darlene10
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Why does my mouse pointer have a "no" symbol attached?

My mouse pointer has the   symbol attached. I can move the pointer, but it does not do anything. It's like it is frozen.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Feb 8, 2014 10:02 PM

by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer
Linc Davis Linc Davis
Level 10 (208,037 points)
Applications
A:
Take these steps if the cursor changes from an arrow to a white "prohibited" symbol when you try to move an icon on the Desktop.
   
Sometimes the problem may be solved just by logging out or rebooting. Try that first, if you haven't already done it. Otherwise, continue.
   

Select the icon of your home folder (a house) in the sidebar of a Finder window and open it. The Desktop folder is one of the subfolders. Select it and open the Info window. In the General section of the window, the Kind will be either Folder  or something else, such as Anything.

    
If the Kind is Folder, uncheck the box marked Locked. Close the Info window and test.
    
If the Kind is not Folder, make sure the Locked box is not checked and that you have Read & Write privileges in the  Sharing & Permissions section. Then close the Info window and do as follows.

 

Back up all data.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

xattr -d com.apple.FinderInfo Desktop
   

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

 

Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:

 

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

 

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

 

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.

 

Paste into the Terminal window (command-V). You should get a new line ending in a dollar sign ($). Quit Terminal.
  
   
If the problem is now resolved, and if you use iPhoto, continue.
  
Quit iPhoto if it's running. Launch it while holding down the option key. It will prompt you to select a library. Choose the one you want to use (not the Desktop folder.)

Posted on Feb 9, 2014 8:26 AM

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darlene10

Q: Why does my mouse pointer have a "no" symbol attached?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by gumsie,

    gumsie gumsie Feb 8, 2014 11:54 PM in response to darlene10
    Level 4 (2,174 points)
    Feb 8, 2014 11:54 PM in response to darlene10

    Any chance you can post a screenshot?

     

    I'm not sure what you're referring to.

  • by darlene10,

    darlene10 darlene10 Feb 9, 2014 3:57 AM in response to gumsie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 9, 2014 3:57 AM in response to gumsie

    I'm unable to take a screen shot because the mouse will not respond. The symbol is a circle with a line through it; for example, when it means "no smoking" or the picture advertising the movie Ghostbusters with the ghost that has a circle with a line through it. (Minus the ghost & cigarette) :-)

  • by gumsie,Helpful

    gumsie gumsie Feb 9, 2014 4:15 AM in response to darlene10
    Level 4 (2,174 points)
    Feb 9, 2014 4:15 AM in response to darlene10

    I know exactly what you mean now.

    First have you rebooted?

    Second, does this happen all the time or only when hovering over certain windows?

     

    It's usually when the OS detects something you can't do. For example if you have an NTFS formatted drive and your OS has no third party tools installed you'd see that if you tried to write to the drive.

     

    Not sure why yours is doing it at all times?

  • by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 9, 2014 8:26 AM in response to darlene10
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 9, 2014 8:26 AM in response to darlene10
    Take these steps if the cursor changes from an arrow to a white "prohibited" symbol when you try to move an icon on the Desktop.
       
    Sometimes the problem may be solved just by logging out or rebooting. Try that first, if you haven't already done it. Otherwise, continue.
       

    Select the icon of your home folder (a house) in the sidebar of a Finder window and open it. The Desktop folder is one of the subfolders. Select it and open the Info window. In the General section of the window, the Kind will be either Folder  or something else, such as Anything.

        
    If the Kind is Folder, uncheck the box marked Locked. Close the Info window and test.
        
    If the Kind is not Folder, make sure the Locked box is not checked and that you have Read & Write privileges in the  Sharing & Permissions section. Then close the Info window and do as follows.

     

    Back up all data.

    Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

    xattr -d com.apple.FinderInfo Desktop
       

    Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

     

    Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:

     

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

     

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

     

    ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.

     

    Paste into the Terminal window (command-V). You should get a new line ending in a dollar sign ($). Quit Terminal.
      
       
    If the problem is now resolved, and if you use iPhoto, continue.
      
    Quit iPhoto if it's running. Launch it while holding down the option key. It will prompt you to select a library. Choose the one you want to use (not the Desktop folder.)

  • by darlene10,

    darlene10 darlene10 Feb 9, 2014 1:49 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 9, 2014 1:49 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thank you. Since it was so late in the evening, I panicked (I'm new to Mac). I just turned off the computer, but didn't reboot. Thanks again for your help. I don't know what I did, but it happened when I was dragging some unwanted photos to the trash.