mouse problem - clicks do not register

I just started to get a similar problem on my PB G4. Numerous times a single click will not do anything -- move the cursor insert point, click a menu item, click a link. I must click it a second time for it to do anything.

Just started, so it may be something to do with the latest Safari update. Happens for sure in Mail, Safari. Haven't had a chance to see if it is happening in other apps.

I now notice it is happening with the finder as well. Haven't noticed it in other apps yet.

In Mail, for example, takes 2 clicks to Send Mail sometimes. When you bring a window to the front, takes 2 clicks to get the window sometimes.

Doesn't always happen, and can't see any pattern (idle, busy, etc.). But never had this problem before. Just started a few days ago. Tried restarting several times. No good. Still does it and does it very often.

Can't select another window/app. For example, if in Mail and try to click on the Safari window, won't select the first click. Must click twice.

Based on another thread, I tried zapping the PRAM. Didn't solve it.

Also, seems like it is related to slight inactivity. As long as you are typing and moving the cursor, it seems to stay active. Hesitate for a couple seconds, and it is likely to not respond to the next click.

Still have not narrowed down whether it is affecting non-Apple apps (been spending too much time in Mail and Safari!).

I'm having this problem, too - but I'm still working in Microsoft Office 2004. Also, it's NOT confined to Microsoft. It happens in ALL applications.

For example, I can't snag the text here properly (in order to edit it).

It's a MAJOR pain in the ***.

The mouse simply isn't working the way it's supposed to:

** Sometimes I need multiple clicks to make it work.
** Sometimes the clicks don't activate the right thing - as in when two clickables are close to each other. (And it's NOT me - I've been using Macs since 1984 with no problem!)
** Highlighting in applications (i.e., selecting text) also rarely works properly. I end up having to place the cursor and backspacing to delete because I can't snag the text I want to snag.

FINALLY! Isolated the issue. It was the Microsoft Intellimouse USB mouse/driver. One of the recent upgrades to OS X or Safari caused the mouse/driver to go whacky (clicks not recognized many times). The failure was just recent and sudden, so it has to be an OS X issue.

i'm having similar issues, but i don't think the msft driver's the problem. (i don't have it installed.)

but i'm finding mouse clicks are being eaten in all my apps, so it's almost certainly a system problem. i'm also having a problem with multiple clicks being sent when i've only clicked once.

anyone know of other possible solutions? has apple commented on this yet?

Wow I found this forum and I don't even have an Apple product (am using Windows XP)... I have a similar problem.

I have a new m$ wireless laser mouse, using the Intellipoint driver that came with the mouse. (The generic mouse driver in Windows doesn't work right with the laser mouse. Previously I used a m$ wireless optical mouse. The generic windows mouse driver worked fine so I never needed to install the intellipoint software -- until now.)

With my prior mouse, the mouse action would acquire the window focus if needed, AND perform the single- or double-click action as was intended. This was with the windows generic mouse driver loaded, not the intellipoint software.

My old mouse is DOA, so I can't try it with the intellipoint software loaded. But it seems as if the change is that that the intellipoint will use the first click to acquire focus and do nothing more. Then the desired single- or double-click action must be performed, once the focus has been acquired. If the item already had the focus, no extra mouse clicks are required. (Perhaps that's why the person above can move a window around, and then the click 'works' -- the window now has the focus and will accept the 'clicks'?)

Can anyone confirm that is the same behavior with the intellipoint software? That extra clicks are required only when an item does not have the focus?

TIA,
--appyface

appyface,

you noticed that this is an Apple forum, which means that the problems (even when related to MS products) happened on a Mac running OS X, right? Having said that, I don't think you will get any help here...

I'm having the same issue. I just noticed it today. I haven't upgraded anything (at least not explicitly) and I've rebooted several times. Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 clicks for an app to respond. I'm starting to wonder if this is a virus directed at Mac users?

I'm starting to wonder if this is a virus directed at Mac users?

There are no viruses that affect Mac os X.

Perhaps you should post in the Tiger forums instead of Leopards since the info at the bottom of your post indicates that is which os system you have.

Yeah I have the same problem. Especially with FIrefox.