Trackpad making double-click when touching it

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Level 1

10 points

Trackpad making double-click when touching it

Hello everybody

I'm the happy owner of a MacBook (the aluminium-version that, as far as I know, is no longer possible to purchase - I think Apple have "converted" it into a MacBookPro today).

Unfortunately I have had some serious trouble with mu trackpad during the last months. It functions as it has to, but sometimes when touching specific areas it makes a double-click. That is, when touching these areas the tracpad makes an extra click (before making the normal click that naturally occurs when clicking).

Due to what I describe above the trackpad has been replaced/changed two times. First time the problem was not solved. Second time it seemed to be solved, but now the little extra-click occurs again.

I have a video that clearly shows the extra-click, but unfortunately I am not able to attatch it? Please tell me if I am wrong.

Nevertheless I am very interested in talking to people who have experienced the same problem. I have tried to remove the battery in order to investigate what causes the extra-click, but it simply is not possible for me. Moreover the tecnician that changed the trackpad is not able to tell what causes the extra-click.

So - please - if someone knows - please tell me!

Regards,
alste

Posted on Dec 24, 2010 7:23 AM

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Answer 1

thkspl

Level 1

4 points

Feb 8, 2011 1:08 PM in response to alste

My late-2010 MacBook Pro track pad has just developed sort of a 'phantom' click. If I lightly place my finger on the left bottom quarter of the trackpad I feel a slight depression and hear an audible click, almost as loud as the full-pressure normal trackpad click. It feels like some layer of the trackpad has come separated, and gets pushed together and apart again when I apply slight pressure.

Is this basically what you're seeing?

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Answer 2

Dec 25, 2010 4:36 PM in response to alste

Hi,

I had a look at the videos and can hear the noise as you tap on the pad.

I almost sounds like the glass has 'delaminated' for want of a better word from its support bracket.

Did you ever get to look at the underside of the trackpad? If you could not remove the battery, it is probably because you did not have the latch for opening the access panel up to release the battery. Page 36 of the user manual here shows how to remove the battery http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/MacBook_13inch_AluminumLate2008.pdf

When I open mine and I press on the trackpad, I can clearly see the underside support bracket move down with the button and cannot see any other movement of the glass.

May be try this with yours and you may see that there is an initial movement of the glass before the underside support bracket moves with the button action.

I am quite surprised when you say that you have had this replaced twice already and the 1st one did not fix the problem, that would indicate to me that it wasn't replaced or something.

Doing a bit of a search on trusty Google, I found a couple of neat comments that may help you.

When you pull the battery, you will see the trackpad assembly. There is a screw in the middle front of the trackpad. This is an adjustment screw which adjusts the 'travel' of the trackpad button before the click occurs. You could try adjusting this to see if it causing your issue. I would be very cautious when adjusting this screw as it probably will not require much movement. I would suggest that you mark the screw and the support bracket with a marking pen before you adjust it, so you can see exactly where you started from incase you need to go back to that point.

Another comment I found was complaining that the button click was becoming unresponsive on one side of the trackpad. What this user did was to put the computer on its left side and depress the trackpad numerous times and then swapped the computer to on its right side and did the same. His trackpad response cleared up and worked fine since.

Sorry I don't have a real solution for you, but maybe start by looking into these things a see how you go.

A

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Answer 3

Dec 24, 2010 7:41 AM in response to alste

Hi

What OS are using and which update number do you have installed?
Do you have the MacBook, MacBook Pro Trackpad Firmware Update 1.0 installed on your machine?

You say the issue is occurring in one specific area of the trackpad, where exactly is it occurring?

What happens when you get the double -click? is a contextual menu displayed? I something selected? I a window grabbed and the you drag it across the screen?

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Answer 4

alste Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 24, 2010 8:14 AM in response to actionmarker

Hello

The extra-click has nothing to do with the functioning of the trackpad. It simply is an extra-click that occurs as if something is not tightened. Nevertheless when removing the battery and touching the trackpad, the extra-click still occurs although everything seems to be tightened.

