My cursor isn't dragging windows (browser, Word, stickies) anymore.

January 6, 2014 9:14 PM

My cursor isn't clicking on or dragging windows to move them around anymore. It's like the cursor isn't "sticking" to the windows when I click on them. This is happening in any browser I run (Chrome, Firefox) and Word, and even in my stickies. I am on a Macbook Pro... running 10.5.8. My software is all up to date according to my software update. What am I missing here?

Hopefully I explained my problem well enough. I can navigate pretty well inside a browser window... it's just dragging windows around that is proving difficult. This is a problem that has popped up in the past couple of days out of nowhere and googling has gotten me nowhere. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

posted by timpanogos to Technology (9 answers total)

Are you sure it isn't a physical hardware issue, like your trackpad being stuck? I spilled a little bit of liquid on my trackpad a few months ago, and it ended up getting stuck. I use tap to click, so I was still able to do everything but clicking and dragging. If you take it to the Apple Store, they can try cleaning it out, or at worst they'll replace the trackpad.
posted by yasaman at 9:23 PM on January 6, 2014

Have you tried rebooting? When I get weirdo behavior, that usually fixes it. I figure you probably have, but just in case...
posted by leahwrenn at 9:35 PM on January 6, 2014

Also, can you try going to System Preferences > Trackpad > Point & Click and select Three finger drag? Does that work?
posted by yasaman at 9:50 PM on January 6, 2014

Reboot! Happened to me this morning.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:19 PM on January 6, 2014

Seeing as how you mention 10.5.8, i'm assuming this is the "mark one" style of macbook pro that has a physical clicky-button below the trackpad.

Have you tried an external mouse? does this issue still occur with a USB/bluetooth mouse?
posted by emptythought at 10:33 PM on January 6, 2014

This sounds like one of those weird things that just happens from time to time. Perhaps some vital system process accidentally quit itself.

Rebooting will probably fix your problem.
posted by mekily at 11:24 PM on January 6, 2014

Sort of out of left field, but bear with me. I had a Macbook Pro that was maybe near that generation, and at one point the battery expanded (apparently this is normal/expected behavior). When the battery expanded, it affected the trackpad clicks. I switched it so that touches were clicks and double-touch would drag a window. See if that helps.
posted by General Malaise at 5:23 AM on January 7, 2014 [3 favorites]

If rebooting or the other software recommendations above don't help, you might need to tighten the screw inside your trackpad button that controls the "clickiness." When my MBP hit about 3 years of use it started being a bit wonky with dragging (although just clicking was alright) and a tiny adjustment to that screw fixed it. There are good tutorials online; I would link to one for you but it would be better to know the exact model of your laptop since OS 10.5.8 implies an older machine (possibly pre-Unibody?).
posted by bcwinters at 5:30 AM on January 7, 2014

Mouse issues and other random weirdnesses on MB Pros can often be fixed by resetting the PRAM and NVRAM
posted by rockindata at 8:06 AM on January 7, 2014