Mac OS Big Sur - Dialog box not responding to mouse clicks

I've figured out a way to resolve this on my machine (the System Preferences thing is the real bugaboo!): removing your `com.apple.systempreferences.plist` preferences file.

The step-by-step:

1. Close System Preferences
2. Go to Finder and select your user/home folder.
3. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J.
4. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder.
5. Select Library.
6. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist.
7. Move the .plist to your desktop.

Restart the computer, open the System Preferences, and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop -- you won't need it anymore. If it didn't work, well, that sucks. Return the file from your desktop to the place you got it from, overwriting the newer one, then restart.

Hope that helps; let us know if it does!

Kind regards,

Erwin

This issue can be resolved by killing the Dock. Open Terminal, run "killall Dock", and you'll be able to interact with dialog buttons again. I suspect many of the other solutions here work because of a restart.

The the issue still exists on 12.5, let's see if 12.6 fixes it...

PARTIAL SOLUTION and critical bug.

I also experience the same issue. So basically there are two different scenarios for me:

1. When I open dialog window, it freezes. Can't click anywhere on dialog, even Cancel button. When I resize a little bit it become responsive again. You can see it on my screen share https://streamable.com/c536f4 There are click recorded too.
2. Second scenario it when I open System Preferences and try to change ANY setting. For instance, I'm able to open Internet Accounts but can't do anything there. It is the same with any other setting. Here is screen share with General: https://streamable.com/bosmm1 The problem with System Preferences is bigger because I can't resize this windows, so solution from 1. can't be applied here.

I can tell that first problem with resize solution is not such important to fix but System Preferences is CRITICAL for me because I can't change ANY setting.

For you information I've already reinstalled MacOS but it didn't help.

Details:

MacOS 11.1 (20C69)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)

2,3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5

16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536 MB

If you need more details please just tell me and I will provide that.

Boot into Safe Mode by booting with the Shift key held down and check there to see if the problem persists.  Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

Was experiencing the same issue as described above. Inspired by @psmarcin 's idea of resizing, I tried to minimize (the yellow dot on the top-left of the dialog) the System dialog and then revive it from the dock. At this point the buttons get enabled and start to respond to mouse clicks again!

I was having the same issue and mine seems to be related to iCloud Drive. I store all my documents on iCloud and I noticed that everything I would open or save, the grey circle icon would appear next the the iCloud icon. I signed out of iCloud in the Internet Accounts panel. I then signed back into iCloud. Things have since been working well. I have not moved all of my documents to iCloud yet and am only storing those locally at this point. Hope this helps!

All: my issue was resolved. I had a Mouse enhancer program running. The program seemed to interfere with system dialog prompts. Once I disabled the third-party mouse enhancer program the issue was resolved

I solved it!

There is an update, which of course I couldn't click to get it installed.

Si: I rebooted in safe mode (during start up hold on/off button pressed, pick a volume while keeping shift pressed).

In safe mode the click problem was not active.

I clicked Install update in the system preferences.

And after the restart the problem didn't return.

All dialogues work again.

How about that, being ecstatic that basic functions work!

I nice day to you all.

I was experiencing this issue and solved it by going into the Activity Monitor, and killing the Window Server process.

It closed all applications and logged me out as a result. Once I logged back in, system dialogs began working as expected.

I have a mid-2015 retina display MacBook Pro that had this problem. I shut down the computer and did a SMC reset (Power off computer, hold Shift-Opt-Control-powerabout 10 seconds, then turn on). That completely resolved the issue for me.

I had the same issue and in my case I think it was related to an external, bluetooth Apple mouse.

Check that the battery in the external mouse is charged or remove it via the bluetooth settings.

I recharged the mouse, restarted the mac and (so far) haven't seen the problem re-appear.

I have the exact same issues with finder dialogs for opening/saving being frozen and not responding to clicks and system preferences not responding to clicks. I found that this is related to external displays because these are the scenarios that I have tested and results observed:

• External display not plugged in - Finder dialogs and system preferences work fine;
• External display plugged in and the MacBook lid open (extended display mode) - finder dialogs and system preferences are not responding to clicks;
• External display plugged in and the MacBook lid closed (power connected to MacBook) - finder dialogs and system preferences work fine.

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) with 2,2 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7 and Radeon Pro 555X 4 GB

External display: LG 34GK950F

I found a workaround. I started facing this issue after using an external monitor. I extend my windows to this external monitor. The problem mentioned above only occurred in my original MacBook screen, not in the extended monitor. I changed the display settings to "mirror" first and then unplugged the monitor, which seems to solve the issue.

I've been having this issue for LONGER THEN I WANT TO TALK ABOUT. It's followed me from computer to computer. AT LAST I RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE SOB was synaptics displaylink software. The newest Displaylink update resolved the issue. - This was a fix for my environment.

I have the issue too and noticed it only occurs when I have a Thunderbolt Dock attached.

Without the dock I never have the problem. Are you using a dock too?

I noticed that when I unplug the dock from the MacBook Pro and re-insert it, I can click (both file selector and system preferences). I did call Apple Support about this issue early September and they acknowledged the issue. The indicated it would be fixed when Monterey would be released. Upgraded my machine earlier this week, but still have this issue unfortunately.

I am really interested if all people that encounter this issue use a Thunderbolt Dock or not.

I am using an Elgatp Thunderbolt 3 Dock