Mid-2011 13" Macbook Air Trackpad problem.

I don't understand how you guys are getting your laptops replaced!?!?! My 13" MacBook Air is about 1 month old, and COMPLETELY UNUSABLE. If you touch the pad at all, it just "clicks" and won't release so you end up draging stuff all over, can't click on anything, then randomly clicks things. It's not a "once in a while" kind of thing, it has just made the laptop COMPLETELY USELESS to me.

I took it in to the Apple Store, had to come back the next day (becuase they were soo busy), and finally they said "yes, it's malfunctioning" and told me I had to schedule a repair. It's a week and a half later now, and when I called a couple days ago, they said they forgot to order the part, and I'm still waiting for a "Repair" to the touchpad.

My MacBook Air won't charge beyond 96%, the trackpad has rendered it a paperweight, and I have to wait weeks for them to even let me drop it off for a repair? As if I'm not frusturated enough with the useless purchase, and horribly slow service, now I'm reading all these posts about how they just "swap it for a new laptop" for some people? How are you getting them to do that? I would LOVE to have a usable computer after paying like $1500 for a paperweight.

It may be time for Apple to launch an official "CALL-BACK" on the MBA 13 "...

Add me to the list of an unusable MBA due to the trackpad ...

Temporary solution to the terribly defective MBA trackpad

Get a USB mouse!! But, you'll soon discover this doesn't fix it because you can still accidentally hit it and the problem starts again. It took me a lot of searching to find how to disable the trackpad with a USB mouse plugged in... Nonetheless, here are the Mapquest-Quality directions to the magical, very well hidden button:

Plug in USB mouse --> Start up and log-in without touching the trackpad --> System Settings --> universal access --> mouse & trackpad --> trackpad options --> Select "Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present" --> enjoy

It would have been so much easier if it was in the regular trackpad-hardware settings. But whatever. It's an amazing solution until you can get your MBA repaired. Just make sure you plug it in before you start up/open your computer. I learned the hard way...

Hope this helps!!

Did this, and of course works fine ... but doesnt fix my trackpad which I would rather use when on the fly.

Anyone know a part # for the trackpad for a 13" mid-2011 MBA ? Just curious so I can continue my hunt for a resolution without taking it inm if possible,

I just got home from getting my MBA 13" replaced for a faulty wireless card after two weeks of use. The wireless works great. Now, I have the trackpad issue. It's an hour to the Apple store each way. This next trip will make six hours of drive time plus the time at the Genius Bar, plus the time reloading the MBA again. The Genius Bar couldn't copy over my data, so I had to reload all my programs. Now, it appears that I will have to do it all over again. So frustrated. I'm about to get a full refund and buy something else.

I have this same issue and am far from impressed with the service apple has given.

The trachpad all of a sudden seemed to be stuck as if the click was held down, but I could still click it and it wasn't jammed or anything. Reported it to apple, they scheduled an appointment at the genius bar in their Sydney store. Took it in for my appointment, they had no record of my appointment, so they made one for me anyway, I was sat down at the genius bar and asked to wait for someone. While listening to the others describing their problems like spilt coffee and accidentally deleting photos for over 45 minutes, I asked the guy that looked like he was in charge (who was avoiding all eye contact with me, and knew I was there for a while) He looked up my name on his ipad, and said we've cancelled your appointment 10 minutes ago, we've been looking for you. At this point I was very irratated as I had been sitting there for so long listening to others go on and on about their problems, knowing that mine would be a simple 2 minute job to demonstrate the faulty trackpad. The they guy in charge came back and said, you're next in line, 10 minutes later another guy comes around, I show him the problem and he books it in for a trackpad replacement. I told him that it seems like a design flaw and I had taken extraordinary care of my macbook air, and even if it was replaced, in 6 months it would happen again, possibly on the day after my warranty ran out. He just shrugged his shoulders and brought up the apple care page pointing to the $299 extended warranty. Not happy at all. He continued to book in the repair, then says, sorry we don't have the part, you'll have to come and bring it back later in the week. As you could imagine, I was ready to just stand up and leave, that's exactly what I did, he asked me to wait while he printed the paperwork, which I took and stomed out wanting to punch someone out. I now have a useless macbook air sitting in the box, when I've cooled down a little I'll get it repaired and flog it off on fleabay.

Me too, the trackpad problem started happening about a month ago, been twice to the Apple store but never does it there, but I think it needs to get hot before the symptoms really start so next time I go back I will play some Minecraft whilst waiting, that always seems to warm it up 🙂

I have the same problem. I did a hardware test and my 13' 2011 MBA passed it without any flaws, but I really have a hyper sensitive trackpad. I am dragging stuf all over my screen, it is noticing a click when my finger isn't even near the trackpad and in games it is wasting my bullets by shooting the guns automatically. Please Apple, I've paid $1250 for this beautiful machine, so please fix it with a software update or something like that.

It's not a software problem. It's a hardware problem. Apple shipped and is continuing to ship MB Air's with defective track pads. You'll need to go to Apple and get it replaced - or call and ship it off. A $500 equivalent non-Apple laptop doesn't have this problem FYI.

Well... I have the same problem with my 11'' Air. As there's no Apple Store in my country, I went to Autorized Service Partner with my MBA being 3 days old. They don't have any parts on stock, so they ordered new trackpad and motherboard (!!!). It took 3 month to recieve them. And finally parts arrived and have been replaced. And know what? The problem is still here! So now they've ordered this parts AGAIN and I have to wait for ANOTHER 3 months!

It's crazy!!!

Hello everyone, I am my wits end with my MBA trackpad. And it seems I am not the only one. All I feel like doing is putting my fist through the screen of my MBA of three months - these are strong words for a devoted Apple fan.

The hyersenitivity and unpredicablity of the trackpad abosultely astounds me. How could Apple have got it so wrong? I have used trackpads on laptops for over 10 years and the MBA is my first Apple laptop I have owned. My main issues are:

* repeated accidental executions

* repeated unwanted selections of text, etc

* haphazard and unpredictable behavour of the mouse pointer

* unpredictable and unwanted deletion of dock items, tabs and windows

I've looked at my systems preferences and settings and examined the ins and outs of the trackpad options. I have even deslected all of the tick boxes, but the ***** continues. I will be in touch with Apple Care shortly and also may even to the Apple Store to get insights - maybe its me?

I have a question for all you. Should I not be able to just move my mouse pointer around as and when I want without it selecting, dragging and executing items without my consent? Or are MBAs or Lion itself incapable of emulating windows based laptops?

Mine went back to the Apple store on Sunday, they ordered a replacement trackpad and fitted it and I have just collected it and all now seems fine. I will give it a proper test this evening but so far so good.

Thanks Chanandl3r,

I assume you had a similar problem to me? Good luck with the testing, I hope your issue is resolved.

Yes, identical problem, selecting items and moving things about, behaving as if the left button was clicking all the time even with tap to click turned off (and all the other trackpad options too). It was driving me mad. It never did it with an external mouse or the external trackpad and I re-installed Lion on it so was pretty sure it wasn't anything to do with the OS so that just left the hardware.

So after taking it to the Genius bar and showing them the problem happening (mine just needed to warm up a bit so ended up playing some Minecraft on it as that usually heated the thing up within 5 minutes nicely) the problem started happening and they booked it in for a repair.