iMac 21 1/2 late 2009 no mouse clicks

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Sorry about the header but not sure. Earlier this evening I was using our iMac running High Sierra with a Magic Mouse. The mouse would move the cursor and scroll but the left or right clicks would not work. This has happened a couple of times before a while back but was cured with a reboot.

Today I tried the trusty reboot and it took a very long time, several minutes, to reboot and it was the same, mouse moves the cursor but no clicks. I tried another bluetooth mouse with the same results and then tried a USB connected mouse, still the same.

I tried several reboots and still no joy so I tried a Safe Boot with the same result. Next was to boot from an external HDD and again got the same result of cursor moves but no clicks. At htis point I have given up for the night as it is now midnight and I feel like turning into a pumpkin!:Sleeping::Sleeping:

I can't get into System Preferences, no clicks, and the only way to shut the machine down is with a long press on the power button on the back of the screen. I can't click on the Apple logo top left of the screen.

If anyone has any ideas then I just hope that it isn't going to be a hardware failure?

Any ideas please folks? I won't be replying tonight as my bed is calling me very loudly :Sleeping:
 
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If anyone has any ideas then I just hope that it isn't going to be a hardware failure?


Can you boot using the Recovery HD (Command + R) and run DU First Aid John???

I hope you had a good sound night's sleep.





- Patrick
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Quite a good night thank you, but now I have done the CMD + R boot and have the macOS Utiliteis but still unable to click on anything?

I managed o get to this screen once last night with he same result.

Edit : - I have just been searching on our MBP and the iMac went into sleep mode. I very carefully pressed a left click on the Magic Mouse and it awoke. So it can detect a left click for that.

I have also tried to shut the iMac down from themacOS Utilities screen using the Apple logo and a left click with no result, BUT when I try a right click it displays the shut down/restartstartup disk menu and I can select any from there and I can shut it down using a right click, left inoperable.

But if I select the Startup Disk and then try to click on the Restart in the Choose Startup window it will not click either left or right.

I am now totally confused so we are going to look at some toilets:Cool:
 
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But if I select the Startup Disk and then try to click on the Restart in the Choose Startup window it will not click either left or right.

I am now totally confused so we are going to look at some toilets


John, I'd suggest doing a Shutdown then use Safe Boot Mode, login, the Restart and maybe even try doing a PRAM and SMC Reset.

I'd also try using a different mouse.

PS: As for toilet choice, if they sell them over there, seriously consider the American Standard Cadet 3 2-Piece, or was it their Champion 4 model but definitely the (Enclosed base) Single-Flush Elongated Bowl Toilet. Easy clean simple plain enclosing skirt.

We bought theree several years ago and not a single problem, super water saver, never a single problem, easy to clean, new "Standard height" = nice, and QUIET, not like the Toto toilet our neighbour has that sounds like a rocket blasting off with each flush and it too short(low) for us average height people.

Similar to their older Cadet design but much nicer, and yes, they seem to be able to flush almost anything with their set water saving design. Have a look here:
American Standard Champion 4 toilets
https://blog.fosketts.net/2012/07/31/review-american-standards-champion-4-toilet-flushes/

So much for discussing Loos or Crappers on a Mac-Forum... I hope it not a sign of things to come from Apple. ;D

Anyway, good luck...





- Patrick
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I have tried, and failed, to get a Safe Mode boot done. It failed in the same way, no clicks.

At the moment I'm just making sure that any new stuff like documents are transfered to our MBP. CCC runs regularly on the iMac, but I want to make sure!

Our Mr Thomas Crapper was really flush with sucess. He may not have invented the Crapper, but he didn't arf improve it. So far, in our looking we are amazed at the variety of sit-upons there are. Boss men/ladies, please excuse this diversion, my sense of humour is the only thing that's keep my sanitry, sorry, that should read sanity (I think:Oops::Oops:)
 
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Today's quote John:

'Insanity is heredity. You get it from your kids!'

Maybe the mouse, liked the two legged variety, has gone to mouse heaven.
 
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That would have to be a Magic Mouse, a Logitec bluetooth mouse and a Logitec usb jobbie too mate.

Would that be 3 blind mice? (Thinks ? I could write a song about that ? )

The correct expression Harry is that you 'catch it from yer kids' mate :D:D well it is from us not upside down folks anyway O:)

I'm comming to the conclusion that my 9 year old iMac is on it's way to Apple heaven and will have to be replaced?

If that is so, is it worth going for a retina model. Still a 21 1/2 model. Can't afford the room for the 27 jobbie, or the price :*
 
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I have tried, and failed, to get a Safe Mode boot done. It failed in the same way, no clicks.


No mouse clicks needed to enter SafeBoot Mode, it's enabled by pressing and holding the shift key down during a cold start.





