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I am using an iMac, 2.93 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB 1333 Mhz DDR3, OS x 10.9.2. In certain programs, my magic Mouse does not work. (iPhoto, Aperture, App store, for example). The keyboard works in those programs, but not the mouse. I switched to a different mouse, but that did not help. Does anyone have any suggestions on what might be going on?
Also Garage Band, Calculator, Calendar, Contacts, preview. It appears to be only apple programs. Safari works, however.
Does that mean you can't click, or the cursor doesn't move at all?
The cursor moves. It is the primary click that does not work. The right click (secondary click) does work. If I go into mouse settings and switch the secondary click to the left side, the primary click (now a right click) still does not work.
Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t 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 “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s 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 you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” 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, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup 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 you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.
Dear Linc -
Thank-you for trying to help me. Regarding Step 1, while logged on as a guest, I no longer have the problem. The mouse click functions properly in the programs where it previously was giving me a problem. I did not check every program, but did check a few and they all worked. Regarding Step 2, I do experience the same problem. Given the result of the tests, we can deduce that the problem is localized to my user account, but is not necessarily caused by third party system modifications.
OK, now what is next/ Blow up my user account and use a new one, or is there some other solution?
Try adjusting the double-click speed in the Mouse preference pane, up or down.
In the Mouse Preference pane, I have the following options under "Point & Click" - Scroll Direction, Secondary Click, Smart Zoom and Tracking speed. No setting appears for double-click speed. Under "More Gestures" I have options for Swipe between pages, Swipe between full-screen apps, and mission Control; all of which are disabled. I am accessing these through system preferences/Mouse.
I was able to access mouse double-click speed in Accessibility/Mouse & Trackpad. I tried to both increase and decrease double click speed, but the problem did not resolve. Note that neither single primary click nor double click work.
Back up all data.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
~/Library/Preferences/ByHost
Right-click or control-click the line and select
Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Move the selected item to the Desktop, leaving the window open. Log out or restart the computer and test. If there's no change, quit again and put the item you moved back where it was, overwriting the one that may have been created in its place. Otherwise, delete the item you moved. If possible, restore it from a backup that predates the problem. You may have to recreate some of your settings.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
I have followed these instructions, but the problem continues. Thank-you for your persistence.
Back up all data.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
mv L*/P*/.GlobalPreferences.plist Desktop/GlobalPreferences.plist
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 by pressing command-V. A file named "GlobalPreferences.plist" will appear on the Desktop.
Log out and log back in. Test. If the problem is resolved, you'll need to recreate some of your settings in System Preferences. You can then delete the file on the Desktop. Otherwise, you can reverse the above action by entering the following command in the same way as before:
mv Desktop/GlobalPreferences.plist L*/P*/.GlobalPreferences.plist
Log out again. Post your results.
These steps have not resolved the problem.
Has it ever worked? When did it stop working? What did you do before it stopped working? What backups do you have?
The computer is maybe three years old?? The mouse worked in all programs until recently, maybe two-three months. The need to use Aperture or iPhoto became critical recently, so I tried to find a solution. It is not entirely clear what was done before it stopped working. Some possibilities: My son plays minecraft and tried to get his minecraft server working again (maybe not relevant). My daughter installed an old Wacom tabet device maybe four or five months ago. I deleted the Wacom driver recently. I have backups dating to January 9, 2012 up until today in Time Machine. I do not really know how to access Time Machine back-ups - it has just been running in the background.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It makes no changes to your data.
Please triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
defaults read -app Preview | pbcopy
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 by pressing the key combination command-V. I've tested these instructions only with the Safari web browser. If you use another browser, you may have to press the return key after pasting.
Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign ($) to appear below what you entered.
The output of the command will be automatically copied to the Clipboard. If the command produced no output, the Clipboard will be empty. Paste into a reply to this message.
The Terminal window doesn't show the output. Please don't copy anything from there.
If any personal information appears in the output, anonymize before posting, but don’t remove the context.
mouse does not work in certain programs
