I have an iBook G4 1 Ghz and I am experiencing trackpad issue since the last 5 months (slowly getting worse). It will randomly stop working for as little as 10 seconds to as long as 3 hours. When it stops working, there's nothing I can do to make it work again. The external USB mouse is working. Restarting doesn't solve the problem. All the software is up to date. I don't have any third party trackpad software (such as Side Track). I tried reinstalling OS X and resetting the PMU. I am guessing it is a hardware issue. I still have Apple Care for another 9 months. Do you think there's anything I have not tried? I will also be traveling to New York this weekend, do you think I should bring it in to have it checked by a genius? How can I show the problem if it's not happening in front of the genius (It is really intermittent)? I will only be there for two days, do you think they will have the part in stock?
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Intermittent trackpad
- Thread starter Fredou51
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This happens to me every now and then but the PMU reset usually works. However, I don't usually get that far because I reset the trackpad manually by holding my palm over it for ten seconds first and this almost always works for me.
Also, just out of interest, do you have Ignore Trackpad Whilst Typing checked in the Keyboard & Mouse pane of System Preferences? Toggling this may help too.
Also, just out of interest, do you have Ignore Trackpad Whilst Typing checked in the Keyboard & Mouse pane of System Preferences? Toggling this may help too.
Same thing happening to me, getting really upset about it. Started happening last month and it's getting worse and worse, don't know what to do about it. Is something about to fail, is it software or what?
I love my little iBook, I don't want anything to happen to it!
I love my little iBook, I don't want anything to happen to it!
Have you checked to see if System Preferences still shows the Trackpad option in the Keyboard & Mouse prefpane?
On my iBook it stopped appearing and I later discovered the trackpad's cable had come unstuck from the logic board.
Hopefully you'll have better luck.
On my iBook it stopped appearing and I later discovered the trackpad's cable had come unstuck from the logic board.
Hopefully you'll have better luck.
Thanks for the help. I just tried resetting the trackpad (I didn't know about it before) and it didn't work. And you're right, the trackpad disappears from system preferences when it's not working. It just randomly started working again and it reappeared in the system pref. Do you think it could simply be a loose connection with the logic board? Is it possible to check and possibly repair that myself (without voiding apple care) or should I bring it in to a genius?
Fred
Fred
It'll void the warranty and it's one of the more difficult parts to get to on an iBook. Assuming it's a 12 inch model, there are instructions here on how to get to the trackpad connector, if you do want to carry through with it. Not a simple fix though, sorry.