My cursor moves on it's own and does not respond to my movement on the trackpad or a USB mouse.

I was having the same problem.

Firstly if you have switched on the location service , in my mac this was the problem

and if it doesn't works try resetting NVRam. Link :- How to reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

All the best.!!!!!!!

This happened to me today as well, and scared the living daylights out of me. In my case, what happened was that my Mom also has an iMac in the same house with a wireless mouse (I do too) and somehow hers ended up in my Bluetooth menu (while she was trying to get it to work on her screen, it was moving the cursor on mine). It somehow disconnected from her computer and connected to mine. I went to my Bluetooth Menu and "disconnected" her mouse, and she "connected" it on hers. It must have been Bluetooth interference like Linc Davis (item #4) mentioned. Something to consider in case this happens to someone else with more than one wireless mouse in the same home...

There are several possible causes for this issue. Take each of the following steps until it's resolved.

1. Follow the instructions in this support article.

2. Boot in safe mode and test, preferably without launching any third-party applications. If you don't have the problem in safe mode, but it comes back when you reboot as usual, stop here and post your results. If you can't boot in safe mode, do the same. If you booted in safe mode and there was no change, go on to the next step.

3. Reset the System Management Controller.

4. If you're using a Bluetooth trackpad, investigate potential sources of interference, including USB 3 devices.

5. A swollen battery in a MacBook Pro or Air can impinge on the trackpad from below and cause erratic behavior. If you have trouble clicking the trackpad, this is likely the reason. The battery must be replaced.

6. There's a report that a (possibly defective) Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter can cause the built in trackpad of a MacBook to behave erratically. If you're using such an adapter, disconnect it and test.

7. There's also a report of erratic cursor movements caused by an external display that was connected but not turned on.

8. If none of the above applies, or if you have another reason to think your computer is being remotely controlled, remove it from the network by turning off Wi-Fi (or your Wi-Fi access point), disconnecting from a Bluetooth network link, and unplugging the Ethernet cable or USB modem, whichever is applicable. If the cursor movements stop at once, you should suspect an intrusion.

9. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested.

I have the same problem with my cursor. What is PRAM?

Resetting PRAM -> http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379.

Good luck,

Clinton

Booting up in safe mode fixes the problem but it comes back in normal startup, what does that mean?

Similar results here. Trackpad was generally (and suddently) unresponsive and jittery. Resetting the NVRAM gave me back the top half of my trackpad for about 30 minutes but is now flaking out again. Seems that only the very top is responsive and it is now registering the wrong # of touches.

I see a trip to the Genius bar in my future.

The reboot in Safe and then reboot normal resolved problem, so I guess it just needed a reboot. Thanks.

I'm having the same issue. I can get it to work for a few hours, sometimes even a day, but then it goes back to moving around again. Is there any info as to WHY this is happening? Maybe that can help in stopping this once and for all. There's not much use in a computer that does whatever it wants and YOU can't.

For me, I ended up taking it in to get serviced as I could find no other solution. :-\

Hi...

My MacBook Pro has had this problem off and on and I accidentally discovered a way to "cure" it. When the cursor starts getting erratic, I quickly close the cover of my MacBook and wait a little. When I open it again, the cursor has usually calmed down, at least for a minute. Sometimes I have to do this over and over for several days, and then it finally stops. This last time it happened, it stopped in much less time than it had before. It takes patience, but it works, and you don't need to call a technician.

jazzrascal:

This is excessively bad advice! What you are recommending really just amounts to ignoring the symptoms and hoping that the problem goes away. If this is being caused by a swollen battery, ignoring it could result in permanent damage to the computer. If it is actually being caused by someone accessing the computer remotely, ignoring it gives them more opportunities to do something malicious.

Please stop posting this advice everywhere!

PROBLEM SOLVED!

Thank the Lord! My mouse cursor was moving erratically, seemed to be opening tabs, maybe doing the equivalent of holding shift and dragging, minimized windows, etc. Pretty much the same problems I see on other's posts.

I tried dissonnecting WI-FI, then shutting off Bluetooth, Disconnected and Turned off my Bluetooth Mouse, disconnected my wireless keyboard nub from the USB port, tried shutting off my Macbook and restrarting. I even shut the lid of my Macbook and worked off my second monitor in clamshell mode. NOTHING WORKED.

I thought I was hacked or had some type of Malware for sure, but it was a simple fix that I found on another help board.

I clean my Mac, keyboard and mouse regularly and had just got done wiping everything with a cloth with a mixture of warm water and rubbing alcohol (recommended)

I saw on another board that someone fixed their problem by moving their trackpad (gently) to the right, since the trackpad seemed to be too snug on the left side of the macbook body edge it sits in.

I moved the trackpad over and it took care of my problem immediately.

It was comforting to learn that Malware on a Mac is in fact still rare and that it is unlikely that someone would hack into your computer to 'remote control' your machine and be obvious about it.

No ghost in the machine. Trackpad is incredibly sensiitive I've learned.

Share the knowledge!

Blessings!