dilute soft pvc's...) and because I can't be sure what is the material on the other side of the track pad (to me looked like plastic) I didn't want to talk about what I can't be sure off. Simple as that. No doubt that for contacts (oxidised metals) alcohol is first choice, even if you're not a technician, but not for unknown surfaces... in my opinion. What do you think ?

Thanks for interest

M

Hello Martin,

I have a link here which shows you how to clean Apple products.   As you will see, Apple are very specific about what kind of cleaning agent can be used, and where.

But the area you mentioned would be out of bounds because opening up cases and delving inside can ruin your warranty.  Remember, your machine may be out of warranty but other readers may have machines which are still in warranty ... hence the need for care with a statement.

How to clean Apple products

What I questioned was the 'Do not under any circumstances' phrase which is just too positive if you are not sure.   The link seems to show (by failure to mention) that an alcohol based cleaning agent is not excluded from case material ... but is excluded (and positively mentioned) in respect of display screens and for some other devices.   I'm not trying to be picky, you understand, some readers may be totally inexperienced and see any positive statement as a fact.

Anyway, the link will guide you in the future. 

Ok
Thanks

Kind regards

Martin

PROBLEM SOLVED!

Thank the Lord! My mouse cursor was moving erratically, seemed to be opening tabs, maybe doing the equivalent of holding shift and dragging, minimized windows, etc. Pretty much the same problems I see on other's posts.

I tried dissonnecting WI-FI, then shutting off Bluetooth, Disconnected and Turned off my Bluetooth Mouse, disconnected my wireless keyboard nub from the USB port, tried shutting off my Macbook and restrarting. I even shut the lid of my Macbook and worked off my second monitor in clamshell mode. NOTHING WORKED.

I thought I was hacked or had some type of Malware for sure, but it was a simple fix that I found on another help board.

I clean my Mac, keyboard and mouse regularly and had just got done wiping everything with a cloth with a mixture of warm water and rubbing alcohol (recommended)

I saw on another board that someone fixed their problem by moving their trackpad (gently) to the right, since the trackpad seemed to be too snug on the left side of the macbook body edge it sits in.

I moved the trackpad over and it took care of my problem immediately.

It was comforting to learn that Malware on a Mac is in fact still rare and that it is unlikely that someone would hack into your computer to 'remote control' your machine and be obvious about it.

No ghost in the machine. Trackpad is incredibly sensiitive I've learned.

Share the knowledge!

Blessings!

Hey guys,

     If my solution worked please hit me with some points to be honest I am  unemployed and seeking employment. I applied for a apple genius job hoping this thread will help me out get the job. If apple is reading this I'm in the Dallas,tx area and love my MAC and have been since my G5 that took me a year of cutting grass when I was a kid and still runs to date.

       Thank you

Perhaps I should start by stating that the majority of my spiel is possibly garbage as the majority would more so suggest you're listening to someone with OCD (more specifically - performing the steps once would have been good enough, more than likely - but hey it turned out so pleasant, who am I to doubt the system).

I shutdown my computer the normal way. (cramping the power button down until the **** thing quit breathing (I was still ****** at this point))

then reset the PRAM by:

- powering the computer back on then...

- IMMEDIATELY HOLDING down the "command + option + p + r" keys at the same time until...

- I heard the THIRD "startup chime" (aka - the sound you hear when you power up your mac)

-------- i was distracted making sure my fingers were on the correct buttons and didn't realize the time to release had come and gone...so three is perhaps not a necessity/requirement, but like I said, it did fix the problem...

- next I released the 4 buttons and the MBP started up as it normally would...yet...

Mousy was still acting silly so I preceded to restart my computer. And I continued to restart it a few more times.

I then decided it would be interesting to time how fast the ole gal could shutdown and power on again (aka - restart) during which I would time the different stages with a stopwatch (iPhone stopwatch geez).

from the black screen to startup chime, to twirly twirling spiny thing with apple logo to my background picture, then from my background picture to my desktop complete with dock and folders, and from that to another reboot.

I think i did this 19 times?? I don't remember but i made a new note in my phone with the number of times. I can note it for sure if it in fact is determined to be of importance... In the meantime, I think one restart will do the job.

Anyway after i ate and watched the Olympics for a bit, i came back and opened "disk Utility" and verified the HD and then followed the verification process up with repairing of the HD (it is a Samsung 840 Pro, which may explain the restarting shenanigans a bit (~30 seconds). maybe?? hmmm nm)

After this my trackpad has been very good indeed. Working perfectly from that timed until now (so you know it a good fix (15 minutes ago, but hey like I said lol)).

seriously though my cursor is not delaying any clicks or clicking randomly on its own anymore. It's hasn't decided to boycott vertical movement either and will right click and select like it always used to.

So proud of it

Ditto.. I started having this problems months ago. It went away and just recently returned. I remember the first time repeatedly shutting off the Mac and re-booting; the problem went away. This time, it won't fix the problem. So aggrevating. Why won't Apple do something to address this issue. My Mac is but 18 months old and besides this, I have never had an issue.

I ended up taking my MBP into an apple store & they replaced the trackpad (at my cost). This did however solve this issue for me. Hasn't occurred since.

I've been having the same problem on a daily basis lately. I tried making my MacBook Pro go to sleep, restart it, shut it down till it cool down then turning it on again, but nothing worked! I cleaned the trackpad vigorously and thoroughly several times, still nothing. I just read about SMC resetting (am I saying it right?) and I tried it but it didn't work at first. Eventually I removed the pink plastic case I've been using for two years, cleaned my MacBook up (there was soooo much dust and dirt collected underneath that case) and voila! I have now an obedient trackpad. So I'm not sure whether it's the SMC thing or removing the plastic case. Either way, you should try both. Good luck!

How much does it cost to replace a trackpad, if I may ask?

If the surroundings are not clean it is not conducive to the efficient operation of anything electronic.   A dirty (I don't say that rudely) environment leads to unclean air and in which grease breeds with all the problems that can bring.

You don't have to be immaculate, you do have to be aware.   This is not an issue that Apple can address; only you can, the user.