Wacom software not responding

If you are still struggling with this Wacom tablet issue...

I am currently using an old Intuos 5 PT-M tablet with Monterey 12.1 on an iMac Pro, using the Wacom Desktop Centre version 6.3.44-2 and tablet driver the same version, 6.3.44-2, and that its working ok, however there is a bug in the Wacom Desktop update centre and it is offering a later version of the Desktop Center software and Driver version 6.3.45-2, if you install that version then the spinning beachball appears as soon as you try to access the Desktop centre and the only exit is via a force close.

If you are trying to install the Wacom tablet software and driver updated version 6.3.45-2 for your Intuos 5 S-BT on your Mac OS 12.1 Monterey platform then you may find that you are being offered the same buggy driver that I have experienced.

Checking on the Wacom download centre this morning for your Intuos 5 S-BT I can see that they are only offering the previous driver version 6.3.44-2, the later version 6.3.44-5 is not showing as an available download, however it is still offered as an update from inside the Wacom Desktop Centre.

A possible way to proceed is to switch off the tablet, disconnect USB, Bluetooth or WiFi module, sorry I don't know your tablet and do not know which comm's method it uses, then uninstall the Wacom software and driver by dragging the Wacom folder from the applications directory to the bin and acknowledging any admin authorisation from the macOS, then empty the bin and reboot the Mac. Note that you may find multiple Wacom folders in the Applications directory, make sure to delete them all.

Then before reconnecting the tablet go to the Wacom download site and download version 6.3.44-2 software and driver installer for Mac, run the installer and connect the tablet when requested.

Do not click on the link for the updated driver version 6.3.45-2 from inside the Wacom Desktop Center, as soon as you install that you will be locked out of the Wacom Desktop Centre again.

If that does not help with the spinning beachball problem then Wacom do provide a link on the download page to older drivers and it might be worth reviewing the release notes to see if one of the older drivers might also be compatible with macOS 12.1

HTH

Hi Peter.

I had some time today to try and discover why the latest Wacom driver package 6.3.45.2, offered through the Wacom Desktop Centre as an update would not install and gave me the same "Spinning Beachball" that you are reporting when trying to start the Wacom Desktop Centre software after the Wacom software is installed.

The only way to get that later 6.3.45.2 driver package if your Wacom desktop Centre software is frozen is via the link I posted a few days ago.

I was successful eventually and now my Wacom PTH-650 Intuos 5 PT-M is happy with the new driver on a 2017 iMac Pro with Intel CPU.

These were the steps I needed to carry out.

Disconnect the tablet.

Drag the Wacom folder out of the Applications directory and into the Bin, empty the bin.

In finder, navigate to: <Your Mac's name> MacintoshHD > Library > PrivilegedHelperTools, and delete the files: com.wacom.datastoremanager, com.wacom.iostoremanger and com.wacomupdatehelper, empty the bin.

Back in the library scroll down further and look for a folder called "Tablet", if it exists and contains a single Wacom file delete that folder too, it did exist on my iMac Pro before I installed the latest driver package but is not there after, I suspect this was an old folder left behind from a much earlier version of the Wacom driver software.

Reboot the Mac with the tablet still disconnected.

Run the Wacom installer package 6.3.45-2 and reboot the Mac again.

Launch the Wacom Desktop Centre software, on my machine it started up this time without the spinning beach ball.

Plugin or power-on the Intuos tablet, after a few moments the tablet should be detected and allow you to setup your tablet prefs.

Maybe this will resolve the problem that you are having installing the Wacom drivers with your M1 Mac?

Will.

Hi glandry5577.

From your description this sounds more likely a hardware fault with the Tablet, however, which connection method are you using to connect to your Mac, which Mac model and which macOS?

If using Bluetooth to connect the tablet to the Mac, and your OS is macOS 12.x Monterey, then there are many reports across the support forum, with many different Mac models, that Bluetooth is not stable in Monterey 12.x - 12.2 and some third-party Bluetooth devices are sporadically disconnecting.

If using Bluetooth with the tablet try swapping to the supplied USB cable instead and test to see if that maintains a connection.

