Trackpad is going nuts!

[hurl everstone]

Howdy,

has anyone else experienced problems with the trackpad on a Powerbook G4 12"? The arrow stays in the corner, as if it were magnetized, and quickly jumps back to the corner if you try and move it. The only way to get it to return to normal is to shut down the machine and restart. Plugging a standard mouse into the usb seems to work, but a real pain in the arse as it's on the left side.

Thank you.

 

[freddiecable]

iBook 12"

I've got some problems with my trackpad - but not as severa as you describe it. when i use it - sometimes - the arrow jumps the other way or stands still...

haven't had time to call support - but will do - obviously a hardware error...

 

[joker2]

trackpads

Have you tried cleaning the trackpad with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth (that doesn't leave any threads behind)?

I had that happen once with my 12"PB 1GHz, but had it happen much more often on one of the old iBooks. It usually turned out to be gunk on the trackpad itself. (Oils from your hands attracting dirt, etc.)

 

[mms]

I've had the exact same thing happen sometimes on my G3 Lombard. I always thought it was just getting old. The only thing is, I wouldn't have to restart it; All I had to do was leave it alone for about five minutes and it would be fine. I never figured out why it happened. Now I just use a USB mouse all the time.

 

[RiseAgainst]

Does this happen all of the time with your trackpad?

I'v had the mouse move all over thing before, but i notice that it only happens when its really cold in the room. I think it confuses the pad.

 

[oldschool]

Try this for me please next time this happens to your trackpad: Push The Command (apple)+option+D keys

This is the command to show hide the dock.

It seems to work for me every time.

You might have to do the command a few times though.

 

[OutThere]

Try turning off all the options to protect the trackpad from accidental input in the System Preferences. Then turn off clicking, dragging and drag lock.

 

[mms]

oldschool, how does your hint work? I don't see any relationship between showing and hiding the dock and the trackpad.

 

[gwuMACaddict]

my g3 pismo trackpad gets a little cracked out on me too sometimes... i just put the cranky bastard to sleep and wake it back up and that usually does the trick

 

[oldschool]

Originally posted by mms
oldschool, how does your hint work? I don't see any relationship between showing and hiding the dock and the trackpad.

You're right. Showing and hiding the dock has nothing to do with the trackpad. But for some reason it works...I have no idea why.

 

[jefhatfield]

Re: Trackpad is going nuts!

Originally posted by hurl everstone
Howdy,

has anyone else experienced problems with the trackpad on a Powerbook G4 12"? The arrow stays in the corner, as if it were magnetized, and quickly jumps back to the corner if you try and move it. The only way to get it to return to normal is to shut down the machine and restart. Plugging a standard mouse into the usb seems to work, but a real pain in the arse as it's on the left side.

Thank you.

i know that exact problem happened with a lot of the original ibooks and the culprit was mac os 9.0...but apple quickly fixed that bug in the revised mac os 9.0.4 but since it rarely happens on my ibook, i do quite well with 9.0

i am sad to hear that's a problem in os x and i wonder if it's one of those quirks with programming which show up as that type of problem with a trackpad...i know when i started learned java, there were certain quirks which would show up in the same weird ways over and over again

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I used to have the exact same problem

I used to have this problem with my PowerBook G4 (no longer mine). I solved it by putting the machine to sleep, waking it up again, then leaving the trackpad alone for 5 seconds. That always fixed it.

 

[hurl everstone]

Thanks for your responses

Thanks to everyone who has responded. The trackpad still occasionally goes wacky. Removing the dock (apple+option+D) works sometimes. Lately, when it happens I run my fingernail around the outer edge of the trackpad and it seems to work. Putting it to sleep works, too, but it's usually next to impossible to get the arrow up to the menu bar to do it. (Is there a keyboard command to put it to sleep?) Since my Powerbook is less than 1 year old, I may take it in to the mac service center and see what kind of analysis they'll give me.

cheers,
Hurl

 

[rueyeet]

Since it's a PowerBook, you don't need the menus to put it to sleep--just close the lid, and open it a few seconds later.

 

[yellowgoose2]

Powerbook Ti G4 400 trackpad frozen

Hi there.

Another solution for frozen trackpad in the upper left corner after startup.

Symptom: Error happens after restart under OS 9.2.2, OSX or InstallCD.

- Reset: does not work.
- Deactivation of USB system extensions: does not work.
- Deactivation of all system extensions: does not work.
- Resetting parameter RAM: does not work.
- Firmware update: does not work (newest firmware was installed)

First of all: Thanks to Apple Support not giving any hint for this problem!

It was a problem of static electricity. I opened the Powerbook and removed the battery and harddrive. Then i put my fingers onto the trackpad board and grounded it (bare-footed), assembled the Powerbook and restarted again: did work!

Good luck with your own G4.

 

[abhishekit]

it happened with my previous g4ibook..i even talked to apple support...but they couldnt do anything as it was a fairly intermittent problem...

 

[jefhatfield]

Re: Powerbook Ti G4 400 trackpad frozen

Originally posted by yellowgoose2
Hi there.

Another solution for frozen trackpad in the upper left corner after startup.

Symptom: Error happens after restart under OS 9.2.2, OSX or InstallCD.

- Reset: does not work.
- Deactivation of USB system extensions: does not work.
- Deactivation of all system extensions: does not work.
- Resetting parameter RAM: does not work.
- Firmware update: does not work (newest firmware was installed)

First of all: Thanks to Apple Support not giving any hint for this problem!

It was a problem of static electricity. I opened the Powerbook and removed the battery and harddrive. Then i put my fingers onto the trackpad board and grounded it (bare-footed), assembled the Powerbook and restarted again: did work!

Good luck with your own G4.

the interesting thing is, as a pc tech and owner of a pc laptop (over 4 years...compaq presario), i never had this trackpad problem or seen it on anything other than an ibook...it's still usually very rare and mac laptops are otherwise much better than any pc laptops in just about every other category

 

[sinser]

Happy to find this thread since i often experience the same problem on my 15" Alu Pbook with the trackpad quickly jumping to the (usually left) corner...Hurl, have you contacted a Mac Genius? Is it a software or hardware (hope not since it has already been in repair twice) issue?

Bye.