Is Kensington Wireless Trackball compatible with macOS Sonoma?

This is the e-mail Kensington sent with the software:

1. On the task bar, click on GO > click on Utilities > Run KensingtonWorks uninstaller

2. Click on Go > then select Go to Folder > search as ~/library/preferences > 1. On the task bar, click on GO > click on Utilities > Run KensingtonWorks uninstaller

2. Click on Go > then select Go to Folder > search as ~/library/preferences > delete all the files related to KensingtonWorks listed as plist (do another Kensington search and delete)

3. Restart the Mac

4. Download the KensingtonWorks software for Mac from the below link

Link: https://www.kensington.com/siteassets/software-support/kensingtonworks/new-kensingtonworks-download/kensingtonworks_2.2.10.pkg

5. Install the software from the downloaded file

6. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Scroll down and in Security, check if the software shows as blocked. If so, Allow it

7. Then go to Accessibility under Privacy & Security > Turn ON the KensingtonWorks helper

8. Then go to Input Monitoring under Privacy & Security > Turn ON the KensingtonWorks helper

9. Unplug the Trackball and restart the Mac

10. Plug the Trackball, open KensingtonWorks and check the functionality

Note: If the KensingtonWorks is not listed in Accessibility & Input Monitoring, click on the + symbol > Applications > Open KensingtonWorks Helper to manually add it to the list and then turn it ON.

3. Restart the Mac

4. Download the KensingtonWorks software for Mac from the below link

Link: https://www.kensington.com/siteassets/software-support/kensingtonworks/new-kensingtonworks-download/kensingtonworks_2.2.10.pkg

5. Install the software from the downloaded file

6. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Scroll down and in Security, check if the software shows as blocked. If so, Allow it

7. Then go to Accessibility under Privacy & Security > Turn ON the KensingtonWorks helper

8. Then go to Input Monitoring under Privacy & Security > Turn ON the KensingtonWorks helper

9. Unplug the Trackball and restart the Mac

10. Plug the Trackball, open KensingtonWorks and check the functionality

Note: If the KensingtonWorks is not listed in Accessibility & Input Monitoring, click on the + symbol > Applications > Open KensingtonWorks Helper to manually add it to the list and then turn it ON.

Kensington sent with the new software....

I add that the OS won't allow Kensington to instal at first because it is "unknown" but this can be overridden in the Settings installation option.

I hope this helps.

Incidentally, I too had given up on the Trackball and bought a Logitech ball mouse, an expenditure I would have avoided if they had been more diligent!

Finally Kensington have got back to me with a different version of the software: https://www.kensington.com/siteassets/software-support/kensingtonworks/new-kensingtonworks-download/kensingtonworks_2.2.10.pkg.

It works!

I got it to work, kind of. Geez, if Kensington advertised the steps necessary to install this, no one would buy the trackball.

One thing I discovered that I was doing wrong was having the trackball plugged in and using it for the install and setup. Because when it came time to navigate the OS Settings, scrolling worked but the pointer wouldn't move. Then I realized why, and I unplugged the trackball and used the mouse to navigate successfully. (Kensington should indicate that if the user is already using a Kensington trackball and updating the driver app, no trackball should be used during the setup. Use the mouse.)

And so many restarts I think there are 4 in total. Install should be much simpler.

And it the KensingtonWorks app is still not working completely. Some of the Keyboard shortcuts for the button settings do work, like Command+N, Undo works, a few others. But I cannot get Delete (they call it "Back") to work. The only thing I can think of as to why it doesn't work is that I'm using the ABC-Extended keyboard which came with the iMac, except that this keyboard has English and Japanese (I'm in Japan) and maybe Kensington won't work completely on this keyboard? Because the keyboard shown in the Mac settings doesn't indicate a Delete key, while Show Keyboard Viewer does indicate the Delete key (x) and that matches the keyboard that is being used.

Well, thanks for the setup steps. They will be helpful to anyone who dares to use a Kensington trackball.

lostcolt wrote:

Is Kensington wireless trackball compatible with Sonoma? Just upgraded and my trackball is now unresponsive. Is there a fix?

There are reports of issues.

I believe Kensington released an update for Sonoma compatibility— and still some reports of issues..

Maybe it was isolated to keyboards(?)

If in doubt refer to the developers website; Support/Help/FAQ/known issues/compatibility /updates/uninstall:

Contact a third party vendor

Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support

I am sorry that you have had so many problems. I too went round that circle many times with previous software versions and agree that Kensington’s web site is extremely deficient.

one thing that seems is important is that ALL Kensington traces need to be uninstalled and erased before the reinstallion is done. And a complete shut down and restart to ensure that this is effective.

i have copied their sequence of re installation…..to a follow-up Post.

I have a brand new Kensington wired trackball on a M3 running Sonoma. The trackball ball works but the buttons don't maintain any settings. For example, I can assign the delete key (X) to a button and the button label says "backspace." But the button doesn't do anything. In the KensingtonWorks app different trackball button settings can be assigned to different apps. No matter what app I've assigned the button settings to, the button does not do anything. Where is that Kensington Sonoma update you mentioned? I can't find it anywhere.

I have been struggling with the same problem.

I had a long 'phone conversation with Kensington, trying lots of options, with no successful outcome.

The problem has been referred to their "Experts".

That was over a week ago and nothing has changed with the software on the Kernsington web site and I have had no follow-up from them.

I can't get it to work at all. First I used the KensigntonWorks uninstaller on the one that was installed. Then I started fresh with the download you indicated. But the installer seems to hang. Had to totally restart, which was troublesome because the installer was preventing restart. Then when the app seems to be installing, the instructions don't tell you exactly how to set it up. The instructions don't match the Sonoma MacOS system text and details.

I went exploring in Accessibility and other settings trying to find where to enable the things KensingtoWorks tells you to enable. I think I found the right thing to enable.

Next, the KensingtonWorks app indicates there is an update to be downloaded. So I downloaded that, installed it, and restarted. (That was restart/startup 4 or 5.)

And then there is a total freeze when it says to Restart. Frozen, twice. Even holding the Mac power button took longer than normal. Couldn't Restart. Had to shut down and startup. And on one of the restarts, there was a flash of a pink screen. I'm afraid Kensington is messing up my brand new Mac system!

Launched KensingtonWorks (assuming all the setup settings were correctly enabled.) The app seems to be dated from October 2022. Doesn't seem like an update if the link you provided is supposed to be the newest.

In the app I tried to set the top right button to "Backspace." Tested it and it didn't work.

It's fortunate you got it to work. But I'm giving up. It shouldn't be this hard. I might return this trackball for a refund. I've used the Kensington trackball since it debuted so many years ago. But never again.

By the way, the Kensington website is an ugly, unfriendly mess. There is no way to submit a Support request for their trackballs! They don't have a category for them. If they do, it's hidden in a broader category which I can't figure out. (And then the form requires a ton of information hardly required for this kind of request for help.) And their chat support and phone support service is only M-F during business hours. It's Kensington 1.0, from 1999.