edisc
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Q: Trackpad click not working at login

When I get to the login screen, my wireless trackpad moves the pointer all around the screen but the click (tap or double tap) function does not work.  I had to plug in another mouse to login.  Once logged in, click and all other gestures work perfectly.  Any ideas??  Apple Care phone support thought the trackpad was defective but obviously it still works.

 

The other weird issue was in recovery mode, the pointer only moves vertically and only when I move my finger horizontall across the trackpad.  Again, no click function.

 

It seems to me to be a software issue and not hardware related.

Posted on Jul 27, 2012 7:53 AM

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Q: Trackpad click not working at login

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  • by user1724,

    user1724 user1724 Jul 27, 2012 7:57 AM in response to edisc
    Level 3 (530 points)
    Jul 27, 2012 7:57 AM in response to edisc

    When logging in with the trackpad you need to give it a "hard click", actually depressing the pad until you hear the click.

     

    I believe the tap to click preference has not been loaded yet until you actually login.  At least that is how mine has worked for the year + that I have had it.  Snow Leopard, Lion and now Moutain Lion.

  • by edisc,

    edisc edisc Jul 27, 2012 8:09 AM in response to user1724
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 27, 2012 8:09 AM in response to user1724

    It's a magic trackpad so there is no physical click.  I actually figured out the issue is that the magic trackpad has tap to click disabled by default.  Found a terminal command here to enable by default and now it works perfectly.

     

    http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1218257

  • by user1724,

    user1724 user1724 Jul 27, 2012 8:12 AM in response to edisc
    Level 3 (530 points)
    Jul 27, 2012 8:12 AM in response to edisc

    The trackpad does have a hard click.  The feet on the bottom will depress when you put pressure on the pad, which creates the click. 

     

    Just FYI.  That is how it works when "tap to click" is disabled, and how it works when the preference is not yet loaded.

  • by user1724,

    user1724 user1724 Jul 27, 2012 8:16 AM in response to edisc
    Level 3 (530 points)
    Jul 27, 2012 8:16 AM in response to edisc

    edisc wrote:

     

    It's a magic trackpad so there is no physical click.  I actually figured out the issue is that the magic trackpad has tap to click disabled by default.  Found a terminal command here to enable by default and now it works perfectly.

     

    http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1218257

     

    Looks like that link tells you how to make the change the default so the preference does not have to load.  Which is fine also.  But you do not have to do that (change your system).  Just hard click to login.

     

    This is explained in that thread also.  Same thing I posted above.

  • by edisc,

    edisc edisc Jul 27, 2012 8:21 AM in response to user1724
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 27, 2012 8:21 AM in response to user1724

    Thanks for the help.  I'm obviously an idiot and didn't realize there was a hard click option.  I've always used this connected to my wireless keyboard on my lap, so didn't have a firm surface underneath to make the hard click happen.  I went ahead and ran the script so tap to click works now.

  • by Ruben MZ,

    Ruben MZ Ruben MZ Jun 26, 2016 10:52 AM in response to edisc
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Jun 26, 2016 10:52 AM in response to edisc

    I can’t imagine not to be able to use your MBP because of this very frustrating glitch.  It's happened to me a number of times and had to borrow my sons usb w/l mouse in order to login.  But I think that I may have just figured out a way.  What seems to work is to place the pointer on the users icon, depress the middle of the trackpad with either left index or middle finger while keeping constant pressure and tapping lower right hand corner.  It may take a few tries but it's worked on my 2012 MBP 10.10.5--- I may have to make a video to post later.