Trackpad suddenly stops working

I'll assume internal trackpad and keyboard here, and additional tests with an external wired keyboard, and you do mention having disabled Bluetooth and tried a safe-mode boot, and also having reset the NVRAM and SMC. I'll assume there's no gunk gotten into the keyboard and trackpad, too.

I've seen some external third-party USB widgets mess up keyboard input and mess up the USB bus; with a document scanner, most recently. And a MacBook with a bad keyboard, and another with a blown USB bus connection.

Remove all external devices and try your test again. USB and hubs, and anything and everything else connected externally.

Also test if the same symptoms show with a boot from an external macOS installation; from macOS installed on some external storage.

Installing macOS over the top of itself is usually safe and not disruptive, but do have a backup or three before attempting.

If the above fails, this MacBook is probably headed for a trip into the local Apple Genius bar or to your preferred provider for a look at the hardware, too.

As for the keyboard shortcuts to open the menu: f2 will highlight the menu (fn + f2). You'll then be able to navigate through it using the arrow keys (left and right to toggle between menu items, up and down to open and close sub menus). Pressing enter then functions as a click.

Did you find a solution? The clicking and function of mine stops working when the battery is being charged at a high rate (i.e. it is significantly discharged). On a previous macbook pro the solution was to replace the battery - which was swelling quite alarmingly - so I hope to be able to do the same on this machine. However, it looks like the battery is glued into the case, so before I embark on that fix I would like to know if anyone else has had success in curing the problem.

jc193 wrote:

Did you find a solution? The clicking and function of mine stops working when the battery is being charged at a high rate (i.e. it is significantly discharged). On a previous macbook pro the solution was to replace the battery - which was swelling quite alarmingly - so I hope to be able to do the same on this machine. However, it looks like the battery is glued into the case, so before I embark on that fix I would like to know if anyone else has had success in curing the problem.

Seems a trip into the genius bar is in your future, given what you've reported. They can have a look, and can let you know what the costs and options here and what the warranty status might be here.

Had battery on an older MBP expand and crack off and warp other parts of the battery access mechanisms, so some cases can result in damage beyond the battery itself.

I can agree to have the same problem on my MacBook Pro 15 with Touch Bar.

The trackpad can be used to wake the MacBook, but sometimes it doesn’t work. And when awoken using a keyboard key, the trackpad continues to not tap or provide the haptic press feedback

umangp wrote:

I can agree to have the same problem on my MacBook Pro 15 with Touch Bar.

The trackpad can be used to wake the MacBook, but sometimes it doesn’t work. And when awoken using a keyboard key, the trackpad continues to not tap or provide the haptic press feedback

Boot into Safe Mode to test, and (if that shows the same problem) a trip in for service.

Had the very same problem for days, went through resets (SMC+NVRAm/PRAM).

Spayed thoroughly compressed air...nothing!

Finally, the solution came with the vacuum cleaner! Probably some dirt was underneath preventing it from clicking.

🙂🙂🙂

I shall give that a go.

Something interesting is that when this last occurred I restarted the computer via the terminal window (shutdown -r) and the problem persisted at boot up. I couldn’t click on my account upon booting to log in.

A physical switching off via the power button solved the problem.

It may be that the issue OP described is not the same as yours. I have both a 2016 MBPTB and a late 2013 MBPr -- one has the Force Trackpad and the other has a conventional trackpad. I only see the trackpad behavior you describe on the Force Trackpad, not the older one (both are running the same software).

There are several other posts about this and they all seem to have the Force Trackpad in common.

I find that a 3-finger tap/touch will return all trackpad functions to normal (until the next sleep/wake!).

I first saw this on the 2016 MBPTB in mid-December and filed a bug report (beta 10.13.3).

Before I found the 3-finger tap work-around, I was convinced it was a hardware issue and Apple Support actually told me to send the unit in for repair (I did, they bolted on $800 of new parts and returned it with the same issue -- it wasn't hardware).

Worked for me. Thanks!

El Capitan 10.11.5

You are welcome.

Hi Eddie,

i got the same probem with you. Is your problem solved?

Best wishes,

Furkan

They shut down using the power switch/button. You can also try  menu/Shut Down.

Please boot into Safe Mode, and test. Safe Mode resets caches and related, and also disables kernel add-ons that can sometimes cause problems.

Do you by any change use Duet? (To use an iPad as a second screen)?