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My pointer appears to be stuck on I beam in all of my apps (Pages, Text Edit, etc.) so I can no longer hover to the left of a line of text to select an entire line of text with a single click (or click and drag to select more). What would have caused this to happen and how would I reset/enable this feature?
iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)
1. Select All Process
2. Select the CPU tab.
3. Select %CPU to bring the process with the highest usage to the top.
4. Also note the overall CPU Usage.
In addition, also scroll down the Process list and look for a failed process. A failed Processes will be shown in red.
1. Select All Process
2. Select the CPU tab.
3. Select %CPU to bring the process with the highest usage to the top.
4. Also note the overall CPU Usage.
In addition, also scroll down the Process list and look for a failed process. A failed Processes will be shown in red.
Please forgive my belated response, I had to run. I was not able to do a literal screenshot because my cursor disappears when I do a screen clip, but I've recreated precisely what it does and should look like.
Another abnormality came to my attention while creating it I thought I should mention. My shortcut keys have changed as well. I was unable to use cmd+> to zoom in (nothing happens) and cmd+< brings up "Preferences..."
It's not clear what the problem is. The I-beam cursor is normal in a text window.
Please post a screenshot that shows what you mean. Be careful not to include any private information.
Start a reply to this message. Click the camera icon in the toolbar of the editing window and select the image file to upload it. You can also include text in the reply.
Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Donât be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only âGuest Userâ login created by âFind My Mac.â
While logged in as Guest, you wonât have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Donât be alarmed by this; itâs normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If youâve activated âFind My Macâ or FileVault, then you canât enable the Guest account. The âGuest Userâ login created by âFind My Macâ is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, or by corruption of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you canât do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things wonât work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain iMacs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If youâve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.
It's not clear to me whether this is a real problem or just a misunderstanding. But if you're convinced that it is real, and if all the facts are as you've stated, then you should do as follows.
Back up all data, then reinstall the OS. You don't need to erase the startup volume, and you won't need your backup unless something goes wrong. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, youâll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
If you installed the Java runtime distributed by Apple and still need it, you'll have to reinstall it.
Thank you for the instructions. My highest amount of CPU usage is less than 3%, my CPU usage graph stays black, my % idle remains over 95%, and no processes show as red.
Playing around more in Pages, I've found that, though the i beam remains, it will select a line of text if I triple click. Could I have unwittingly changed a setting...?
This was quite intriguing...
When I performed Step 1, Pages acted just as it has been. As a guest, the cursor stays at I Beam and the shortcut keys were misbehaving.
When I opened Pages in Step 2, my document remained blank and I saw no text at all although the document title did change to "Untitled - Edited". I even opened a template and the page opened completed blank. The only thing I did see was that the I Beam pointer remained.
When I logged back in as normal and tried Pages again, I found that it is still doing the same thing.
I would first try restarting the iMac.
I do appreciate your response, but I have already tried that a plethora of times.
Open your Activity Monitor, check your RAM usage and check All Process to see if you have a failed or run away processes that is causing extreme CPU usage.
Please forgive my ignorance, but how do I do this. I do know how to open my Activity Monitor, but do not know how to do anything more.
Pages Preferences and OS X Mouse or Track Pad Preferences would be a good place's to start.
Unfortunately, I've tried both of those as well đ
I'm not quite sure I understand your reply. Leaving aside the fact that the document was blank in safe mode, was the cursor behavior normal or not?
Pointer Stuck on I beam
