LaurenSRQ

Q: Mouse on 27" iMac (Early 2013) keeps jumping around screen

The mouse on my iMac keeps skipping and jumping to top left corner. I tried plugging in a 3rd party mouse and it does the same thing, so the problem is in the Mac, not the mouse.  I am running on OS X Mavericks 10.9.1. My Mac is unusable! HELP!! 

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Feb 1, 2014 4:10 AM

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Q: Mouse on 27" iMac (Early 2013) keeps jumping around screen

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  • by seventy one,

    seventy one seventy one Feb 1, 2014 5:13 AM in response to LaurenSRQ
    Level 6 (15,314 points)
    Peripherals
    Feb 1, 2014 5:13 AM in response to LaurenSRQ

    Hello Lauren,

     

    Take a look at these Apple guidance notes.   The fifth blue dot down seems to cover your problem

     

    Troubleshooting wireless mouse and keyboard issues

  • by LaurenSRQ,

    LaurenSRQ LaurenSRQ Feb 1, 2014 6:33 AM in response to seventy one
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 1, 2014 6:33 AM in response to seventy one

    Thanks for your response, SeventyOne, but this definitely seems like a bug, not a settings error.

     

    No settings were changed. Even when carefully moving the mouse around the screen, it jumps back to the top left corner and nothing elsewhere on the entire screen is clickable. I zone in to select something, for example on the dock, and before my cursor even gets close it jumps to the top left corner.

  • by seventy one,

    seventy one seventy one Feb 1, 2014 7:09 AM in response to LaurenSRQ
    Level 6 (15,314 points)
    Peripherals
    Feb 1, 2014 7:09 AM in response to LaurenSRQ

    Thanks for coming back, Lauren.

     

    But there are many things mentioned in that link that are not connected with settings.   The surface of your desk, mouse pad; try some alternatives.  Then there is cleaning the sensor (use a cotton bud moistened (not wet) with an alcohol based cleaner or at a pinch, a rolled up wipe for spectacles.

    Then there is signal interference.   Have you changed the position of something recently.   This is part of another Apple guide note.

     

    Check for signal interference
    Because Bluetooth works by transmitting signals through the air, some things can interfere with the wireless connection. Avoid situations in which metal objects come between the device and the computer. Don't put the computer under a metal desk or locked away behind a metal cabinet. Keep cordless phone base stations, microwave ovens, and other electrical devices that operate on a 2.4 GHz bandwidth away, and make sure that the wireless device and computer aren't more than 30 feet apart from each other.

  • by MMCp,

    MMCp MMCp Feb 10, 2014 10:53 AM in response to LaurenSRQ
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2014 10:53 AM in response to LaurenSRQ

    I just had this on one of my systems.  Drove us nuts.  I could access remotely and no problem but when i used any mouse connected the cursor jumped to the top left.  2 hours and 2 people troubleshooting this.  Turned out to be the Wacom pen was sitting on the top left corner of the tablet that was off to the side but still connected!

     

    Oy vey!

  • by charlie!eh,

    charlie!eh charlie!eh Oct 29, 2014 8:47 AM in response to MMCp
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2014 8:47 AM in response to MMCp

    Thanks MMCp!!! You just saved 2 hours of my life!!

  • by JPDVT,

    JPDVT JPDVT Jul 22, 2015 10:04 AM in response to MMCp
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 22, 2015 10:04 AM in response to MMCp

    Thank you! We had the same thing happen -- mouse jumping back to the same position on the screen; Wacom pen and tablet was off to the side, under some papers on the desk. You just saved 2 hours of my life trying to navigate a user's iMac with the keyboard while trying to troubleshoot!

  • by Jake_GTX,

    Jake_GTX Jake_GTX Sep 30, 2015 1:56 PM in response to MMCp
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 30, 2015 1:56 PM in response to MMCp

    WOWWW... You are Brilliant.

     

    I just got the Wacom pen/tablet and completely forgot about it!

     

    Time to utilize the pen holder!

     

    Thanks!

  • by sambla,

    sambla sambla Apr 2, 2016 2:23 AM in response to MMCp
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 2, 2016 2:23 AM in response to MMCp

    WOW! how stupid do i feel! i thought i was going mad this morning, and all because of my waco pen!

    Thanks MMCp