Login screen doesn't respond to cursor

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Level 1

44 points

Login screen doesn't respond to cursor

After restarting I get a login screen, but I can't interact with it with the cursor. In order to log in I have to type the first letter of my account and then press enter. I tried reinstalling Mountain Lion but it still won't accept input via the cursor.

While this doesn't seem like a huge problem, I can't interact with the system restore screen (i.e., holding the 'option' key down during restart). So I can't actually restore anything in emergency situations.

Anyone else experiencing this? Is there any known workaround?

MacBook Pro 13 in (mid-2009)

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion, 8GB Ram, 320GB 7200 rpm HD

Posted on Jul 30, 2012 7:51 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Tuttle

Level 7

29,541 points

Jul 30, 2012 8:08 PM in response to Lloyd Deane

Not saying this isn't an issue, but you can easily navigate between accounts in the login screen using the arrow keys. When you've selected the account you want to log in to, press the return key and the password field should have a blinking cursor and be ready to accept text.

Starting up holding the option key is the same: you can use the arrow keys to navigate between boot volumes, and the return key to boot from the volume you've selected with the arrow keys.

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Answer 2

Lloyd Deane Author

Level 1

44 points

Jul 30, 2012 8:47 PM in response to Tuttle

Thanks Tuttle, the problem is that once I select a drive volume, for example say if I hold down the option key at restart, I can navigate to the recovery volume and pressing enter will bring me to the OS X Utilities page. From there, using the up and down arrow keys I can select one of the four options (e.g., reinstall os x, repair permissions) but I can't interact with the 'continue' botton. Not with the cursor. I can give the 'continue' button focus by pressing the tab key, but from ther pressing enter does nothing. So navigating with the arrow keys is possible, but executing commands isn't possible.

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Answer 3

ClayG

Level 4

1,416 points

Jul 30, 2012 8:53 PM in response to Lloyd Deane

Try resetting your PRAM. Restart your Mac while holdding down command, option, P, R. Hold down until you hear a second chime sound.

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Answer 4

Lloyd Deane Author

Level 1

44 points

Jul 31, 2012 6:00 AM in response to ClayG

Thanks. Worth a try, but no improvement.

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Answer 5

Aug 22, 2012 8:34 PM in response to Lloyd Deane

I don't have a cursor at login. None responsive to mouse and keyboard (so no typing first letter of account).

Some times I can get the cursor to appear by connecting via VNC on my iPad. Most of the time as soon as I connect I see the cursor.

This last time I still couldn't do anything via mouse or keyboard until I clicked on the Bluetooth menu item (via VNC) and then the cursor appeared and the keyboard began to work.

Once keyboard and mouse start working it's not an issue until I reboot.

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Answer 6

asaaz

Level 1

4 points

May 24, 2013 11:55 AM in response to Lloyd Deane

I just purchased a refurbed Macbook Air. OSX v 10.8.3. I have been using it only for a few days. I don't have any creative software loaded on, or Chrome. My cursor doesn't appear after sleep and I have found no way to log back in other than to turn the computer off. This has happened since the day I received the computer, so I am certain it's not my software.

If you have any suggestions please let me know. I hate shutting it down every time this happens.

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Answer 7

Tuttle

Level 7

29,541 points

May 24, 2013 2:42 PM in response to asaaz

Best to start a new topic for this issue, asaaz.

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