(Hint: When using a Bluetooth connected tablet be sure not to place your mobile phone close by the tablet, the regular “heartbeat” signal that your mobile phone emits to tell the phone network it is still alive can interrupt the Bluetooth link between tablet and Mac, a couple of feet (~600m) distance between tablet and mobile phone should be the closest the two are allowed to be in order that the Bluetooth link is not compromised)

If using USB already make sure the angled USB plug that connects to the side of the tablet has not worked loose, if this occurs during use then the Wacom driver will “lock-up” and require a Mac re-boot to restore.

I find the support advice given you by Wacom support a little odd.

Why would the touch function work one day and not the next using the latest Wacom driver and be restored only by rolling back to the previous driver? That makes no sense, unless the tablet driver is not saving its current settings when the Mac is shut down at the end of the day?

If not already tried, and the above is of no relevance, please repeat the suggested steps I made to Peter to carry out a clean install of the Wacom software, including removing the library files, and re-install the latest Wacom driver, 6.3.45-2 and not 6.3.44-2, which predates macOS Monterey.

For your convenience, here are those steps again:

Disconnect the tablet.

Drag the Wacom folder out of the Applications directory and into the Bin, empty the bin.

In finder, navigate to: <Your Mac's name> MacintoshHD > Library > PrivilegedHelperTools, and delete the files: com.wacom.datastoremanager, com.wacom.iostoremanger and com.wacomupdatehelper, empty the bin.

Back in the library scroll down further and look for a folder called "Tablet", if it exists and contains a single Wacom file delete that folder too, it did exist on my iMac Pro before I installed the latest driver package but is not there after, I suspect this was an old folder left behind from a much earlier version of the Wacom driver software.

Reboot the Mac with the tablet still disconnected.

Run the Wacom installer package 6.3.45-2 and reboot the Mac again.

Launch the Wacom Desktop Centre software, on my machine it started up this time without the spinning beach ball.

Plugin or power-on the Intuos tablet, after a few moments the tablet should be detected and allow you to setup your tablet prefs.

If these suggested steps do not resolve the problem click the “Get Support” button at the very top-right of this web page to log the problem directly with Apple techs and also make sure that Wacom support are updated that their suggestion to roll back the driver has introduced a different problem, otherwise these issues are never resolved.

HTH.

Will.

Hi Will,

I just wanted to report that after using the Wacom Tablet all weekend, while connected via the USB cable, it performed exactly as I expected it to, from the start. There were no issues with the Tablet freezing or loosing connection to my iMac.

I guess the issue is with the Mac Monterey OS and the problems that's causing with Bluetooth connectivity.

I'll let you know if I experience any more issues or if anything new pops up.

Again, I really appreciate your guidance throughout this issue.

Thanks

Hi glandry5577.

FYI Apple released a Monterey 12.2.1 build yesterday with a fix specifically for Bluetooth issues on the Intel based Macs.

This fix was aimed at the overheating-while-sleeping bug that some users were reporting and which was originating in the Bluetooth service.

I don’t know if this will also fix the continual freezing - no response - issue with a Bluetooth linked Wacom tablet that you are experiencing when the Mac is awake, but as it may be related you might like to give the Monterey 12.2.1 build a try and see if that cures the problem.

You should see that update offered automatically through the Software Update utility in System Preferences.

Will.

Hi glandry5577

Personally, I would wait and see if these random Bluetooth issues in Monterey 12.2 are fixed with the next build roll-out, otherwise I feel you will be going around in circles.

We have two iMac Pro's in our office on adjacent desks and had several incidents today where the Apple Bluetooth Magic Mouse lost contact with one of the iMac Pro's and then the Mac tried to pair with the Magic Mouse on the other iMac Pro!

We gave up in the end and reverted to a wired mouse as we were behind with our work, I'll have another look at that when I go into work again next Monday.

Something very screwy going on with Bluetooth in Monterey 12.x.

If it was just one or two random reports of problems with Wacom Tablets using Bluetooth with Monterey then you could try and follow Wacom support's instructions with more certainty that something positive would come out of it, but there are so many users reporting spurious Bluetooth issues in Monterey 12.2 across many different hardware classes, that I think you would be wasting your time.

