Trackpad gets stuck on drag mode

Oct 29, 2010 10:39 AM in response to scutter

@scutter: I've been having these symptoms with a 2010 unibody, but I do think that's a software issue. However, with my previous MB Pro (Late 2007), it did in fact turn out to be the battery... the issue kept getting worse and worse, and eventually I did the math, popped out the battery, and realized that it was bulging significantly. Unfortunately I was on the road at the time and couldn't replace the battery for another 3 week, but by the time I got home the battery had completely come apart at the seams. Even though the MB was out of warranty for over two years, the kind folks at my local genius bar replaced the battery for free. Unfortunately the frame of the MB was permanently warped at this stage (though this shouldn't happen with the unibody?). My advice would be to get a new battery ASAP, before the frame is deformed.

Reply

puumarko

Level 1

4 points

Nov 3, 2010 11:32 PM in response to jetsfan1457

I haven't had this problem since I disabled "Tap to Click" in System Preferences. It's much better now also because I don't get those accidental selections while scrolling or moving around in the active window.

))marko

Reply

rudlab

Level 1

0 points

Nov 19, 2010 5:10 PM in response to jetsfan1457

I have had the same problem with MagicTrackpad since I started using it with my MacBook Pro 17" (early 2008) last september. At the same time the built in Trackpad on the MacBook Pro continues to work perfectly normally. So does my MagicMouse.

Resetting the PRAM makes no difference. I can stop the misbehavior of MagicTrackpad for a short time by making a right click somewhere in a text document. After a short while the misbehavior starts again.

The local Apple dealer has already exchanged my first MagicTrackpad for a new one after having deemed the first one as not functioning properly. However the second MagicTrackpad misbehaves just as the first one. My (unsatisfactory) solution is to turn of MagicTrackpad and use MagicMouse instead, - with no problems turning up!

Reply

Jan 11, 2011 9:53 AM in response to jetsfan1457

Hopefully I can help people having problems with this behavior.

This is a new feature of the trackpad on unibody macbook pros. When you

1. have "One Finger - Dragging" enabled
2. double tap a draggable item
3. begin dragging it
4. lift the finger up

the system will 'hold' the drag for around half a second. That is, if you place your finger back on the trackpad, the draggable item is still 'stuck' to your finger. This was designed on purpose so that you can drag something all the way across the window even if you run out of space on the trackpad. It behaves this way REGARDLESS of whether 'Drag Lock' is checked.

A lot of people do not like this feature, and would like to turn it off, but you can't, it's hard coded in the firmware. Restarting does not 'fix' it, people just happen to click after the half second sometimes, and this is why they report it's intermittent.

Personally, I have disabled 'One Finger' dragging, and have enabled "Three Finger" dragging. This is a new way to interact with the machine, but I learned it quickly, and I find it's an improved workflow. 1 finger for click and double-click, 2 finger for scrolling, 3 finger for dragging, 4 finger for app-switching.

Of course, the best solution would be for Apple to allow the drag delay to be configurable, so people can set their MBP trackpads to behave like "normal" (i.e. all other manufacturer) trackpads.

Reply

axeffect

Level 1

0 points

Apr 8, 2011 10:13 AM in response to jetsfan1457

I actually have been having the same problem and I have a really weird solution...You may think I'm crazy, but...

After it gets stuck (thinks its using multiple fingers, etc) I knock lightly to the right of the trackpad, like I'm knocking on a door, but really light as not to damage anything.

It fixes itself pretty instantly...a lot here suggest it is a software problem, but it's strange that something like this would resolve the issue.

Any ideas? I'm honestly thinking about taking it into Apple for a replacement.

Reply

detyro

Level 1

0 points

Mar 21, 2012 4:49 AM in response to zero-out

AAARRRGH!!!

I've been having this problem for the last couple of days - random dragging and locking up...

When zero-out mentioned 'Bluetooth' I thought - OH NO how can I be so STUPID!!!!!

I thought about how I had been working over the last couple of days and figured I had NOT been using my mouse only the trackpad...

So I thought the problem was with the trackpad...

as I had left my mouse in my bag...

and...

NO!

the problem WAS that I had left the mouse in my bag and...

I had left the mouse TURNED ON...

soooo...

it was connected via Bluetooth and squashed in my bag...

sooo...

when I moved my bag the mouse got squashed and stuck in mousedown...

OH I FEEL SO STUPID!!!

So check what peripherals you have connected and that they are turned on/off as needed 🙂

Reply

Apr 28, 2012 11:53 AM in response to jetsfan1457

I had my trackpad replaced 3 weeks ago because it had basically stopped working altogether. Worked great for three weeks - today it began to stick on drag to the right. Very frustrating. Tried a restart - that didn't work. Tried the quick double-click to reset it and that didn't work. Dragging was not turned on in Preferences - tried turning everything off anyway - that didn't work.

What worked for me was to connect my Logiteck wireless mouse. As soon as I started using that my trackpad was no longer stuck. I am now using the trackpad again.

Reply

haavee

Level 1

0 points

Mar 8, 2013 2:29 PM in response to jetsfan1457

Hi,

I just started having this problem too on my late 2008 unibody MBP: the trackpad behaving like it's continuously being in "clicked" (drag) state which renders the macbook completely useless.

Reading this thread I thought: it could be the battery. Thus I took it out (whilst on power) and _instantaneously_ the problem went away.

No reboot nor adjusting "click-to-tap" settings in SystemPrefs - as soon as the battery was out the trackpad started behaving normally.

By the looks of it the battery is bulging (it's the original one) so I might get me a new one!

cheers,

h

Reply

jevel

Level 1

4 points

Feb 23, 2016 10:41 AM in response to detyro

I logged in only to share the same here.

Been having trouble with all sorts of weird stuff on my MBP17.

Turns out I was cleaning my desk in my home office a few days back and managed to pile the keyboard and trackpad on top of eachother, causing the trackpad to be kept pressed down.

As soon as I was within reach of the trackpad, my MacBook would start misbehaving. Took me a couple of tries to sort it out. 🙂

-KJ

Reply

Aug 25, 2010 1:12 PM in response to Callaghan001

No, this is a problem that many people are having, myself included. It is thought to be a bug in the new trackpad update.

Reply

Aug 25, 2010 8:17 PM in response to jetsfan1457

I am having the same exact problem. A quick fix that I use is just taping on the trackpad with two fingers and the problems seems to go away but comes back. I think it's easier than turning off your mac and having to quit everything your doing.

Reply

norsean

Level 1

10 points

Aug 25, 2010 9:56 PM in response to jetsfan1457

I am a new mac user and have got the same problem here. If the new trackpad update is to be blamed, is there any easy way to uninstall it?

Reply

ming8924

Level 1

0 points

Aug 25, 2010 11:42 PM in response to jetsfan1457

I've been having this problem ever since I downloaded the trackpad update. hope a new update is released asap

Reply

arg52

Level 1

0 points

Aug 29, 2010 11:12 PM in response to jetsfan1457

I have to same problem; just throwing my name into the hat. I don't have a solution. But the more people that make it known, the faster they will fix it.

Reply

Aug 31, 2010 7:30 AM in response to arg52

Count me as someone who has the problem. Very frustrating!

This is my first Mac.

Reply