Mouse cursor disappears.

Interesting. But my problem is that the pointer remains but when in Word, Photoshop, InDesign and some others the cursor disappears and typing stops working, until the cursor reappears after about 5 secs and I can type again. While this fault starts the contents of the page moves slightly to the right and back then the reverse happens when the cursor re-appears.

Also, sometimes when typing, Spotlight's window opens and my typing appears there!. So I don't think that pinpoint would work for me.

I am gritting my teeth and just putting up with it, cursing Apple all the while (despite the fact that it may be the fault of another software (Adobe stuff has been mentioned). Apple could at least have recognised the problem and tried to do something about it.

When OS 9 is available I will try to work as long as I can with no Adobe software installed to see if the fault disappears (but even that might not work because my problem did not appear for about 3 months after erase and installing M. Lion).

I have confirmed that if you install the pinpoint application from the app library when the cursor disappears, the rotating halo around the cursor that is placed by pinpoint remains. Thus if you have pinpoint installed you can always find the cursor. Further if you look at this post:

http://macsci.jelmerborst.nl/files/tag-pinpoint.php

It is possible to get a version of the pinpoint applicaition that allows custom graphics, thus it can provide an alternate cursor, although I'm not sure if that will help. In any case, I think the pinpoint application provides a work around for this annoying problem. I make the halo orange brown and quite transparent so that it does not annoy but can be seen if the cursor disappears.

disappearing cursor pinpoint mac OS x 10.8.2

I just had my mouse cursor disappear. The control was still there - hyperlinks highlighted, buttons gave tool tips but the cursor was invisible. The same behaviour on each desktop or application. Going to the menubar and clicking got it back for a moment. Then it disappeared again. Having seen this kind of behaviour running some java apps I thought it might be safari messing things up. I quit safari and the cursor came back. Starting safari back up and the cursor is till here.

I'm sorry..

but after last apple update the mouse cursor returns disappearing.

This time last version of java NOT SOLVE the problem for me.

http://download.oracle.com/otn-pub/java/jdk/7u17-b02/jdk-7u17-macosx-x64.dmg

The problem is less evidence working in window mode (photoshop) and not full screen of file.

This is a great limitation for us that work in photoshop.

I repeat that for me it's always seems to be a java problem because when cursor dissappear a plugin that I have stops to work and it's builded in java.

It's not a plugin problem because I've already tried all solution.

But none of big company read this post

-_-

A clean instaill is a last resort for me as I can't risk that on my production system. However, I was finally able to find enough hard drive space to make a partition for a clean install of ML and a Photoshop CS5 install. I did this and also installed the latest Adobe updates for CS5. (PS install from the original install disk - no Migration Assistant) I can report that in the testing I did, the cursor does not disappear as often, but it does disappear enough times to still be a significant issue for me. However, I don't know exactly how it will perform on a daily basis... in other words, it could very well be just as bad as it is now with the standard install I did over Snow Leopard.

Here's what I have done so far without sucess:

1. The Java updates.

2. The PinPoint application. If you download from the developer's web site, you can get a free 7 day trail. (this might be true with the app store; I didn't try it) You might want to give it a try and see if you like what it does for this problem. It didn't work out for me.

3. Clean install of ML and a clean install of PS from the original install disk. What was interesting is that the first launch of PS after installing I got a message that said "To open PS, You need a Java SE 6 runtime. Would you like to install one now?". At least that proves PS needs Java. After seeing the cursor disappear during my testing, I did update to Java build 1.7.0_17 to be sure, which did no good.

The only solution I see at this point is to go back to Snow Leopard. Or, wait and hope this will be fixed soon. In the meantime, it would be great if everyone reading this thread write to Apple and Adobe about this issue.

I've had this issue in Photoshop (and other Adobe products). If you are, for example, using a brush can you still see it? I've found that sometimes the cause is an accidentally-on Caps Lock. Also pressing tab (to remove menus) and pressing it again (to bring them back) sometimes brings the cursor back. This is ADOBE ONLY

I only get this issue in photoshop, none of my other applications. And it seems to be only with my Wacom tablet and not my mouse (although I don't use my mouse much in photoshop so I cant be sure) - and when the cursor dissappears, exchanging my tablet pen for my mouse, does not bring it back. And I am sure (but I cannot be 100% certain) that I had this same problem with Snow Leopard. I really think that my problem is a Wacom - Adobe problem. When I had a Wacom Bamboo it was way worse and the cursor would dissapear and nothing I did could bring it back, until it decided to come back. Now with the Intuos 5, I can move my cursor down right off the screen and then when I bring it back up, it reappears. Very irritating but not as frustrating as before.

For me, the issue is only with PS CS5. I am not using a Wacom tablet. Only a USB mouse. By the way, my recent post regarding the clean install pretty much proves there is no third-party software conflict going on. The system is clean with only PS installed and later a required Java update. I believe I have read people are having this issue with CS6 as well? It would be great if Apple and/or Adobe would step up to the plate and acknowledge this problem, what type of systems are affected (CPUs, graphic cards, etc.) and possibly offer some recommendations for a solution until a software fix can be issued.

