[Mac est]

Hi, my mouse just stopped working correctly, now keeps going to bottom right hand corner, now, you move the mouse, when it stops, it disapears, ant end ups in the bottom rh corner , it not working correctly & impossible to click programes etc, very wierd, any ideas? thanks from a newbee

[Mac est]

it appears that if i boot in "safe" mode ( which i just found out about) then all appears to work. when i did an earlier fsck i notice that "root drive permission set to "read Only" dont know ho my permissions got changed? any ideas?

[reader50]

The boot drive can be verified, but not repaired. You have to boot from a different drive or partition in order to repair the boot drive.

It sounds like you have some 3rd party utility running, which is messing with the mouse pointer. Does it happen from a different user account? You can create another account in:

System Preferences -> Accounts

Activate "Fast User Switching" to quickly jump between accounts. It will be in the "Login Options".

If the mouse problem only happens in your main account, then check your account in Accounts. Specifically, check the tab for your "Login Items". Tell us what you find there.

[Mac est]

Ok, i have created another account ( another admin account), re-booted and the same problem exists.. enabled fast switching and the same problem occurs on both accounts. so i re-booted again on the original account in "safe mode ( i held down the shift key) and i have full mouse operation & can access aps etc. in my login items i have the following:-

adobe resource synchronizer
itunes helper
CPU speed accelerator

[Mac est]

so same as before , when i boot to command line using cmd & s ,
just before the prompt i get this

Root device is mounted read-only

If you want to make modificatons to files
/sbin/fsck -fy
/sbin/mount -uw /

[CharlesS]

You've got those backwards. You need to /sbin/mount -uw / first, then /sbin/fsck -fy. The mount command is what mounts your drive as read-write so that fsck can modify it. If you haven't run that command when you run fsck, you'll get the message about your drive being mounted read-only.

[P]

Originally Posted by Mac est 

in my login items i have the following:-

adobe resource synchronizer
itunes helper
CPU speed accelerator

That last looks suspicious. Any chance that someone installed a joke app?

Try disabling it.

[Mac est]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

You've got those backwards. You need to /sbin/mount -uw / first, then /sbin/fsck -fy. The mount command is what mounts your drive as read-write so that fsck can modify it. If you haven't run that command when you run fsck, you'll get the message about your drive being mounted read-only.

Ok, i'm just typing what was on the screen, but i take your point

[Mac est]

Originally Posted by P 

That last looks suspicious. Any chance that someone installed a joke app?

Try disabling it.

no one touches my Mac, but
ok i will disable it

[Mac est]

Ok, i think i have solved it, this is what i did, i enabled "root" user, i found out about this here
Enabling and using the "root" user in Mac OS X

Then i did this

Use these steps for Mac OS X v10.0 to v10.1.5

After enabling the root user, you must log out from Mac OS X and log back in as the root user. Logging in to Mac OS X from a list of usernames is the default behavior for later versions of Mac OS X. Logging in by typing your username in a text entry field is the default behavior in earlier versions of Mac OS X. You can choose either method in Login preferences. The root user does not appear in the list, so you need the text entry option. If necessary, follow these steps to change the login method to text entry:
From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
From the View menu, choose Login.
Click the Login Window tab.
Select the radio button for "Name and password entry fields."

Follow these steps to log in as root:
If you are logged in, choose Log Out from the Apple menu.
In the Name field, type: root
In the Password field, type the password you defined in the steps above.

then logged in as Root, i did this

diskutil verify /

using fast switch, i changed back to me, logged as original user and it seems to be still working ok
i havent hard re-booted yet though....

[reader50]

I'm not sure how verifying the boot drive would fix a mouse movement problem. I was thinking he has a haxie installed somehow, possibly as part of some 3rd party utility, like Logitech Control Center.

[Mac est]

i have had this mac pro for nearly two years with no problems whatsoever, with regards to the mouse , it wasnt just that it kept vanishing but also you could could access apps

[Mac est]

New update
i found out i had no sound,
so i went to reboot and i discovered i was still in safe mode

, i was lulled into a false sense of security, what i thought was working ok was in fact working in safe mode, still the same problem persists,
mouse keeps disapearing, you move the mouse to anywhere on the screen, it gets there then vanishes/ dives down to the right hand corner , also you cant double click anything ( no acccess to apps)

i have had no issues with this machine for two years, then last night it started!


BTW, what is a "haxie" ?

[reader50]

A haxie is a utility that depends on Application Enhancer, which is a system pseudo-hack allowing applictions to do extra things. It seems to patch OS X at runtime, allowing hacks, but ones that go away on a safe boot. Some applications, like Logitech (mouse) Control Center have been known to install APE in order to run.

Unfortunately haxies make the system less stable, and have been known to create odd incompatibilities. You might check this list to see if anything looks familiar. Or check Activity Monitor to see if APE is running.

Your problem pretty much has to be something installed in /Library/ since it persists across accounts, but goes away in safe mode. Check for 3rd party items in:

/Library/Input Methods/
/Library/LaunchAgents/
/Library/LaunchDaemons/
/Library/PreferencePanes/
/Library/StartupItems/

[AKcrab]

Maybe a stupid question, but have you simply tried a different mouse?

