iTBotB

Q: single-click acts like double-click

I have experienced over the past few months an increased frequency of single clicks acting like double clicks in Finder windows. I use a Kensington Expert Mouse trackball, but the problem also affects an Apple mouse (M5769). The trackball and mouse are plugged into different USB ports, so a bizarre port effect is not the cause. I have the mouse double-click speed at the slowest setting, but that makes no difference. I'm very annoyed that clicking on a document title launches the application about one time in three.

 

Any ideas?

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)

Posted on Jul 4, 2016 2:23 PM

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Q: single-click acts like double-click

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  • by chris_g1,

    chris_g1 chris_g1 Jul 5, 2016 9:11 AM in response to iTBotB
    Community Specialists
    Jul 5, 2016 9:11 AM in response to iTBotB

    Hello there iTBotB!

     

    Thank you so much for bringing your question about the mouse clicking issue with your Mac.  Single and double clicking is such an integral part of the Mac experience so I'm happy to help you sort this out.

     

    Step one is to check for any updates available.  Once you've done that, I'd like to reference this article on Safe Mode.  It's a good place to start when things aren't acting as they should:

     

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn‘t finish starting up

     

    Safe mode will look strange but hopefully the mouse will treat a single click as a single, and a double as a double.  If that doesn't resolve the issue, then I'd like to move over to this article:

     

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

     

    Once you've set up the new user you'll want to:

     

    Try reproducing the issue

    Try the same steps that caused the unexpected behavior to appear before. For example, if you were unable to print, try printing from this user account. If you were unable to connect to the Internet, try browsing a website from this user account.

    If you were using any specific settings that testing depends on (such as using a specific email account or iCloud account) set up the same account in the test user. For email and most other settings you can use the Internet Accounts pane in System Preferences to set up these kinds of accounts. If files from your home folder are needed for testing, copy them to Shared folder in the Users folder (/Users/Shared). After logging in as the test user, copy these items to the same location in the test user's home folder to test with.

     

    If the mouse clicking works properly in the new account then you'll know it's not a system wide issue or a hardware issue.  If it does occur in the new user account, you'll want to back up your Mac:

     

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

     

    Once you've backed up your Mac, you'll want to erase and restore your Mac to test if it's software related:

     

    How to reinstall OS X on your Mac

     

    Here's the section you'll want to take note of:

     

    Erase your drive and install OS X

    Generally you don't need to erase your startup disk to reinstall OS X. The OS X Installer is designed to allow you to perform an install in place over the same version or earlier versions of OS X. If you're transferring your Mac to a new owner, you might want to erase your built-in startup disk before reinstalling OS X. 

    Important: Before you erase and reinstall, back up your important files. If you’re using a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, make sure the power adapter is connected and plugged in while performing these steps.

    You can use these steps to erase the files on your startup disk and install a new copy of OS X:

    1. Before you begin, make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet.
    2. Restart your Mac. Immediately hold down the Command (⌘) and R keys after you hear the startup sound to start up in OS X Recovery.
    3. When the Recovery window appears, select Disk Utility then click Continue.
    4. Select the indented volume name of your startup disk from the left side of the Disk Utility window, then click the Erase tab.
    5. If you want to securely erase the drive, click Security Options. Select an erase method, then click OK.
    6. From the Format pop-up menu, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Type a name for your disk, then click Erase.
    7. After the drive is erased, close the Disk Utility window.
    8. If you’re not connected to the Internet, choose a network from the Wi-Fi menu.
    9. Select the option to Reinstall OS X.
    10. Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall OS X. 

    Additional options

    If you want to reinstall the version of OS X that came with your Mac, or if you need to reformat your entire startup disk, hold down Command-Option-R at startup instead. This starts your Mac from Internet Recovery.

    If you have more than one partition (like Boot Camp) and you want to erase the entire startup disk, you can use Disk Utility to remove partitions or repartition your drive. Start your Mac from Internet Recovery, then use Disk Utility to repartition your startup disk before you erase it. Make sure you back up any important data from all partitions before repartitioning a drive. 

     

    Once you've set up your Mac as new, go ahead and test again.  Just to be sure I'll provide an article on adjusting the mouse click settings:

     

    Adjust double-click and scrolling speed of your mouse or trackpad

     

    If after the mouse is still not single and double clicking properly then it must be a hardware issue and you'll want to contact Apple Support or visit your local Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.  I'll provide links below:

     

    Contact Apple Support

     

    Find Locations

     

    Make a Genius Appointment

     

    Have a  great day!

  • by ahepcat,

    ahepcat ahepcat Jul 23, 2016 1:53 PM in response to iTBotB
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 23, 2016 1:53 PM in response to iTBotB

    Hi iTBotB,

    I have the exact same problem with the Apple Mouse M5769. I just did a fresh El Capitan install, and the problem remains. I'm guessing it's a hardware problem with the mouse then. Hopefully. Otherwise it's a hardware issue with the Mac Mini, though I doubt it.

     

    Have you found a solution?

     

    Thanks!

  • by zenunix,

    zenunix zenunix Sep 1, 2016 4:06 AM in response to ahepcat
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 1, 2016 4:06 AM in response to ahepcat

    I don't think this to be an hardware problem.

    There are several complaints of people having the same issue, using diverse hardware brands and models.

     

    I have the same issue, and tried two distinct Logitech mice and a Microsoft one. On all of them I had single-clicks randomly acting as double-clicks.

  • by zenunix,

    zenunix zenunix Sep 1, 2016 4:12 AM in response to chris_g1
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 1, 2016 4:12 AM in response to chris_g1

    I'm having this same issue, and your instructions didn't correct the problem.

     

    System:

    • MacBook Pro 15" Retina late 2013
    • El Capitan 10.11.6

     

    I've tried:

    • 3 different mice (USB wire and wireless through a Logitech USB dongle)
    • adjusting mouse settings
    • resetting the NVRAM
    • resetting the SMC
    • logged in as a different user
    • booted in safe mode

     

    None of the above solved the problem.

     

    The Mac touchpad works fine, though.

  • by Luis Sequeira1,

    Luis Sequeira1 Luis Sequeira1 Sep 1, 2016 4:14 AM in response to zenunix
    Level 6 (11,819 points)
    Sep 1, 2016 4:14 AM in response to zenunix

    These weird behaviors are typically caused by software conflicts. It could a mouse driver, or some other driver or software interfering with normal operation of things.

    If you have a third party mouse driver try updating to the latest version, or uninstall it completely and see if the problem remains.

     

    If the problem does not occur when booted in Safe Mode, then this is evidence of a software conflict.

    You may want to run Etrecheck and post its report here. This often suggests possible culprits.

  • by zenunix,

    zenunix zenunix Sep 1, 2016 4:30 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 1, 2016 4:30 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

    I have my own keep-it-stable rule: never install anything that is absolutely required.

    That said, I haven't installed third party drivers ever.

    Besides, it also happens even in safe mode.