Except for Adobe Reader which is probably not the culprit:

Is there anyone having mouse cursor problems who has never had any Adobe software installed in their computer since the last erase and install of their current Op. System ? (I don't mean just not running at the time of the fault.)

If so, please post here. If there are several, (say 10) then we could eliminate Adobe from the suspect list.

I haven't setup or installed any Adobe products besides Reader, Flash and Java. I've mentioned it before in this thread and remain convinced that the problem is Flash or Java related. My cursor disappears most often when I'm playing Flash based videos in Safari. The problem seems to be more severe when I have the video playing full screen on one display and try to do work on another screen.

I'm quite sure that the disappearing cursor has nothing to do with any application and is a problem with OS X. Too many people have the problem in very diversified circumstances. Here is my discussion of what could cause a bug like this:

I’ll suggest in general terms what might cause a highly intermittent bug like this.

Lets suppose that there is a cursor driver that is called by interrupts hundreds of times per second. This routine has to replace the cursor with previously saved screen image and save the image where the cursor will be moved to and redraw the cursor. Somehow there is a map of the screen telling where links and text and the edge of the window are so that it can know when to change the type of cursor. Now, suppose a higher level routine, perhaps called by customer applications, also has to get and send information to the interrupt routine. Assume a data structure consisting of multiple computer words is used to pass this information back and forth. If this data structure contains the wrong information the cursor will disappear. How can the data structure be changed, i.e. corrupted, so that it expresses an invalid cursor state? Well, if an interrupt takes place while the higher level routine is in the process of updating the data structure, and the interrupt routine also tries to update the data structure, then confusion will rein. Normally the higher priority interrupt routine must be prohibited from interrupting the update of the data structure by the higher level routine while the higher level routine is in the middle of updating the data structure. So, normally, some mechanism will exist to temporarily raise the priority of the higher level routine while it is updating the data structure. The update of the data structure has to be atomic, ie completed without someone else trying to mess with the same data structure.

If the critical segment where the data structure is being updated is 1 microsecond long and is encountered only every second, then the chances of failure will be 1 in a million. However over a period of hours there could be a million chances as the mouse is moved and the interrupt routine is called. However this process may not be strictly random. Depending on the relative timing of the interrupt routine and the higher level routine a collision between the two routines could take place much more frequently. There can be synchronizing events and “beats” that cause the time difference between the two routines to converge. On the other had the synchronizing events may serve to always prevent a collision. That may be whey the bug doesn’t occur much on infinity loop in Cupertino.

Probably the best way to find a bug like this is to inspect the code.

This is interesting and shows how complex a system can be. Thank you. However, as a computer and software user, I expect the designers of these (Apple, Adobe & Co.) to find a solution, especially for such a fundamental feature as where the cursor is. I do not expect my car manufacturer to give me details of why the central locking on my car persistently unlocks randomly, or why my electricity supply disconnects from time to time in every month with an "r" in it. I expect solutions, especially for such a serious and long-running fault as the cursor problems.

It seems to me that any object with a microprocessor in it is liable to crash or malfunction randomly, as even my TVs and TV recorders do, requiring to be switched off then on. I was in a hospital bed last year for a few days. It had a screen and computer-type selection arrows etc.to choose any of several mattress layouts (flat, Z, sloping etc.). It crashed!!! A software engineer had to be called to fix it!!! A bed!!! More needs to be done to make microprocessors and/or their controlling software more reliable.

Perhaps Apple, Adobe etc.could stop upgrading their softwares so often, with new bells and whistles, and spend the time making what they do produce more bug-free. The phone system, the National Grid, semi-robotic surgical operating systems etc. seem to be able to do it. I have never heard of a patient having his aorta sliced because the surgeon could not keep track of the position of the knife. Why are computers sold with so many bugs (some are inevitable, but so many?)

I agree but am not so sure that the other folks who mention are immune from hardware and software problems. Morality should go a long way to encourage responsible business practices. Litigation can blungeon miscreants and responsbile persons alike to respond (not necessarily equitably when litigation is of the "might is right" type). But, whether it is in the code and/or elsewhere else, a fix seems to be the foundational remedy. With a fix, the problem goes away. With a fix showing miscreant misbehavior, corporate or litigational discipline should be imposed. So, why hasn't anyone been able to fix this problem? Not enough software experts? Too complicated? Are lawyers too stupid to hire the proper experts to get the fix and sue?

I understand the frustration here, but it's not entirely fair to compare the phone system (a major piece of infrastructure) to a PC OS (consumer electronics). It's not uncommon for mobile phone users to change their phone every six to twelve months. A surgical robot bought today will likely still be operating 20 years from now, same with a PBX (phone system), the ubiqutious Cisco IP Phone that so many offices utilize today is the same Cisco IP Phone that I was installing nearly 15 years ago. We can't forget about the price either, a surgical robot may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while upgrading to Mountain Lion was $20.

Regardless, I'm growing more irritated by the day trying to locate and use something so fundamental to a computer as the mouse.pointer.

I have had my tele. no. since 1980. Most people are not so unstable (as the software we are addressing) "to change their phone every six to twelve months." $20 is not much but IF that upgrade could be convincingly shown to be the cause the charges should be reversed and then some. Either we are the victim of tech oligopolies or software conflicts the evade the techs (and may irritate them even more).