[Mac est]

what am i looking for exactly in
/Library/Input Methods/
/Library/LaunchAgents/
/Library/LaunchDaemons/
/Library/PreferencePanes/
/Library/StartupItems/

[Mac est]

Originally Posted by AKcrab 

Maybe a stupid question, but have you simply tried a different mouse?

Yes, 2 other mice, same problem,

as i said, it works all ok in safe mode, just not in regular

[Mac est]

also, ( had to do this in safe mode) just set up another account, re-booted, logged in , in regular mode, still the same problem

[CharlesS]

Look in /Library/InputManagers, and remove anything that's in there. Also check /Library/Frameworks for ApplicationEnhancer.framework, get rid of it if it's in there. That should get rid of most haxies.

[Mac est]

i can only do stuff in safe mode ( cant use my mouse otherwise) , i will look and see what is in there ( /Library/InputManagers + Library/Frameworks for ApplicationEnhancer.framework )

[Mac est]

ok, dont have /library/InputManagers , do have /library/input Methods , but there is nothing in there though, dont have /library/Frameworks

[Mac est]

with regards to
/Library/Input Methods/ - nothing, empty
/Library/LaunchAgents/- i have the following

com.veoh.webplayer.startup.plist date modified - 24th july 2009
com.apple.FolderActions.folders.plist date modified - today - 10.16
com.apple.FolderActions.enabled.plist - Date Modified - today - 22.29
com.adobe.ARM.ad895013aeb33ea6e968d9fdc06c0eb42c7c 2a5229d98d64ad002716.plist - Date modified 7th April 2010



/Library/LaunchDaemons/ - dont have this
/Library/PreferencePanes/ nothing, empty
/Library/StartupItems/ , nothing empty

should i delete anything?

[reader50]

I'm not seeing anything dangerous in your lists. The adobe entry is the only interesting one, and it's probably just some DRM junk.

Perhaps an archive & install would be the best solution. It would solve the mouse problem without determining what caused it. There's no telling how long it would take us to find the issue, which could turn out to be something subtle like a damaged driver kext.

[CharlesS]

You know, since Safe Mode is fixing the problem, it might be some mouse driver kext. Check /Library/Extensions and see if anything's in there.

Also, this is a shameless plug, but Pacifist has a Kernel Extension Report feature to find kexts that third parties have put in /System/Library/Extensions (unfortunately, it's not at all uncommon). Kexts that weren't provided by Apple should show up at the top of the list, and if any have to do with mouse drivers they could be causing the problem, and you can try temporarily removing them by dragging them to the Desktop (entering your admin password when requested) and rebooting. Be sure not to remove any legit Apple-provided kexts though, or you could make the system non-bootable or otherwise impair its functionality.

[Curiosity]

One thing you could try is taking the battery out of the laptop and running it from hydro power. I had a swollen battery that was pressing on the underside of the touchpad and making the cursor move uncontrollably. When I removed the battery, the problem with the cursor disappeared.

[AKcrab]

Originally Posted by reader50 

Perhaps an archive & install would be the best solution.

I agree. Looking back through the thread, it seems that the only "mac voodoo" that's not been tried is a PRAM reset and repairing permissions. No harm in trying those if they've not been tried, but I would have just reinstalled by now.

[AKcrab]

Originally Posted by Curiosity 

One thing you could try is taking the battery out of the laptop..

Mac Pro.

[P]

Did you try disabling all the login items? You said you would, but then you found the red herring solution.

[Mac est]

Originally Posted by P 

Did you try disabling all the login items? You said you would, but then you found the red herring solution.

do you mean all the user accounts , inc the 2 i set up as part of the testing process?

[P]

Booting into safe mode is the only thing that works. That means there are pretty much two things that can be the cause:

* a bad login item
* a bad system extension

I don't like the look of an app called "CPU Speed Accelerator" but some googling shows that is basically harmless. What it does is change the priorities of certain applications. That is very rarely a good thing to do on a Mac, and it can be very negative. I would recommend you to stop using that application as it will have a net negative performance impact, but it is not likely to be the cause of your problem.

So, it seems to be an extension issue. The folder in question is actually /System/Library/Extensions - check that folder for something odd. If nothing looks out of place, list the files in that folder (easiest is to use the terminal, type "ls -lA /System/Library/Extensions" and copy the contents of that window into the forums) and we'll see if we can help you.

(CharlesS: The relevant folder is /System/Library/Extensions. The structure in Library is generally replicated in /, /System, ~ and /Network, but Extensions is an exception - presumably because there is no way for a kernel extension to run with anything less than root privileges)

[Oisín]

Long shot here, but you don’t happen to have a Wacom tablet lying about somewhere, where the pen has fallen over and is lying on the very edge of the sensor plate, do you?

I had a kind of similar issue once, and it turned out my Wacom pen had been knocked over and as soon as I ‘released’ the mouse (by not moving it), the Wacom pen took over and moved the cursor back to the place on the sensor plate where it was lying.

