Everything Apple (the Mac heads thread)

WAHOO... new mouse seems to be working well (almost too well - very sensitive), and trackpad disabled, thanks VB!

Also thanks to my department IT guy who replied within half an hour with 2 helpful messages despite it being Sunday and jubilee weekend.

His messages are quoted below in case they prove useful to anyone in the future:

Hey dude, that sounds really bad. You do seem to have ruled out having an invader (though if it starts looking like it's trying to enter commands into the terminal or change preferences, that is a real worry). The trackpads do appear to be prone to problems; the touchpad on my macbook doesn't respond to clicks anymore had has to be tapped instead.

I'd suggest trying the following:

First, try resetting the PRAM. This involves having the computer off, then turning it on and pressing CMD + OPTION + P + R together after the chime, and holding them until it chimes again. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

If this doesn't help, you'll need an external USB mouse - plug that in and then try to find the option to ignore the trackpad when an external mouse is connected. For me it's in system preferences, universal access, mouse and trackpad, trackpad options - but for you it may be in system preferences, keyboard and mouse

You could also try cleaning the trackpad (use a paper towel or soft cloth that's slightly damp with clean water and detergent).

^ I haven't tried this as I got the new mouse working first, but might give it a go if the problem persists. No idea what a pram is though...

Oh, also check out

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1449

Moisture (ie humidity) can freak it, and they do mention third-party power supplies as possibly being an issue :/