Stupid MacIntosh Problem
December 9, 2009 9:40 AM   Subscribe

Mac-Filter: How do I make the clickbar work again?

I accidentally turned off the clickbar on my husband's MacIntosh laptop.

I think I did this by depressing the FN and Apple buttons together and clicking. I was looking for some combination to simulate a right click. Now the click-bar won't work. The track pad is functional, and I can select items by tapping. But if I keep doing that I will end up throwing it through a window. That is one of the hazards of light weight computers.

I've checked in System Preferences/Trackpad, but can't find anything that reverses this. I have also tried to duplicate the mistake, but that hasn't worked yet.

It is running OS X, 10.5.8 FWIW. Or 10.8.5. It's downstairs, I'm up here on the PC.

Yes, we have both, but we have to keep them separated.

Thanks hive mind!
posted by SLC Mom to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)
 
Try rebooting. What model laptop is it? I tried Fn Cmd Click on my MBPro and it didn't turn the button off.

Uncheck all the options under trackpad and close, then reopen and reselect.

For a right-click, hold ctrl and click. For newer lappies, you can select the option to use 2 fingers to click or scroll in trackpad prefs.

I plug a mouse in, personally. I use the trackpad sometimes, and it makes me totally insane to have to click the button as opposed to just tapping.
posted by KenManiac at 9:59 AM on December 9, 2009


This sounds like a hardware or driver problem if the reboot doesn't take care of it. I'd advise you take it into an Apple Store to have them take a look at it.

For future reference, at least on the recent models, you simulate a right click by having two finger on the track pad when you click, or pushing "ctrl" and clicking.
posted by visual mechanic at 10:34 AM on December 9, 2009


The two-finger right click has to be enabled in system preferences, under 'trackpad'. Perhaps you hit a keystroke that turned that option off?
posted by 8dot3 at 11:11 AM on December 9, 2009


Response by poster: Thanks. I've rebooted twice now, with the options deleted, and then re-enabled.
Any other ideas?
posted by SLC Mom at 11:52 AM on December 9, 2009


It sounds like the poster is saying that the actual button on the trackpad (which on newer model mac laptops is "covered" by the trackpad itself) has stopped clicking. If that's the case, I highly doubt that it's something that you've turned off by accident through a key combination. I would be surprised if it were something you could turn off at all. If I recall, the trackpad makes a click "feel" when you use it... can you still feel that when you push it?
posted by Inkoate at 12:17 PM on December 9, 2009


Which Mac laptop are you talking about?

Does the laptop have an actual trackpad button, or is it a Mac laptop where the entire trackpad can be clicked with pressure near the bottom?

As others have said, the key combo you used doesn't do anything like disable clicking, so something else is afoot here.
posted by delfuego at 12:52 PM on December 9, 2009


Response by poster: Inkoate is correct. The separate bar at the bottom of the pad has stopped working.
And the click-feel is gone, too. I was thinking that the click sound was gone, but you are right, it is the feel. I think you are right, that there is something else going on.

delfuego: I think it is a MacBook, not sure what version. It is about 3-4 years old.

A trip to the genius bar is in order. Will check to see if we have AppleCare on it still.
posted by SLC Mom at 1:11 PM on December 9, 2009


My brothers' Macbook had a similar problem that was caused by the battery having expanded slightly which was interfering with the track pad mechanism. A replacement battery solved all problems and running on mains only with the battery removed passed as a non recommended work around whilst waiting.
posted by dirm at 3:59 PM on December 9, 2009


It's hardware I think. I don't recall any option to turn off the button.
posted by chairface at 4:19 PM on December 10, 2009


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