Mac laptops forum: Keyboard, trackpad and cursor problems on Mac Book Pro

Here are the steps I took. I was curious if a key logger or some cookie issues were involved. I went through with ClamxAv & MacScan2. Found 13 cookies that were suspect and blew them away. No other issues noted.

I rechecked for Software and firmware and there was a new firmware update for the SuperDrive. I ran it even though i thought it would have little to do with the problem.

I also found an odd user account called "Staff" which was set to read only. I blew that away since I did not create it.

After the restart I had no more problems with the keyboard. I can now type rapidly with no stall or missed characters.

I am not prone to the bulging battery issues since this is the very last 15 inch Macbook Pro that has a removable battery and I do not believe those batteries exhibit the behavior. I think I would see trackpad issues first, which I did not.

Thank you for the suggestions.

The key stroke problem only showed during logins, postings in web apps etc.

If you have warranty on it, you might as well take advantage of it! I would guess that the connector between the keyboard/touchpad and the computer is loose. I've had this problem on other machines (mainly after I'd replaced the keyboard), where it would only work correctly if you held the connector in you fingers and pressed it together. No idea what sort of connecter they use on Macbooks, but it's probably similar. Good luck.

I thought for sure the bulging battery had something to do with my trackpad, keyboard, and cursor problems. I reset the PRAM and repaired the permissions and the problems have gone away.
The bulging battery is a known issue but as far as I know, at this time, Apple has not done a recall of the battery.
Thanks for the replies to this post.

be reported to Apple who do keep a record of such things.

The important thing is, did they fix it for you?

P

I am having Extreme difficulty with every keystroke.

Here is an example:

"eatrtt" was "each day I try to type".

I must pause at EVERY keystroke,back space, repeated and missed key strokes. This started after Apple's Latest Firmware update!

Help! Password Logins are almost impossible.

System Software Overview:

System Version: Mac OS X 10.5.8 (9L30)
Kernel Version: Darwin 9.8.0
Boot Volume: Macintosh HD
Boot Mode: Normal

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP51.007E.B05
SMC Version (system): 1.41f2

I'm having the exact same problem, and it is frankly driving me nuts!! Not only does cursor jump backwards, refuse to move forward, & replaces letters as I type...but it randomly selects items on my desktop & toolbar, which has caused me to mistakenly move files, and delete settings. So, bizarre and annoying! Were you able to fix the problem??? If so, what's the solution....

After owning my My 13" macbook pro for about 6 months, the trackpad started to malfunction. The cursor would stick, jump around erratically, move when I tried to click on something (causing me to open apps and windows I didn't want to) and open the running application menu that is typically opened when you click Command+Tab without me even touching the computer! It seemed possessed. I called Apple and they thought that it might be a swelling battery or that I might need to replace the trackpad. Since the battery is internal, I needed to bring it to a repair shop to have it diagnosed. As it turned out, the trackpad didn't have a "Grounding Strap" and that's what was causing the erratic behavior. It seems to be working much better now. I hope this helps other mac users who are having similar issues.

Two things

1: Don't hijack other people's posts, especially one from like 2 years ago

2: You have a bad top case and possibly liquid damage on the trackpad

I could tell you how to test this, but most people find it pretty difficult to get the top case flex cable back in the connector, especially when you can't remove the battery to get a little extra room to work with. If you go to a repair shop with that disconnected, they're going to assume you've tampered with the unit and deny coverage.

Also, I haven't inspected it personally, so I can't say one way or the other, but if you've ever spilled liquid on the unit, regardless of whether or not you thought you cleaned it all up and it's been working great ever since then, be prepared for the possibility that they will come back saying it has liquid damage and quoting you a repair fee. If you haven't ever spilled anything on it, then you're good to go.