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Erratic, Unstable, Jerky Trackpad Cursor

On my MacBook Pro late 2011 running OSX High Sierra.


I booted into safe mode but the problem was still there, even on the login screen. However when I then booted normally the problem appeared to have gone.


After a few minutes though the cursor again seems a bit erratic although less than before, it's just not possible to be accurate enough for comfort, it seems to have a mind of its own when hovering over certain screen objects. Any help would be much appreciated.


ALERT 1

Having been rebooted for around fifteen minutes now the problem has returned with a vengeance, the cursor is almost unusable. I don't currently have an external mouse to test bypassing the trackpad

ALERT 2

It's now over twelve hours since ALERT 1, on booting up a few minutes ago the cursor is functioning with perfect sensitivity with just Safari open. At the height of the problem yesterday I was running Scrivener and Guitar Pro 7.5 as well as Safari. I have 16Gb of RAM and my MacBook is a flying machine, despite it's age. In addition to Safari and Mail I just opened Scrivener and Guitar Pro to try to replicate the problem but the cursor remains perfectly sensitive.


Apologies for the length of this post but if/when I find the answer I will mark it as solved so it can act as a reference in the future.


K

Posted on Mar 11, 2020 3:19 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 13, 2020 6:22 AM

AudiodromeUK wrote:

reported as "Service Battery".

If the battery is swollen as you suggest might be the problem I wonder if it would be obvious to the naked eye? I will wait until the problem recurs before taking a look at it.

<MacBook Pro late 2011>


Your battery needs replacing— Apple may decline to service vintage/obsolete machine

Vintage and obsolete products - Apple Support


in this case DIY ref: DIY Battery Replacements for Apple MacBook Pro ... - OWC



From the outside case, visually you may see some separation of the seems...


extreme example, but you get the idea...




9 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Mar 13, 2020 6:22 AM in response to AudiodromeUK

AudiodromeUK wrote:

reported as "Service Battery".

If the battery is swollen as you suggest might be the problem I wonder if it would be obvious to the naked eye? I will wait until the problem recurs before taking a look at it.

<MacBook Pro late 2011>


Your battery needs replacing— Apple may decline to service vintage/obsolete machine

Vintage and obsolete products - Apple Support


in this case DIY ref: DIY Battery Replacements for Apple MacBook Pro ... - OWC



From the outside case, visually you may see some separation of the seems...


extreme example, but you get the idea...




Mar 24, 2020 9:35 AM in response to AudiodromeUK

This is an update that will be marked solved. I will reopen it if the issue recurs but I've now tested thoroughly and although it's intermittent am able to reproduce the problem only when using the power supply, it has not occurred when using only the battery.


I believe the problem is due to a faulty 3rd party power supply. The cursor is stable and sensitive when using only the battery.


I'd like to thank everyone that took time to respond and as a result I've discovered I need to either service or replace my battery.


K


Mar 11, 2020 4:12 AM in response to AudiodromeUK

AudiodromeUK wrote:

On my MacBook Pro late 2011 running OSX High Sierra.

I booted into safe mode but the problem was still there, even on the login screen.
when I then booted normally the problem appeared to have gone.

After a few minutes though the cursor again seems a bit erratic

the problem has returned with a vengeance, the cursor is almost unusable.

a few minutes ago the cursor is functioning with perfect sensitivity with just Safari open. At the height of the problem yesterday I was running Scrivener and Guitar Pro 7.5 as well as Safari.


You can Try resetting NVRAM/PRAM http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379




However a swollen battery (read failing battery) can exhibit behavior exactly as you describe, impinging on the trackpad from below. Under a heavy load/heat may exacerbate the situation.


Not a safe situation and can cause major damaged if left unchecked. I woud pull the mains, shut the computer down— and take it in for inspection, unless you do it yourself.


In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"—

https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/



OWC/MacSales DIY Battery Replacements for Apple MacBook Pro ... - OWC



Mar 14, 2020 4:34 AM in response to AudiodromeUK

AudiodromeUK wrote:

In light of the photo and your advice I'm going to take a look inside at the battery and remove it leaving mains operation only for the time being.



I will add— even vintage/obsolete you still can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

For a clear understanding of the issue...and your way forward:


Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"—

https://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/


Outside the USA

https://locate.apple.com/country


From iOS device using the app to make a online Genius Bar appointment is easy: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-support/id1130498044?mt=8

Mar 16, 2020 10:06 AM in response to AudiodromeUK

Leroy, thank you for taking the time to reply. I will make sure it is shutdown when not in use until I've got to the bottom of it.


Since my last posting the cursor has been stable but I thought I would check the system report re the battery which I have just down. I've had it running on battery in an attempt to trigger the fault and as per the screenshot below, it has used 685 cycles which I don't think is excessive yet the condition is reported as "Service Battery".


If the battery is swollen as you suggest might be the problem I wonder if it would be obvious to the naked eye? I will wait until the problem recurs before taking a look at it.


Best regards,


K


[Image Edited by Moderator to Remove Personal Information]

Mar 14, 2020 4:11 AM in response to leroydouglas

Thank you again, I'm very grateful to you.


The photo was a real shock prompting me to remove the third party protective cover. I discovered that two of the screws in the base were missing and another one projecting and loose. In addition I found most of the remaining screws were loose which I've now tightened. One of the missing screws had been captured in the protective cover so that's now been fitted leaving just one missing screw.


In light of the photo and your advice I'm going to take a look inside at the battery and remove it leaving mains operation only for the time being.


Regards,


K

Mar 17, 2020 1:19 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks Leroy,


All the Apple Stores in the UK are currently closed down due to the Corona virus and social distancing has been introduced so as little contact as possible with others until further notice.


I will get it looked at as soon as it becomes feasible.


I'm grateful for your expertise and generous response to my query.


Best regards,


K

Mar 18, 2020 6:32 AM in response to AudiodromeUK

I think in my case, even though the battery needs to be serviced or replaced, the immediate problem might be a fault with the power supply, with the power supply unit or the actual power supply. Since I swapped the extension cable that the power supply is plugged in to the cursor has been stable and accurate. This isn't yet proven, I'm still testing and will post any further finding to this thread for future reference.


K

Erratic, Unstable, Jerky Trackpad Cursor

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