RobNKeren

Q: curser jumpy with os x el capitan

I have recently installed OS X El Capitan on my 2011 Macbook Air. The installation went all fine except now, with reasonable regularity, the curser will jump to a random part of the page when I am typing in pretty much any program, but very much so with MS Word 2008 ( I really don;t want to upgrade to the latest version of Word if I can avoid it). I know that it is not from me rubbing my hands on the trackpad. I also do not have any bluetooth devices connected to the laptop

 

Any thoughts?..... Thanks

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 11, 2016 8:58 AM

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Q: curser jumpy with os x el capitan

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  • by pedro d,

    pedro d pedro d Feb 12, 2016 2:27 PM in response to RobNKeren
    Community Specialists
    Feb 12, 2016 2:27 PM in response to RobNKeren

    Hello there, RobNKeren.

     

    It seem you are having issues with your trackpad exhibiting erratic behavior on your MacBook Air. The following Knowledge Base article provides some great recommendations for troubleshooting:

     

    If your pointer is jumpy when you use a trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse

     

    Check your device's power

    Make sure your device's batteries aren't low. If you're using Magic Trackpad 2 or Magic Mouse 2, make sure its rechargeable battery is fully charged.

    Avoid accidental multiple touches on the surface

    Be sure only one part of your finger is touching the touch surface and that you're not resting your wrist on or very close to the surface. The touch surface might interpret this as your finger touching it and move the pointer in that direction.

    Keep touch surface dry and clean

    Moisture collecting on the touch surface can also cause this issue. Wiping off the surface of the trackpad or mouse with a cloth or tissue usually fixes this.

    If the issue goes away when you put a piece of paper between your finger and the touch surface, consider purchasing a Teflon applique to fit over the surface to prevent moisture from having direct contact with the touch surface. Before you install the Teflon applique, make sure the touch surface is clean and dry.

    Note that oil or lotion can also cause the same issue. You can clean your device's touch surface with a lint-free cloth lightly moistened with water.

    Remove jewelry

    Jewelry might also cause interference when you use a device with a touch surface. Try removing rings or bracelets and see whether the jumpy or erratic behavior disappears.

    Check the power adapter you're using with your Mac

    This behavior might happen if you use a power adapter made by a third-party company.

    If you're using one of these power adapters, unplug it and try running your Mac from battery power to see whether the pointer behaves correctly. If the device behaves normally while running from the battery, there might be an issue with your power adapter.

    Avoid wireless interference

    Bluetooth devices can act erratically when there's wireless interference. See Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Potential sources of wireless interference for more information.

    Start your Mac in Safe Mode

    If none of the above resolves the issue, you can start in Safe Mode to rule out third-party software as a cause.

     

    Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

     

    Kind Regards.