My mouse is jumping around the screen at random intervals There doesn't seem to be any specific action that causes it. Does anyone know where and what to look at to stop this? It happens about all the time. I have the system preference Expose setup, so when it happens all it either moves all the windows off the desktop or shows them all. Expose is not the problem. It's just the thing that instantly lets me know that the mouse has jumped to one of the corners again. Sometime it happens repeatedly.
-Cash
I have a big Apple Cinema monitor and the mouse will jump from anywhere on screen to the corners. Once I wiggle the mouse, it jumps back to where it was. So it's jumping at the most 12"-14"! The mouse I have is the white apple mouse that has the little gray scroll button on the to and the two pressure buttons on the sides. At first I thought maybe I was accidently pressing the side buttons because they are set up to do that, but I tried a wireless Compaq mouse and it does the same thing.
-Cash
I used to have this problem with some optical bluetooth mice. It was mainly caused by an irregular mousing surface and the fact that the lens was scratched.
I would look at these elements, and if they're fine, make sure your battery (if you mouse is indeed bluetooth and not USB) is charged enough. That was a problem with another 3rd party mouse I had- voltage and beam irregularities. Also, I found some BT mice couldn't go through certain objects to reach the receiver in the machine very well. This was usually a weak signal, or interference in the signal because of special peripherals.
Also, make sure that the mouse sits flush with the surface. I know Apple mice don't use the little plastic feet for glides, but if the mousing surface isn't flat, and especially if it isn't a solid texture, then it will jump even further when you hit a bump.
Here's my hardware and software setup:
Hardware Overview:
Model Name: Power Mac G5 Quad
Model Identifier: PowerMac11,2
Processor Name: PowerPC G5 (1.1)
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Number Of CPUs: 4
L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 5 GB
Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.2.7f1
System Version: Mac OS X 10.5.5 (9F33)
Kernel Version: Darwin 9.5.0
Boot Volume: Macintosh HD
Boot Mode: Normal
I decided to go with the updates today and restarted my iMac. I am now on 10.5.5 (9f33).
Since doing this, I have seen two iMacs that use wireless mice now experience the same type of issues. It is very jumpy and requires me to click on links and functions several times before it will accept that I am clicking on it. VERY frustrating I might add.
So far today, we have tried one logitech bluetooth wireless, and 2 different models of Microsoft Wireless mice and 1 logitech wireless mouse. However, as soon as we put on "wired" mice... it was nice and smooth.
Apple what have you done?
If anyone has any work arounds, it would be greatly appreciated. To all other users that are dealing with the same issue... my sympathy goes out to you.
Is there a way to remove the currently installed update without having to do a backup restore?
Happening to me too - I've got a wired Mighty Mouse, and ever since 10.5.5 the mouse pointer jumps around exactly as you describe.
Some other data - I actually have a second monitor plugged into the iMac, and the mouse pointer will sometimes jump all the way over to the other monitor and the bottom corner (Expose then triggers, as with you.) Other times, it just jumps randomly away from where it was.
I thought my mouse was maybe faulty, so I plugged in a previously unused wired Mighty Mouse (slightly newer model). Same problem. I also tried using a mouse mat instead of the previously reliable desk surface. Didn't make any difference.
I'm 99% certain its not the surface in my case (but that's why I tested with a mouse mat that is, indeed, non-shiny and not white.).
The desk surface been a constant in all of this. The same USB mighty mouse had been working fine on this same desk surface for around 3 years (and over 4 months with this system), only to stop functioning correctly around the time of the 10.5.5 update. As mentioned above, a completely new Mighty mouse made no difference.
Maybe they've stuffed up something about the Mighty-mouse driver in particular. It would explain why some report no mouse problems at all.
My logitech wireless is not tracking very well at all and will sometimes jump across the screen randomly. I have changed the batteries, no difference. Very frustrating that a computer that costs more than my car keeps giving me lots of little bugs and problems.
I am having the same problem!
sometimes it is not only jumping but making entire excursions through the screen. I am using a wireless mighty mouse (on a black, non-glossy mouse pad). i noticed today that it went really crazy in the sunny weather even if my mousepad is as described above...but it is really difficult to say if the sun was really the problem or was it just a coincinence, because this behavior seemes like a pure chaos and it is hard to find any sort of pattern in it...
i will really appreciate if someone will finally resolve this issue!
Exactly the same problem here: mouse jumping to the side of the screen, then dropping to the bottom etc...
This phenomenom started on Monday Oct 13 2008 on an iMac bought in May of this year. Changing mouse for another Mac mouse, trying different mouse pads does not help.
Looking at when what software updates were installed, reveals that the Mac OS X update 10.5.5 was automatically installed on ... Monday Oct 13 2008.
When will Apple distribute an update to this bug in their 'bug-fixer' OS update?
I am having the same problem also. Started straight after the last update. i have a mac pro and my wife has an imac and it is happneing on both of them. It is nothing to do with the surfaces as I have worked with the same gear for months and had no issues on my desk. It's the update as both computers have started doing the same. My wireless mouse is slow and very unresponsive and so I have problems with all my computers and the mouses. Hope apple sort this out!!!!
I have been having this occur ever since I bought my iMac in 2005! So it is not the latest update. Mine is a wired mouse and it sits on a non-glossy black pad.
This has to be something inherent in the basic software of OSX.