MBP: very sudden Trackpad problem..

[kali89]

my trackpad all of a sudden is freaking out... and **I** am freaking out....;-(

it's just not working right... sometimes only the two-fingers thing works (which I have set to work like right-click), sometimes it gets "stuck" in drag mode... so that if I select one file in a folder, then move on to select another one, it selects all files in between (or it acts like it's dragging stuff....) also, it tracks more slowly, heavier, like those old mice when they weren't working right....;-) this happens intermittently, sometimes it does work the way it should, but on the whole I can tell something's wrong.. this started very suddenly about two hours ago.. I wasn't doing anything unusual.. was reading and scrolling down an article page in Chrome, and all of a sudden it just stopped working.. I thought Chrome was not responding, but it was the trackpad!!!

this is extremely disturbing and upsetting and disconcerting... the million-dollar question is: is this a hardware or software problem? is this something I can solve somehow by resetting trackpad configs or something else I can do? (I did manage to do a screenshot of trackpad settings..)

now even return key & arrow keys don't work sometimes.. my gosh, what is happening to my MBP that has served me so well for the last six years??? :~(((

MacBookPro, about 6 years old, 10.6.8...

would appreciate some suggestions..

thank you....

 

[pigoo3]

- SMC Reset
- PRAM/NVRAM Reset
- Run the free maintenance app called "Onyx".
- Run the free malware app called "Malwarebytes"

Internet search for more info.

And after 6 years...how full is your hard drive (or how much free space)?

And finally. After 6 years...it's possible that your battery could be swelling. Trackpad problems can many times be related to a swelling battery.

- Nick

 

[kali89]

thank you... hopefully it'll work long enough till I finish this response...

can't run Malwarebytes, doesn't run on 10.6.8...
http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-notebooks/333077-mac-infected-3.html#post1708917
(I thought it had sthg to do w/this..)

what is
SMC Reset
PRAM/NVRAM Reset
Onyx I have (installed after was advised in above-mentioned thread..)

main question, then: what can I run instead of Malwarebytes..

thank you very much...

 

[kali89]

would appreciate it very much if someone could recommend something I could use instead of Malwarebytes...... thank you

(PS: can't edit posts, I just get a gray screen (textarea) when I try...)

 

[pigoo3]

what is
SMC Reset
PRAM/NVRAM Reset
Onyx I have (installed after was advised in above-mentioned thread..)

Do an internet search as I suggested for more info.

main question, then: what can I run instead of Malwarebytes..

Try the other stuff first. Malwarebytes is an app for detecting & eliminating malware. And most likley is the least probable solution to the problem. It is possible you could have a hardware issue...that's why I mentioned you could have a swollen or swelling battery.

- Nick

 

[kali89]

I have both limited internet access AND computer is working very poorly.. it's hard... ok..

thank you...

PS: battery is working fine.. I actually replaced it last February....

 

[kali89]

well, ran Onyx, nothing changed.....:-(

so many tabs in Onyx, wasn't sure what do do on each of them... but ran the disk utility feature for sure...

thank you...

 

[MacInWin]

PS: battery is working fine.. I actually replaced it last February....

Have you actually looked at the battery to see if it is swollen? It will work, even if swollen, but is going to keep swelling if it has started. And a swollen battery will press on the underside of the trackpad, as was said.

 

[kali89]

how do I look if the battery is swollen? (you mean physically? open the MBP pro?)

thank you... searching for 'SMC Reset' and 'PRAM/NVRAM' Reset now...-)

trackpad working fine now... works intermittently.... all of a sudden it'll stop working.... (& sometimes the keyboard too...)

ok.. thank you....

 

[kali89]

PS: what is the "MagSafe or USB-C power adapter"??

is this just a fancy name for the charger?

thank you...

 

[MacInWin]

Yes, you have to take the battery out and look at it. Assuming it comes out easily, the fastest way to know if it's swollen is to either look down the flat sides to see if there is ANY curvature, or to put it on a flat surface and see if it will rock back and forth at all. It should be totally flat and not rock even a little bit.

MagSafe is the Apple name for the magnetic connection for the power adapter on older MacBook Pros. It got that name because of the magnetic connection and the fact that if it is accidentally tugged on, it separates safely from the Mac instead of dragging it across the table or onto the floor. That technology was updated to USB-C connections (non magnetic) in recent MacBook Pro versions. The "charger" as you call it actually powers the Mac, so technically it's NOT a charger but a power supply. There are charging circuits in the Mac that interact with the battery to control the charge levels.

To look at the battery, get the version of your Mac from the About This Mac item on the dropdown box from clicking on the  symbol upper left corner of the screen, then go to ifixit.com and following their directions on how to open your Mac.

 

[kali89]

well, I'm inclining for the swollen-battery possibility... I went to talk to a guy in a small indie mac store in my area this morning, and he explained to me it's entirely possible since the battery sits right underneath both the trackpad and the keyboard... (and not only that, but I have noticed both keyboard & trackpad work fine when I first start using the computer, then after about 20 mins or so they stop working properly, which leads me to believe the battery "swells" only when I'm using the computer? does this make sense? (when I'm not using it it's in sleep mode..)

so it looks like I'll have to replace the battery again... after I had replaced it just last February... this is very upsetting....:-(

 

[pigoo3]

well, I'm inclining for the swollen-battery possibility...

That why I mentioned this 2 days ago in post #2 as a strong possibility. This is not the first time someone has posted a problem with a trackpad...and it turned out to be a swollen battery.

When you had the battery replaced last February...who did the replacing & what battery was installed (a genuine Apple battery or a non-Apple battery)?

- Nick

 

[kali89]

it was done in a Zurich, Switzerland Apple store.... I assume I can safely assume they did everything kosher? ;-)

 

[pigoo3]

it was done in a Zurich, Switzerland Apple store.... I assume I can safely assume they did everything kosher? ;-)

If this is the case...and it was a genuine Apple battery installed at an Apple Store...I believe the new battery comes with a 12 month warranty (unless Apple Stores in Switzerland have different rules).

Here's the info from the Apple US website:

https://support.apple.com/mac-notebooks/repair/service





If your problem is actually due to a swollen battery (and it was replaced in February...about 9 months ago)...you could have a very good chance of getting it replaced for free.

- Nick

 

[MacInWin]

I don't believe that batteries swell and shrink with usage. Once they start to swell, they stay swollen, never shrinking back below that. And I'll second Nick's suggestion to go back to the Apple store and have the battery examined and, if swollen, replaced by them. You don't have to go back to THAT Apple store, just any Apple store. Any of them should stand behind the warranty.

 

[pigoo3]

I don't believe that batteries swell and shrink with usage. Once they start to swell, they stay swollen, never shrinking back below that.

Agree with that Jake. I think that oxides, crystals, or gases of some sort form & grow which causes the expansion. Once expanded...no shrinking back.

Kind of like many of our waistlines! lol

- Nick

 

[pm-r]

…
can't run Malwarebytes, doesn't run on 10.6.8…

But one can sure do or follow the manual check and removal via the directions here:
http://www.thesafemac.com/arg/
http://www.thesafemac.com/arg-identification/




- Patrick
======

 

[kali89]

awesome..... didn't know... thanks so much for the info...

(prob is I'm in South America now, but well, I guess I'll have to see about the logistics...)

thank you very much.....

 

[kali89]

and I have the receipt, so I guess I'll contact them.. maybe they can just send me money......;~)))