Macbook Pro cursor jumping around

Went into System Preferences and checked Bluetooth. I saw that there was a Roku device attempting to pair (in the condo I'm renting while doing some software consulting) so I turned off Bluetooth entirely. The cursor for the trackpad as well as the USB mouse I use then immediately started working normally again.

No cursor jumping around, selecting things on its own or other weirdness. Now my Macbook Pro w/Mavericks 10.9.1 works like it did before the problem started. I think it was the Roku device near the TV continually attempting to pair with my laptop. Can't prove it, but the evidence suggests that it was a Bluetooth device problem and that was the only Bluetooth device trying to connect.

My Problem - Jumping uncontrollable cursor and also sticky left clicker on macbook pro.

Suspected Cause - Moisture under the trackpad. Not sure about the sticky clicker.

My Fix - some serious knuckle punches to the trackpad, cleaned trackpad surface and edges and left the mac under a fan overnight to try help remove any moisture. This was successful (so far!) and even the clicker is working again.

Thanks, Linc!

I used the fix you suggested, and it took care of everything in about 30 seconds - I did not have to take it any further to fix it than the "restart and test" in Safe Mode to take care of it. Works like a charm, now!🙂

Thanks. That is what was happening with mine. Note: aftermarket supply which costs half the price. It runs very hot too. I wish I had ponied up the dough and bought aapl now :-)

Hey, Linc, as requested I am posting that my cursor behaved normally in safe boot mode. Two other important factors to include; occasionally the computer will shut down with a kernal panic error; and the cursor jumps around without clicking anything. So logically (I assume) I erased the hard drive, reinstalled os x and uploaded my timewarp backup. However the problem continues to persist.

Any solutions? I am wondering if maybe I should erase everything but the essentials from the backup, ie. documents, games, some apps, and erase the rest. Perhaps the problem is coming from something that I backed up in the hard-drive; is there a way to identify if the cursor jumping around is a result of the faulty operating system or something else?

Thanks, Ian.

I got similar issue. If I press tab or shift key, the cursor will stay calm for few seconds to few minutes, then it acts up again.

If you have tried all sort of recommendations and still have no luck, you may want to simply test your keyboard and make sure there is no key got stuck!

Here is how to test the keyboard

1) System preference -> language & text

select "Input Source"

check Keyboard & Character Viewer

2) Click language input on top right bar

in the drop down menu, select "Show Character Viewer"

What I discovered is that I got a partially stuck arrow key which caused the cursor jumping around, the arrow key turns itself on from time to time!

Fixing the bad key solved my issue.

Also installed ClamXav free anti-virus software. It did help to clean up my Mac a bit.

Hey I had this issue in my macbook pro. Seems its a hardware issue I just pressed my mouse pad from all four corners and then from centre for few seconds and the problem went away. I was thinking that some one hacked my computer but when i turned off my wifi it was still happening so i just went online and saw the solution in one of the threads and it worked very well for me. The cursor stopped instantly.

Just solved this: It was mechanical, not a hardware problem. It's been jumping for days, highlighting things, etc. I held down the clicking pad and blew air around it several times and viola. I had spilled a little water on it when it started up.

Try to dry it out or un-wedge any dirty that could have gotten stuck in the corners.

My cursor had been constantly jumping around. My trackpad had been tight up against my keyboard. I moved my trackpad about 4-5 inches away from the keyboard and it eliminated the problem.

To users who have problems with the cursor moving on its own, I had the same problem using os 10.10.3. I did not want to reinstall the OS and

my data. I purchased CleanMyMac3, and for the past week this problem has gone away. For my it was worth the $40.00 to purchase this program.

This problem was making almost impossible to use my Mac Book Pro. Hope that this suggestion is helpful and that it works for you.

Thanks for shares how to fix the problem.

luis5255 wrote:

I purchased CleanMyMac3, and for the past week this problem has gone away.

There is absolutely nothing that CleanMyMac could have done that would have affected this problem. What you observed was just coincidence. CleanMyMac is a scam, often installed alongside adware, and like all "cleaning" apps, has no real purpose. See:

The myth of the dirty Mac

(Fair disclosure: I may receive compensation from links to my sites, TheSafeMac.com and AdwareMedic.com.)

In addressing this problem (which looks like it has been going on for quite some time) I thought I would post my own situation and solution (so far).

15" 2.53GHz MacBook Pro Mid-2009, 8 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive, running Yosemite 10.10.5. About 4-5 days ago, the cursor was behaving erratically: jumping around, opening Launchpad, moving files and windows. I tried resetting PRAM and SMC, all to no avail. Also did the "hard push" on the trackpad and opened the back (but did not take out the battery, as I did not have the tools to do so) to see if there was moisture inside.

Solution (thus far): start the computer in Safe Mode. While I did not test any third-party programs, I did delete a Safari Extension that was not helping me or needed anymore (iGive.com). While I don't believe the extension was the source of the problem (the erratic trackpad behavior would happen even if Safari wasn't open) I do believe there were some file and/or directory issues causing the problem. I've had the computer on now for about six hours straight, and it has not jumped around yet (fingers crossed).

Thanks to all who have posted so far, especially Linc Davis. Good luck to all those still having the issue.

I found my solution.. switch off siri on iPad stops cursor jump

On Macbook switch dictation off

end of problem

Its Siri trying to both analyse and rewrite your stuff.