July 3, 2006 3:44 PM PDT

MacBook Special Report: Trackpad button "mushy", not registering clicks -- solutions

by CNET staff

Several users have reported an issue where the MacBook trackpad button does not respond to clicks on every attempt, and/or feels "mushy."

One poster, Alan Van Ryzan, reports that placing a small piece of folded paper at a specific spot on the MacBook's battery bay (underneath the battery) resolves the issue in this case, though we cannot recommended this procedure because operating with foreign objects inside the MacBook could potentially prove hazardous to the machine and potentially void the system warranty.

Other users have reported that simply applying pressure to the same spot -- the circular indentation that lines up with the trackpad button -- allows clicking to occur normally.

It appears that the issue is caused by a malformed piece of top casing, which Apple is replacing on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, units themselves are exchanged.

MacFixIt reader Mark writes:

"I purchased a Black MacBook (week 20 build) a couple weeks ago. When I got it home I quickly discovered the trackpad button didn't register clicks unless I was very specific about where I clicked. It had to be dead centre, or on either side, anything between or close to the top or bottom edge wouldn't work.

"I tried to adapt to it thinking it was normal with these new MacBooks. Unfortunately even holding the button down to drag and drop something rarely worked unless I concentrated on keeping the button pushed.

"A few days later I went to the Genius bar so they could have a look. After a quick demo the technician said "this is the worst one I have seen" indicating to me that he had seen a few with the problem. He explained to me that the problem was the top part of the bottom casing that was causing it and it would have to be replaced or re-seated. He also said that it probably wasn't worth the effort and just to ask for a new one as it was only a few days old.

"The store happily exchanged it (even offered to transfer my files) and I opened it up on the spot to make sure it had no problems. It passed my tests with flying colors and I am glad I took it in."

MacFixIt reader Charlie adds:

"My wife's MacBook is having problems with clicking on the button. It feels a bit mushy, and doesn't always respond.

"I took it into the independent Apple Centre in town yesterday, and they checked it, and are replacing the top case under warranty. The parts are expected to arrive next week, so my wife is still using the MacBook until then."

However, some users are having trouble obtaining replacement or repairs from Apple, with some Apple retail stores and authorized repair centers claiming that the units are within spec despite their faulty trackpad buttons.

MacFixIt reader Nathan Duran describes an especially bad case:

"I just received a bare-bones white MacBook from Amazon and it went right back in the box as soon as I took it out because the trackpad button was so soft that I could not tell when it had been pressed at all. No palpable tick, no sound, nothing; it was like mashing on the case itself. Attempting to drag anything on the screen was absolutely impossible because the button would just let go spontaneously, usually picking up something else along the way once the switch made contact again while the pointer was in a different area of the screen.

"I called a local Apple Store (Stonestown Galleria in SF) and spoke with the manager about the possibility of exchanging it for a new one. He said as long as I had my receipt he'd be able to do it, so I took it down there and was immediately told by the same manager that there was "nothing wrong" with it. I argued that there was, and was told to go try out the other MacBooks they had on display. I did, and they all had perfectly functioning trackpad buttons that made quite satisfying clicks when pressed, but the manager insisted that he could not tell the difference. He then took it to a Genius Bar staff member to see what he thought, and he said it was a 'cosmetic' problem I would simply have to get used to, and that there was no way Apple would exchange it unless I paid a 15% restocking fee. After a considerably lengthy amount of further arguing [...] he finally agreed to swap me for a new one, but then changed his mind once he realized the receipt was from Amazon and not his store.

"He told me I would have to call AppleCare to obtain warranty service. I pointed out the fact that AppleCare was just going to tell me to take the machine to my nearest authorized service center, so I didn't see what that would accomplish since I was already there. After even more bickering he finally agreed to have his 'lead technician' write up the repair order and send it in to be fixed without making me sign in and wait 5 hours for a Genius appointment. It was sent out and came back with a new top case installed, but the button was exactly the same as before. It was absolutely impossible for me to use the machine without constantly thinking to myself 'I paid $1,000 for this?' so I sent it back to Amazon for a refund today."

Meanwhile, MacFixIt reader Charlie is one of the lucky users who received a prompt repair for the same issue:

"My wife's MacBook is having problems with clicking on the button. It feels a bit mushy, and doesn't always respond.

A Slashdot posting echoes our previous note that placing a small folded piece of paper can fix the issue.

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