Kensington Orbit Trackball doesn't function after waking from sleep

Question

Kensington Orbit Trackball doesn't function after waking from sleep

Original thread here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251501079

Support deactivated the thread so I'm posting here again.

To further investigate, I ordered a new Orbit Trackball to see if that would fix the problem. It didn't. New trackball worked upon connection, but after waking the iMac from a lengthy (8+hour) sleep, the new trackball also needed to be disconnected/reconnected before it would move the cursor. Buttons did, however, wake the computer from sleep.

So the problem is definitely at Apple's end, not Kensington's.

All this after a recent (and regretted) High Sierra upgrade, which is the terminal software version for my iMac.

Sure would appreciate some help.

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Aug 24, 2020 10:51 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,945 points

Aug 24, 2020 5:59 PM in response to chiefjoseph74

Naw, not uncouth at all, good initiative on your part.

I was going to suspect this until I saw it was a fairly new install...

com.kensington.trackballworks.plist (Kensington Computer Products Group - installed 2020-05-13)

If you disconnect the Trackball when this happens, wait a bit then reconnect it, does it start working?

Another test..

To find out if it's system wide or user specific, try this...

Open System Preferences>Users & Groups, unlock the lock, click on the little plus icon, make a new admin account, log out & into the new account.

Does it work in the new account?

If still no progress I'd uninstall Kensington, restart & see if it happens without their SW installed.

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Answer 2

Aug 24, 2020 2:23 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi again, BDAqua. I appreciate your ongoing help with this issue.

I'm sorry, I did not realize the report from the previous thread had expired. I had wanted to post another reply to it with this new information, but it was closed out to new comments. Hence the repost. I'm sorry if that's uncouth.

Report pasted here: https://pastebin.com/QD0JRHdP

It's ok if you don't have any other tricks up your sleeve. Thanks for checking back in.

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Answer 3

Aug 24, 2020 10:46 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks again for the help.

Yeah, I only tried installing Trackballworks after the problem first arose (after the High Sierra upgrade). I'll uninstall it, but I know that's not the original source of the problem.

Yes, a quick unplug/replug of the trackball USB cord reinstates proper functionality. I know; that's not a huge inconvenience, and I've been dealing with it. But it's annoying nonetheless.

I'll try your other suggestions tomorrow. Tonight I've got one other idea to test.

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Answer 4

Aug 26, 2020 9:52 AM in response to chiefjoseph74

Problem is systemwide. Created new admin user account and the problem persisted after waking from an 8 hr. sleep.

I also tried connecting a different, non-Kensington, 3rd party mouse and letting it sleep for various intervals. The problem did not persist, even after an 8 hr. sleep. So in addition to arising after the high Sierra upgrade, it's apparently also specific to the Kensington device/platform.

All of this was performed after I had removed Kensington Trackballworks.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,945 points

Aug 24, 2020 1:34 PM in response to chiefjoseph74

Hello again,

Can we see an etrecheck report to start with?

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Kensington Orbit Trackball doesn't function after waking from sleep

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