Skip to main content

1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache

371 Questions View all
Question Closed

Cursor won't execute commands

Problem: Mail began slowing, then hanging on this MacBook Air 13" and on a new MacBook Pro 13" Retina, same 'heat'.

Given: MacBook Air 13", circa late 2012- 2013, dual core i7, 16g RAM, i.e. plenty of power and speed. Running El Capitan okay, (new battery~2 months), clean as a whistle.

I've tried on both systems:

  1. Removing library folder in keychain - to trash. This did not fix my problem. (I may have removed too much on the MacBook Air? The MacBook Pro Retina now works fine.)
  2. I then ran Onyx's current 'Deeper' cleaner on the MacBook Air using set-to-default commands (basic stuff)... WHOOPS, now mail problem secondary!
  3. After #2, I get a locked screen, i.e. the Mac boots up and shows the correct screens (in normal and safe modes) but, while the pointer moves around as intended it has no effect when clicked, other than starting beachball, which I can't seem to squelch.

I sure would appreciate your experienced look-see and advice. (I go back to SE days and am okay with HW technical but not versed in code other than some basic stuff. Big Fan of 'MacBible' and it's author over the years.)

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I hate to call the puzzle palace. Help has gotten watered downuntil reaching upper support level

Update (10/24/2015)

Thanks Dan,

1.). Yes, a cursor moves external mouse... . I did make an external drive and ran

Disk Utility, but no fix on MBA, which has gotten worse. Now startup is erratic with or w/o dark screen.

I did order new (not readily available PCE) SSD for MBA 13. (It is the 2013, A1466 model with odd pins on SATA. I think this was the 2nd OWC SSD to go bad. The new one to come is brand X due to unique config, i.e non- SATA.

2.) Yes, the MBP13R is/was a mirror. I ran same remedies as above. Clam V (direct) isolated one virus but Mail is still very slow (though o'all performance better)??? I put Airmail on and it's quick! Something is odd w/mail hanging. I hope it's not a precursor to fate of MBA13, above!

Maybe there's other malware that ClamV and Kaspersky (subscription) is missing? El Cap seems a little buggy here and there, eg 1PW opens 'over screen'. (Too large) at times and I reopen it = normal.

Answer this question I have this problem too

Is this a good question?

Score 0
4 Comments

I'm still working on this. Both answers partially helpful as noted.

I also tried deleting folders from Keychains and Mail (no extras, just plist there), again, partially helped.

I really think there's corruption somewhere (else) in system or Mail???

Will report back after more work. Please add any further ideas. Thanks alot.

by

Does an external mouse move the curser?

by

I had a similar problem and I'm trying to see if you have the same issue. Do you have a recovery partition? Was the drive ever cloned?

by

Yes, AMOF, the drive was cloned! Yes, there is/was a recovery partition.

I will double check to see if still there. (Used it to reinstall OSX when

problem got worse.)

Are you looking at the cloning process itself or copying already corrupt data? (Above, I did isolate a malware from the Avery Design-Print app, but it's removal did not improve things.)

The MBA13" will still boot in a funky fashion: sometimes no screen, other

times a recovery disc asking for network PW, and sometime in Safe mode.

However, the screen remains unresponsive (frozen) to any cursor commands, whether using built-in pad or USB mouse.

While I have ordered a new SSD it seems that being able to see the

screen (showing apps, icons, etc.) implies the SSD is still valid???

Might this be true?

by

Add a comment

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Try resetting the System Management Controller (SMC).

To do this, turn off your system completely and do the following:

Left Shift + Control + Option + Power button at the same time for 1 - 2 seconds, then let go of the keys at the same time; then press the power button.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 2

3 Comments:

Thanks Zach, but restart no help on SMC reset. Mail still hangs but eventually opens. It's like a constipated goose ... none...swoosh!

(BTW, wasn't a true SMC reset done by removing battery (leads)

and reinstalling? Or, is above the update to an archaic fix?)

by

I am back to the new MBPro 13"R (2015) while the MBA lies dark, but it has the same symptoms and is a mirror of the MBA... .

The SMC reset is odd - depressing the select keys AND the power key simultaneously has no discernable effect! IOW, no sounds, no power on.

However, If I do a regular power on w/o pressing the keys it starts but does

not seem to indicate anything has changed???

I guess there's a bug or incompatibility yet to be found? (I did notice on my Mac Mini that after updating El Cap to current version that it was interacting with the menu of 'Clean My Mac'. It worked okay once I removed it. (These machines are loaded with the same data and apps for efficiency, logically so as to avoid the need for multiple copying.)

by

Afterthought question: If I were to start afresh and erase the HD in the MBP would it automatically reload (from the cloud) the same stuff that's

on the disc?

by

Add a comment

Sounds like you have some file corruption issues here. I would start off running Disk Utility and running the repair permissions to see if that fixes it. Otherwise you'll need to boot up under a external boot drive like a prepped up USB thumb drive so you can gain full access to the disk to run the disk repair option in Disk Utility. Sadly, booting up under the recovery partition is not really workable for this.

You may need to trash the drive and start over if Disk Utility was unable to fix the problem. Do you have a backup? You state the other system had the same problem is it a mirror on what you have on this system? If so you could have a virus or other nasty lurking here. Best to run a good anti-virus & malware application. This is more important if you are running Windows on the system (BootCamp).

Update (10/24/2015)

At this point I suspect your battery has swelled which can explain why your trackpad is having problems.

So you had two issues here, the virus and the swelled battery.

Don't alter your SSD drive at this point as I think you'll just add a new variable which will confuse you until you replace the battery.

Was this answer helpful?

Score 2

4 Comments:

Partial help. I ran ClamV A-V and found 'Design Print' (Avery) was source

of infection. Mail still hanging. Will try repair from external boot but why

consider new drive when MBA starts and runs okay in safe mode?

by

The external drive is a tool it is not a replacement drive. Thats why we use a cheap USB thumb drives (16 GB or larger) so we can fix the internal drive.

by

I will check the battery next. Geez, I just put in a new one recently - the best I could find with excellent user ratings=(

by

In noodling out a solution please remember that I copied the contents of the MBA (A-1466) to the current MBP 13R (new, 2015)... . IOW, as an

afterthought, Mail began hanging on both machines. The MBA got worse with attempted remedies; the MBP (using now) seems to have improved

excepted the blasted Mail still is very, very slow to open but does so after a minute or two???... . Bug in Mail? (would multiple mailboxes within the app be a contributing factor?) I'm otherwise at a loss at this point other than checking for a swelled battery. (New SSD won't arrive ~ Nov 1, '15.)

Thanks and appreciation to all who have the wheels turning:) I'm trying!

by

Add a comment
View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 0

Past 7 Days: 0

Past 30 Days: 0

All Time: 202