The extra-click occurs primarily when touching the left part of the trackpad. It occurs periodically and in different strenghts.

Do you have an e-mail-adresse to which I can send the video illustrating the problem? Obviously that will give you a better opportunity to get your questions below answered.

Thank you for your answer. I am looking very much forward to reading your next answer.

Best regards,
alste

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Answer 5

alste Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 24, 2010 2:51 PM in response to actionmarker

Hello again

I've sent two videos illustrating the problem to your e-mail.

Please post your answer here so that others will be able to take it in consideration as well.

Thank you again!

Best regards,
alste

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Answer 6

alste Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 25, 2010 5:12 PM in response to actionmarker

Hello again

I am able to remove the battery and has done so a couple of times the last couple of days in order to investigate from where the noise may come. I have done what you suggest; I have removed the battery and pressed on the trackpad in order to observe the movement of the parts of the trackpad.

What I have experienced is that the three parts that together constitute the trackpad (the glass, the "filter" and the support bracket) are totally "laminated". In other words nothing indicates that the glass should have delaminated from its support bracket. This assumption is supported by the fact that when pressing on the trackpad and at the same time pushing the support bracket upwards (in order to keep the three parts of the trackpad together) the noise still occurs.

Before making this little experiment I was - as you - convinced that the noise was caused by some kind of delamination of the glass from its support bracket, but obviously the experiment I've mad proves that in fact that is not true.

Believe me, I have also been wondering whether the replacements of the trackpad has been made properly. When I received it back the first time and I still was able to hear the noise, I contacted the tecnician and the second time I delivered it personally to him in order to get a more qualitative determination of what could cause the problem. He was not able to specify what caused the noise and therefore he contacted Apple in order to get a statement from them. He also exposed them to the videos I've sent you. They told the tecnician to replace the trackpad again - but neither they were able to tell something specific about what caused the noise.

Nevertheless after the second replacement the noise disappeared, but as I write above it now occurs again. Taken in consideration that the noise also occurs when pressing the trackpad and at the same time holding it below, it seems to me that when pressing the trackpad something on the left part of it touches a part of the cabinet. How does that sound to you?

Thank you for your suggestions - I remember that at some point the tecnician removed the trackpad and replaced it with the same trackpad which resulted in the noise not occuring. Nevertheless I asked him to replace it with a new one in order to be totally sure that the problem was not caused by a defect of the existing trackpad. This episode occured during the second replacement. This makes me wonder whether the noise could be due to, for example, the actual adjustment of the trackpad.

As far as I remember the screws located at the underside of the trackpad demands a special screwdriver. I will have a look at it again tomorrow. I was not aware of the fact that the screw you refer to is used to adjust the "travel" of the trackpad button before the click occurs.

Thank you again for your help.

Best regards,
A

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Answer 7

alste Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 26, 2010 2:33 PM in response to alste

Hello again

Earlier today I removed the battery again and several times I observed the action of the trackpad while pressing on it. It appears to me that there maybe is a possibility that the glass has delaminated from its support bracket since I do not notice any clear movement of the support bracket when I provoke the inappropriate click by touching the left part of the trackpad slightly.

The screw that is used to adjust the travel of the trackpad button demands a special screwdriver. Since I am not a tecnician I will not try to solve the problem by make any physical changes of, for example, the actual adjustment of the trackpad. The product is still under warranty and therefore I have sent an e-mail to the tecnician with a reference to this discussion. Maybe some of what has been written will draw his attention.

Nevertheless if someone has ever experienced the same I will be delighted to hear from them. Even though the problem does not have any direct connection to the functioning of the trackpad, it is extremely annoying when one is aware of it.

Best regards,
A

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Answer 8

Dec 24, 2010 8:27 AM in response to alste

actionmarker.2010@gmail.com

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