Left click not working after sleep

Question

Level 1

11 points

Left click not working after sleep

When I wake my 13 inch 2016 MacBook Pro, clicking no longer works from the trackpad (although I can move the cursor) or my external usb mouse.

I can bring up the force quit dialog box but I cannot mouse click anything and the up and down arrow keys and the carriage return do not work.

I cannot select restart so I must hold the power button to restart.

(Related problem: Upon restart, the finger print reader does nothing so I check preferences and there are no finger prints. I tried re-adding one and it worked fine until the next time I woke my laptop and the left mouse click stopped working again.)

I reset the SMC. Did not seem to help with the clicking or the disappearing finger prints.

Posted on Jan 4, 2018 7:59 PM

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Answer 1

dbs

Level 2

206 points

Feb 3, 2018 4:09 PM in response to fprefect444

I've experienced something similar on two MBPTBs -- on wake-from-sleep the trackpad button is locked but the cursor moves freely. Trackpad returns to normal operation after a period of 15-45 seconds.

First saw this behavior in beta 17D20a of 10.13.3 and filed a bug report on 12/16/17.

Tried all usual fixes -- reset SMC, reinstall OS from internet, run Apple Diagnostic -- nothing helped. Called Apple Support and was advised to send 2016 MBP for repair.

Apple Repair replaced top case and battery ANSI and reported "all hardware test passed".

Unit still shows the same trackpad behavior after repair -- it's definitely a software issue.

Have now filed 3 Appleseed bug reports.

FWIW I find that a three-finger tap/click releases the trackpad button immediately (but that's not the way it's supposed to work!)

On a side note, I find it interesting that AppleCare Repairs obviously didn't try to replicate the reported problem -- they just bolted new parts and sent the unit back (with the same software issue).

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Answer 2

fprefect444 Author

Level 1

11 points

Feb 3, 2018 4:21 PM in response to dbs

I believe it is software as well. I reset the SMC and even NVRAM and ran a hardware test per an online Apple support person. The hardware test ran successfully and the resets made no difference.

It MAY have something to do with the peripherals I have plugged in before I put the MacBook Pro to sleep. I usually have an external mouse plugged in and occasionally an external WD Passport hard drive.

The reason I suspect this is that, usually, the problem occurs when I unplug peripherals and put my MacBook Pro to sleep. Upon wake I almost always experience the problem. (I have tried unplugging the external mouse before and after putting the MacBook Pro to sleep but it makes no difference.)

However, after a necessary hard boot when no peripherals are plugged in then put it to sleep, the problem does not occur upon wake.

I am disappointed in Apple. The battery in my previous MacBook Pro grew so large it broke connections and popped the seams and screws. (I removed the really FAT battery but I learned that the MacBook Pro runs at about half speed.)

Anyhoo! These hard reboots trash my fingerprint so, practically, my fancy new MacBook Pro might as well not have a fingerprint reader.

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