Your PowerBook and iBook‘s trackpad doesn‘t respond

• Try cleaning the trackpad. Use a soft cloth and gently wipe the trackpad. Also be sure your pointing finger is clean and not oily.

• The trackpad works on a principle called coupling capacitance. As your finger moves over the surface, the trackpad evaluates the change in capacitance between two layers of measurement electrodes built into the surface of the trackpad and translates that to cursor movement.

  Make sure only one part of your finger is touching the pad. You will not be able to use a pen or other object--the trackpad is designed to work only with your finger. Also make sure that you are not resting your wrist on or very close to the pad.

• If you have sweaty hands or if moisture collects on the pad, this may also confuse the trackpad. Wiping off the trackpad with a cloth or tissue will usually fix this symptom.

• Oil or lotion can also cause the same symptom. Either do not use hand lotion, or consider purchasing a Teflon pad to protect the trackpad. Before installing the Teflon pad, make sure the trackpad is clean and dry.

• Jewelry may also cause interference. Try removing rings or bracelets and see if the jumpy or erratic behavior disappears.

• Reset the Power Manager.

• Some software can make it look like the trackpad isn't working. Use the Extensions Manager control panel in Mac OS 9 and set the extensions to Mac OS All for your system. Restart the computer and see if the issue is resolved. If so, you need to troubleshooting your extensions.

• A peripheral connected to your computer could cause this symptom. Disconnect any USB or ADB devices such as mice, keyboards, or joysticks and see if the issue still persists. If this resolves the issue, it might be caused by an old version of the software that supports this peripheral, or it could be a hardware issue or incompatibility. Refer to the information that came with the peripheral to see if there may be driver updates or how to getting service for the product.

• This could be a hardware issue. If you need to use the computer until you can have it serviced, connect a mouse to one of the ports on the back of the computer. Some PowerBook models support ADB while other PowerBooks and iBooks support USB. Refer to your PowerBook User Manual if you are uncertain which mouse type you should use.

Related documents

17228: PowerBook: Jumpy or Erratic Trackpad Operation