04-01-2012, 09:27 PM

So I read through the "I spilled liquid on my MacBook" thread and my problem doesn't really apply so I thought I'd start a different thread.

I am a baker, I get all my recipes online so my computer is on my kitchen counter all the time. Well (can you see where I'm going with this?) I was baking a cake and hit the high switch on my mixer accidentally and send flour flying everywhere, including on my precious MBP. Since then I have a completely schizophrenic track pad. It was much worse, things would open and close at will, it would scroll and zoom at lightening speed, it was seriously like it was on crack. It has gotten better over the last few months but my pointer still jumps all over the place and it zooms in all the time with no rhyme or reason, very frustrating when trying to type or read anything.

I have disabled all the fancy zooming and swiping, it seems to help a little but still the above mentioned problems persist, a little less often but annoying nonetheless. I also have to use an external mouse since I had to disable all the functions of the track pad, VERY cumbersome.

I am out of warranty so I can take off the cover and play around but I'm a bit reluctant to poke around in there since I don't really know what I'm doing. I want to try and get under the track pad and try to blow it out, I think there are small flour particles floating around in there creating this havoc. If anyone has had this problem or any suggestions I would be greatly appreciative if you could offer advice. Worst case scenario is I take it to the Mac store to clean it but I know that is over $100 and I can't really afford that right now, oh and the closest one is about 100 miles away as well.

I have a MacBook Pro 13 inch version 10.7.2 with Lion installed (it's about 1.5 years old)

Thanks!

04-01-2012, 09:32 PM

The problem you're going to have is that the trackpad is integrated into the top case and without removing the case, you can't get at it.

The "fix" is likely going to be replacing the entire top case which includes the trackpad. Probably best leave that to the experts at an authorized Apple dealer or Apple store. Removing the top case might be a good idea anyway to make sure no flour has gotten on to the logic board through the keyboard.

04-02-2012, 12:53 PM

Use a mouse connected to the mac About the "Ignoring trackpad when mouse is present" option on computers with a Multi-Touch trackpad