- Patrick
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I'm comming to the conclusion that my 9 year old iMac is on it's way to Apple heaven and will have to be replaced?

If that is so, is it worth going for a retina model. Still a 21 1/2 model. Can't afford the room for the 27 jobbie, or the price


Well, that's the first time I've heard of a misbehaving mouse being used as an excuse to replace a Mac computer. But they have sure been used in many a rationalized excuse I'm sure.

But, best to get a good pot to **** in first I would think. Then you can at least have a brew or two while you contemplate all the possible solutions.







- Patrick
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OK Bob I have done the NVRAM and SMC resets and then rebooted. There was no change, i.e. still no mouse clicks.

I have also rebooted into Safe Mode and signed in. When it gets to the sign in screen that screen doesn't just appear complete, it starts at the bottom in horizontal strips, almost like a Venitian blind. After signing in the wall paper appears after a while. Then the right click will alow me to open programmes but the left click is still inoperative.

I selected my browser, Firefox, in the Dock. It wouldn't open with a left click, but on a right click it opens the 'drop down' list (it actually goes upwards) with the options for opening and others I can't remember. To select the open option I have to use the right click, left doesn't work.

Once Firefox is open I get one shot at opening a favourite and only with the right click. After that I just the drop down options of the normal right click. In a favourites folder that's 'open all tabs', 'new bookmark', new folder' and so on.

If you find this confusing then you shoud try it from my end? So I am sorry if it is folks :Grimmace:

Once again folks, my bed calls. My poor brain cell needs the rest if I am going to owt about this?

A very big TA for all the help you are giving me, but keep it up if possible please?
 
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It has just dawned on my brain cell that I could boot from the CCC external HDD that I have.

This has not been done and the problem is the same. I had thought of doing a clean install of High Sierra, but this proves that the OS is not the problem. I have also done a boot using the CCC from my MacBook Pro with the same result.
 
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Are you using wired or wireless mouse? Have you tried different USB ports?


Bob -

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Are you using wired or wireless mouse? Have you tried different USB ports? ...


+1!!!
And I'd really suggest trying a USB mouse, either wired or wireless (they use a tiny USB dongle).





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I'm not sure what happened there Bob because I had replied to your question about the mouse types. I have no idea where it is now?

In reply no.7 I had mentioned 3 mice, althoughly not very clearly, in reply to Harry's post. Just to clear it up.

I have tried a Magic Mouse, a Logitec M555b bluetooth mouse and a Logitec 'Click' USB connected mouse, the USB one in a couple of ports. All 3 of them have worked perfectly up to the point of the failure. The 2 bluetooth mice have both had their batteries changed a short while ago.

We went into the Apple shop in Cirencester today and had a long chat with one of the blokes there. He said that in the 15 years he had been there he hadn't heard of a problem like this ome. we were looking at the new models in there and working on the principle that we will need to update in the to too distant future anyway. So now it's to be between the model with the retina screen and the 3.0 ghz quad core or the 3.4 ghz quad core. The latter, apart from a faster processor it comes with a 1tb fusion drive. It's only money, init :Grimmace::Grimmace:
 
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All 3 of them have worked perfectly up to the point of the failure.


That doesn't make any sense — they either do work properly, or they don't.

Maybe you could explain your phrase as I sure don't understand what is written.





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Patrick, the problem is that he cannot click, or at least beyond some point it won't click. He can move the mouse around, and sometimes right click works to get a menu, but left clicking isn't functioning. So that's what he meant...all the mouses he has tried work up to the exact same point where left click goes away. And it's early in the boot/use sequence. Re-read posts 1 and 3.
 
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That just about nails it Jake, thank you.

In normal use I used the Magic Mouse on the left of the keyboard and the Logitec bluetooth mouse on the right. That situation started when I was able to use my Wacom graphics pad for my photo editing. It was easier to move the photo around with the Magic Mouse and do the clicky bits with the Logitec. Unfortunately Wacoms decided that they couldn't be bothered to update the drivers for High Sierra and the only option was to buy new and the Wacom attitude was like it or lump it. So I now use the mouse instead of a graphics pen. Not as easy, but it works.

On occasions I used the USB mouse so that it didn't feel left out O:) . The result was that until this problem started they were all working fine. Left and right clicking at my whim, as it were.
 
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Just as an aside, look at a trackpad for your design needs. I don’t have one, but I’m considering one this year. I too had a Wacom tablet, but didn’t want to deal with it when El Capitan came out. The Magic Mouse has been good, I really like the swipe between apps. And I also use two mouse at the same time.


Bob -

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Have you tried using ONLY the USB Logitec mouse, and no other mouse connected, and also have you used and configured its buttons using the Logitec prefpane software???

If that doesn't fix things, you may have a corrupt preference pane that's not controlling your mouse correctly.






- Patrick
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