Problem: Mouse automatically clicking things I hover over! :S

[Callum]

If I hover my mouse over a link in Safari, it will start opening multiple tabs of that link without me clicking it until I hover off it. It also opens programs if I hover over it for about a second. This started happening this morning. It was fine last night. I didn't download any updates in that time, and didn't change any system preferences. I tried restarting my system. This happens with both my wireless mouse and the trackpad, so I figured it's a software issue.

Could it be a virus? What Mac program checks for/ gets rid of viruses?

Please help! :S
-Callum

 

[angelwatt]

Well, it's not a virus as none exist. A trojan wouldn't do this kind of thing. Have you restarted your machine lately? Also run software updates.

 

[Gregg2]

Well, it's not a virus as none exist.

Not to mention that this is not what a virus would do anyway.

The simple equation computer problem = virus is simply false.

 

[Callum]

Ok, so if it's not a virus, what is it? I shutdown my computer for a couple of hours, then when I turned it on again, it was working fine, but now it's started doing it again.

 

[iVoid]

Is your wireless mouse connected when it happens with the trackpad.

One of the devices (or electronics along the way) is telling the computer that the mouse button is pressed.

First thing is to see if it happens without the wireless mouse connected (pull the battery to make sure it's not connected). If it does, I's suspect something wrong with the trackpad buttons. Even if you use the mouse to position the cursor, if the trackpad tells the OS that a mouse button is pressed, it'll click.

Even if it doesn't seem to show dragging behavoir (as if the button was pressed), I've seen weird button behaviors similar to yours. Unless you've got a funky extension installed (such as a driver for the wireless mouse), it's most likely a hardwareissue.

 

[mysterytramp]

First thing is to see if it happens without the wireless mouse connected (pull the battery to make sure it's not connected). If it does, I's suspect something wrong with the trackpad buttons. ...

Or it could be a dying battery in the wireless mouse. I've had flaky mouse actions that disappear after replacing the battery. Mouse manufacturers overestimate, I believe, how long a AA will last inside a mouse.

mt

 

[scissorband]

Wow, I was about to post the same thread. I started noticing this when I put my mouse over my bookmarks in Firefox and it would automatically click on it when I didn't want it to. What kind of mouse do you have?

 

[Callum]

Good news!

It stopped doing the auto-clicking, but then it started doing other weird things, such as the cursor not appearing as a hand when hovered over a link. I took your advice of changing the batteries in my wireless mouse, and walah! No more problems!

Thank you very much for the advice. I was very worried that my Mac was sick

 

[Gregg2]

Good news!
... walah! No more problems!

Your French is rusty!

 

[FOXJE79]

Arrow flashes between finger and arrow

I am having a similar problem, except I do not use an external mouse. I own a 2008 Macbook. It is now affecting my ability to click on drop-down menus on web pages. Is this my hardware malfunctioning, or a software issue?