[Mac est]

ok, more updates
i just went out and purchased snow leopard, installed it & no change

Then i just saw the post from Oisin about the Wacom tablet, & yes i do have one of those plugged in ( not that i had touched though, through all of these fun & games , so i just unplugged it and Voila it all appears to work again ok , no mouse problem now !!!... all.as if nothing had happened

many thanks to ALL !!!!!!! that have helped with with this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


BTW what will be the best way to remove "CPU Speed Accelerator"

[Oisín]

I have a vague recollection of the tablet also doing strange things to me when I initially plugged it in; it went away when I installed the Wacom driver/software from the CD that came with it, I believe.

[Mac est]

Thanks, Oisín, you nailed it !!! now i thinking,,, i wonder if there is a fault with the tablet ?

[Mac est]

the wierd thing is that the tablet has been plugged in for over a year! with no problems

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Mac est 

Thanks, Oisín, you nailed it !!! now i thinking,,, i wonder if there is a fault with the tablet ?

Don’t think so. Seems more like a conflict with the built-in generic driver OS X has for the Wacom or something.

Quite odd that it only just happened now, though. I think mine starting being weird as soon as I plugged it in. Maybe yours was just offended you’d had it plugged in for so long without ever using it, and it decided to make its presence known …

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by P 

(CharlesS: The relevant folder is /System/Library/Extensions. The structure in Library is generally replicated in /, /System, ~ and /Network, but Extensions is an exception

Actually, kernel extensions can be anywhere on the entire hard drive and loaded with kextload. There are various places an app could be putting kernel extensions (DiskWarrior puts its kext inside its own app bundle), but /Library/Extensions is a logical place, and I know at least one app (VirtualBox) that puts kexts there. So it's worth checking.

In my opinion, it is very unfortunate that Apple's still encouraging people to put things in /System/Library/Extensions. It's virtually impossible to skim through that directory and find anything that doesn't belong without previously having memorized the normal contents of that directory, which is why I recommended using Pacifist to scan the contents of /System/Library/Extensions, as it has a "Kernel Extension Report" feature which is designed to find kexts in /S/L/E that weren't put there by the OS installer.

presumably because there is no way for a kernel extension to run with anything less than root privileges)

Stuff in /Library/StartupItems and /Library/LaunchDaemons ends up getting run as root too, so that's not it.

[P]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

Actually, kernel extensions can be anywhere on the entire hard drive and loaded with kextload. There are various places an app could be putting kernel extensions (DiskWarrior puts its kext inside its own app bundle), but /Library/Extensions is a logical place, and I know at least one app (VirtualBox) that puts kexts there. So it's worth checking.

Fair enough, kexts can be manually loaded from anywhere. Kexts in /System/Library/Extensions are loaded by being placed there, and the /Library/Extensions directory doesn't even exist in a default install.

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

In my opinion, it is very unfortunate that Apple's still encouraging people to put things in /System/Library/Extensions. It's virtually impossible to skim through that directory and find anything that doesn't belong without previously having memorized the normal contents of that directory, which is why I recommended using Pacifist to scan the contents of /System/Library/Extensions, as it has a "Kernel Extension Report" feature which is designed to find kexts in /S/L/E that weren't put there by the OS installer.

This is a relevant point, but there is a security issue there. Anyone in the admin group can modify /Library - only root can modify /System. Yes admin has sudo, but it at least requires some sort of authentication. Autoloading kexts from /Library opens the door to some nasty trojans that don't need to authenticate.

You can use the modification dates as a rough guide to the origin of kexts. They are all built on a small number of dates - in the default install there are about 5 for all those ~100 folder - so anything using a new date is suspicious.

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

Stuff in /Library/StartupItems and /Library/LaunchDaemons ends up getting run as root too, so that's not it.

Actually some subfolders in /Library have special permissions that means that you need to be root to modify them. Not sure if those two are included in that list though.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by P 

Fair enough, kexts can be manually loaded from anywhere. Kexts in /System/Library/Extensions are loaded by being placed there, and the /Library/Extensions directory doesn't even exist in a default install.

Right, but since software exists that creates that folder and puts kexts in there, it's a relevant place to check if you are looking for third-party kexts, n'est-ce pas?

This is a relevant point, but there is a security issue there. Anyone in the admin group can modify /Library - only root can modify /System. Yes admin has sudo, but it at least requires some sort of authentication. Autoloading kexts from /Library opens the door to some nasty trojans that don't need to authenticate.

On recent versions of OS X, there are plenty of folders inside /Library which have permissions such that they are writable only by root. Three of these, out of the box, are LaunchAgents, LaunchDaemons, and StartupItems, all of which similarly contain things that will run as root.

In addition to this, kexts themselves need to be owned as root and have specific permissions for OS X to load them at all. Otherwise, it won't touch them, no matter where they are.

You can use the modification dates as a rough guide to the origin of kexts. They are all built on a small number of dates - in the default install there are about 5 for all those ~100 folder - so anything using a new date is suspicious.

Or modified by a software update.

Actually some subfolders in /Library have special permissions that means that you need to be root to modify them. Not sure if those two are included in that list though.

They are.