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Macbook air touchpad not clicking. It makes an audible click when you press it on the right but not the left

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Posted on Jun 3, 2011 10:10 PM

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Posted on Jun 3, 2011 10:23 PM

Navigate to System Preferences - Trackpad and ensure tap to click is selected. If it already is then try doing a SMC reset.


SMC RESET


  • Shut down the computer.
  • Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
  • On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
  • Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
  • Press the power button to turn on the computer.

PRAM RESET


  • Shut down the computer.
  • Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step
  • Turn on the computer.
  • Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
  • Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
  • Release the keys.


Roger

49 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jun 3, 2011 10:23 PM in response to jonathan116

Navigate to System Preferences - Trackpad and ensure tap to click is selected. If it already is then try doing a SMC reset.


SMC RESET


  • Shut down the computer.
  • Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
  • On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
  • Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
  • Press the power button to turn on the computer.

PRAM RESET


  • Shut down the computer.
  • Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step
  • Turn on the computer.
  • Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
  • Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
  • Release the keys.


Roger

Sep 1, 2017 9:00 AM in response to jonathan116

So I had this question too because instead of clicking on the left side, it made like a dull click that was super unsatisfying. I tried the whole "knocking on its side" thing, but that didn't work. So I took a post it and just shoved it in the crack between the trackpad and the rest of the computer on the left side. Move the post it up and down that side, and most likely there will be something sticky in there, so just move the post it around that part (you may need to do this a couple times) until you can fit the post it around that bottom left corner. At first, the trackpad was the same, but when I woke up it was clicking perfectly.

Note: you may have to do this again as necessary

Jun 4, 2011 12:34 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Tried that stuff, still experiencing the issue.


To be more clear on the problem I'm having, the trackpad itself is a click anywhere pad, but its only making an audible click sound when i click on the right side of the trackpad.


When I click on the left side, it's like hitting a surface, there's no response, whereas on the right, the pad goes down a bit and you hear a click.


Any ideas on how i can fix this?

Jan 1, 2012 1:07 AM in response to jonathan116

Hi Jonathan - you probably have a bent frame as I do. I confirmed this by bending the frame back (very carefully!!), and one side of the TouchPad started working again. It's the physical thin design of the Air that's probably hard to make rigid enough - if you put the machine on a level table, you can see that the TouchPad area rests in the air, supported by the two plastic "feet" or bulges at each corner of the bottom. Each click on the TouchPad puts a stress on the material, which in the end gives, jamming the click mechanism. They should at least take the bulging black feet out of the bottom.

Dec 17, 2012 3:53 PM in response to edwardgonsalves@me.com

If anyone had the same problem as this, here's what I did.


I removed the hardshell casing on my Macbook Air. I stood the Macbook on its left side on the bed. And I tapped (or rapped lightly) the back of the macbook behind the trackpad. Whatever mechanism that was stuck fell into place.


When I checked on it, the left side of the trackpad clicked normally. I assume this can work on the right side as well.

Feb 2, 2013 11:41 PM in response to Olee

Olee wrote:


If anyone had the same problem as this, here's what I did.


I removed the hardshell casing on my Macbook Air. I stood the Macbook on its left side on the bed. And I tapped (or rapped lightly) the back of the macbook behind the trackpad. Whatever mechanism that was stuck fell into place.


When I checked on it, the left side of the trackpad clicked normally. I assume this can work on the right side as well.


What do you mean by "the hardshell casing"? You unscrewed the casing?

Macbook air touchpad not clicking. It makes an audible click when you press it on the right but not the left

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