Q: macbook pro retina erratic trackpad issues

Hi posborne, believe it or not, but try pressing the upper corners of your trackpad. It seems the upper corners are under pressure and need to be released.

Cheers

MVial

mvial... WHOA THANK YOU.  Did this a lil while ago (pushed the top right and left of the trackpad with semi force), and so far it's been DRASTICALLY improved.  Have only noticed it jump once since (and I think I may have actually hit the trackpad a little weird that time).  I was convinced it was a software error, who knew it just needed a lil push to break it in

You are welcome, Adam. But I can't take the credit to myself: I've found this FANTASTIC tip in some other discussions page...

Anyway, I hope everybody gets it solved by simply doing that.

Cheers

oh, I forgot to mention, when I pushed the top right and left of the trackpad firmly, I actually heard a CLICK, like something went into place.  Anyway, it won't make that initial click it made anymore, so some of the new models really do just come with the trackpad too tight (I guess better too tight, than loose)

I am having the same problem as posborne and the others, very irritating. This solution only works semi well for me, where did this tip originally come from?

Hi, same here....trackpad is stuck. Then the note about applying pressure on the top of the trackpad got me curious. I tried. I could actually press and hold and drag stuff, but never move without clicking at the same time. A typical hardware problem that I need to take to the Genius Bar. I hope they won't shut down my business by keeping it for a while. Does anyone have experience how they react? Make customers wait to fix it in X days, or replace it with a new/refurbished unit? Thanks for input.

I agree, I was excited to find something and posted prematurely.  Looking back, it didn't solve it, but it did definitely help.  Now I know there is something wrong with the way the trackpad is in there.  Like it is too tight.  I have also heard if you loosen the screws, and then tighten them in order, it helps too, so I may try that soon.  I am waiting a little more time, and I am going to take it back to an Apple store and insist they keep it and not to give it back till they fix it, or at least acknowledge the problem.  I won't be rushed out again with another new laptop, since last time, the new laptop did the EXACT same thing.  This is RIDICULOUS for a laptop this expensive, and Apple should be ashamed they have not addressed a problem as widespread and utterly annoying on such a platform

I'm not sure if you fixed this yet or not, but my wife's MacBook Pro was having the same issue. It could be 1)the power supply, 2) a dirty trackpad, 3) you may need to reset the NVRAM or SMC (you can find instructions for those on Apple's site, or 4) what worked for me isn't listed anywhere except some randome Yahoo question that I found from a few years ago: reset the PMU (I'm not sure this even exists on new Macbooks, but the reset works and it fixed my problem.

1) Power Down

2) Press & Hold the Power button till the front light begins to blink.

That's it! I hope it works!

BTW - I also read of people's batteries sweeling and causing the issue, dirt gettng caught between the egde of the trackpad and the case and that some folks pressed down on both sides of the pad and sort of reseated it.

Just to add my 2 cents.  My Macbook Pror Retina (ordered 1st day) has been pretty much flawless until last saturday (dec 8, 2012).  I was working on a Final Cut Pro X video  --- and it took me a while to realize that the track pad was behaving erratic.  Did an SMC reset - no help --  next day the trackpad was still erratic and made an appointment with the Genius Bar for later in the afternoon.  Thought some more and tried  PRAM reset and viola the machine is fine (canceled the Genius) ---  for 8 hour -- until I started taxing it with FCPx again.

Monday I make a new appt and take the machine in.  The Genius sees the behavior, powers down the machine and reboots into a clean user account.  (I had left FCPx running and the machine was warm when I demostrated the error). In the new user id the problem wouldn't occur.  They kept the machine for two days and replaced the ghosting LG screen with a Samsung (Yay!), but did nothing for the trackpad issue.  I spent a half an hour with the genius at pickup indicating my reluctance to take the machine back only to have it act up again.  It was good for 2 days until today when I was ripping a DVD on Handbrake and finishing the FCPx edits on the Church Christmas Play when --- the trackpad becomes erratic. 

Searched for macbook pro trackpad issue and found this thread.  Tried the pressue on the two upper corners and the machine is fine -- I'm sure only for a while.   I guess I'll wait until its more pronounced and can demostrate the behavior to the genius before I take it back in.  My luck they'll replace the whole machine and I'll get a ghosting LG display.

Anyhow, it seems to me this is a hardware manufacture/build/design issue that may be aggravated by long term high temperature operation as experienced by several hours of FCPx.  Note: I regularly tax this machine to the limits running Windows7 in VMware, Itunes, Iphoto, Safari, Handbrake and World of Warcraft simultanously and had not had any issues until last week.

Same here, bought MBP Retina Day 1 and only yesterday it started getting erratic mouse movements.  Tried the fix about putting pressure on the corners and all fixed for now.

Last time I have trackpad issues was in my old 17" MBP when the battery swelled up and put pressure from underneath.  Not sure where the battery is located in these Retina MBP's but I hope is isnt the battery swelling.

Dave

Just an update.. My machine has been fine for 2 weeks.  In response to Davefromhere, I had the same issues in my 17" MBP with the replaceable battery also (went throught 3 batteries in 3 years, all replaced in warrenty without Applecare).  I suspect it might be battery swelling issues on the retina, but I haven't changed the way I use the machine and have had no problems for 2 weeks.  I'll just wait it out until it happens again.  BTW the battery is directly under the trackpad.

Turn off external bluetooth mouse. My trackpad didn't click or select even with a USB mouse. I realized I had a Magic Mouse connected via Bluetooth in a draw and when I turned it off it worked again.

I put a carbon fiber skin on my MBPR when I first bought it, and about a week ago I took it off.  To take it off I used a very hot hair dryer to blast some hot air on the skin to loosen the glue to peel it off easier.  The skin included the silver around the keyboard and trackpad too, so I had to heat up that area really well also.  Afterward, I noticed my trackpad has not really been jumping around erratically.  I am wondering if when I heated up the skin, the glue used on the battery and trackpad loosened slightly too, possibly confirming some people's theories that the glue used on the batteries/trackpad was too tight, messing up the trackpad's sensitivity and such.  Anyway, just thought I would share this, as I do think it's a hardware issue.  They just did a minor update to the MBPR 15" models, and I bet they fixed whatever it was.  One of the disadvantages of being an early adopter : /

I took it to the Assistance. Apple informed lack of the pieces to replace the problem ones. It ended up replacing my whole MBPR for a new one.