Having said all that, the Wacom software and drivers are incredibly simple to remove, with the only bug in their uninstall procedure that it leaves behind those three files in the Mac Library that I mentioned earlier, which means you never get a completely clean uninstall unless you manually remove them.

If it's not going to hit your productivity and want to give it a shot, well, you know that you can always just plug in the USB cable again if using the Bluetooth link to the Wacom tablet continues to prove unstable.

Not sure I would bother with creating another Administrator account though, can't really see why that would have any influence over the Bluetooth driver's link to the tablet?

Sorry I could not find a more positive answer for you at this time.

Will.

While you await a reply from Wacom support I did a little digging around on their download site and inside my current Wacom Desktop Center and managed to find the download link address of the latest driver 6.3.45-2.

This 6.3.45-2 driver package does not work on my 2017, Intel based iMac Pro, and old Intuos 5 PT-M tablet, but if you want to give it a shot with your later tablet and Mac the address is here : (typed as both a double spaced text string below and a hyperlink as I'm not sure this forum allows direct links to outside sites).

Mods...I apologise if this is breaking rules by providing a web link outside of the Apple environment, please edit or delete the post as appropriate.

If you are struggling with the download link address then copy the download address from the Wacom site for the 6.3.44-2 driver package, paste it into a new browser window and edit the last group of digits from 6.3.44-2.dmg to 6.3.45-2.dmg

{h t t p s: / / cdn . wacom . com / u / productsupport / drivers / mac / professional / WacomTablet_6.3.45-2.dmg}

Other than the above I can think of nothing else to suggest pending Wacom replying to you after the holidays.

Will.

[This is a Direct Download Link]

Hi Will,

I am using an iMac, late 2015 and am running macOS Monteray 12.1

Thanks so much for your insight and help. Your explanation regarding the OS having issues with Bluetooth connectivity explains a lot.

Yesterday, when I was trying to keep my Intuos Tablet connected, I went to Preferences to see if the Tablet was connect via Bluetooth and I got an error message pop up saying that there was a problem with Bluetooth Connectivity. I rebooted my iMac and the Bluetooth seemed to work fine.

Also, I always have my iPhone right beside my Mac when I'm working. So, it looks like I've created a Perfect Storm for myself.

I'll try keeping the Tablet conneced with the USB cable to see if that stabilizes things and will let you know what happens.

Once i feel things are stable, I'll uninstall the older Tablet driver and reinstall the newer one.

Don't worry about me keeping Wacom Support advised of the situations I'm experiencing. They've been feeling my wrath for several days now.

Thanks Again!

Please contact Wacom for support on their product.

Hi Will,

The Tablet is working much better & more stable when connected to the USB cable.

However, here's the latest recommendation coming from Wacom's Support Team:

"Please open a new user administrator account and from there test the tablet functionality, if the issue remains with the device it will be recommendable try once again the manual driver uninstallation and then clean install of the tablet driver version 6.3.44-2. Please let me know with the results. If this issue persists we will need to collect the drivers logs so we can identify the cause of the driver stopping to run."

I believe you know more about their product than their Support People do. Do you think that I should go through all of what they're suggesting, or just stick with keeping the Tablet connected with the USB cable, until Apple comes up with an update to Monteray that fixes the unstable Bluetooth connectivity issues?

Thanks

Hi glandry5577.

The keyboard and trackpad shouldn’t have much effect on the Wacom tablet, the RF Bluetooth signal power that they radiate is very low compared to a mobile phone, especially if the phone mast is some distance away and the phone has to ramp up its power output to maintain the “heartbeat” check-in pulse with the network.

I suspect the Monterey 12.2.1 patch has been hurried out specifically to address the chronic overheating issues that some of us were seeing when our Intel Macs were supposedly in sleep mode and perhaps the fixes for the Bluetooth stability issues are yet to be included in a Monterey update. Looking around the forum today there are still many new reports concerning Bluetooth connection issues but it’s not possible to see a trend because there’s going go to be lots of folk still on the previous 12.2 and earlier builds.

Probably best to stick with the direct wired connection for now and check in with the Wacom Desktop Centre once every few weeks for updated software from Wacom, just on the off-chance the connectivity issue is with their tablet driver, and wait for Monterey 12.3 to see if Apple get a handle on the Bluetooth problems from their side.

Will.