Magic Trackpad refuses to allow me to select my profile at Login on MBP

**Hydrology** · 8th August 2011, 10:32 PM

I have a mid-2009 MBP, running Lion. The Magic Trackpad is detected at the login screen but the usual single click button-press refuses to work at the login screen. I have to open my MBP's lid and use the trackpad on the MBP itself to select my profile, and type my password (with wireless keyboard) as normal. Any ideas? This is very frustrating as I just bought a Henge Dock for my MBP and will be a pain every time I want to boot up.
As a side question, is there a key on the keyboard I can press that will allow me to select my login profile from the screen? (there are two profiles for this machine)

**TheKeddi** · 8th August 2011, 10:42 PM

I had trouble with that today as it won't let you tap to select but it will let you push to click to select.

Hope you work it out. Would be very frustrating. Unless you set the Mac to you as auto login if you use it most?

**Hydrology** · 10th August 2011, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by TheKeddi

I had trouble with that today as it won't let you tap to select but it will let you push to click to select.

Push to click to select?
Despite being the prominent user Id rather not be auto logged in, just in case the laptop went walkabout.

**TheKeddi** · 11th August 2011, 02:12 AM

Yeah instead of tapping to click. If you have it set that way. Not enough info about that or your setup.

**dotnet** · 11th August 2011, 02:54 AM

Tap to click is a per-user customisation option which only takes effect after a user with this option enabled has logged in. The same goes for the MBP's built-in track pad. Before login everybody has to use click to click. I wish tap to click was the system default, but there you go…

Funny episode the other day: a colleague bought a Macbook Air (being a recent PC to iMac convert). The next day he told me that he had to connect a USB mouse in order to complete the installation, the track pad had no buttons and tapping didn't work. He didn't know the whole pad was a button…

However, the OP's post makes it sound as though even track pad clicking doesn't work. That would be a concern and definitely not normal.

Cheers
Steffen.

**Thingme** · 11th August 2011, 06:49 AM

Being the only user, I auto log-in on my Macs but I find that bluetooth operations during the boot phase don't work. I use an Apple wireless keyboard and a Magic Trackpad. Bluetooth is not fully initialised early enough in the start sequence. My example is that of holding down keys (C for DVD booting, Option for the boot loader, and so on) is not recognised nine times out of ten. If my intention is to do a PRAM/NVRAM reset, I have to connect a wired keyboard. By the way, the Arrows and Return keys can be used to navigate the bootable choices in the start loader. My wireless keyboard initialises first but the Trackpad never initialises until the start sequence is almost complete. I'm using Lion.

**TheKeddi** · 11th August 2011, 09:49 AM

Not had any trouble with wireless stuff while booting my macs. I don't go into special boot stuff, just pick a user and put passwords in with wireless keyboard and magic track pad. Not sure what the problem is here, perhaps a visit to the geniuses?

**Hydrology** · 11th August 2011, 12:13 PM

Tapping to click does not work for me on the login screen, but I know the trackpad is not faulty because if I play with gestures when logged in and select any of the click settings in the Trackpad preferences, the Trackpad responds accordingly. When booting up, the Trackpad moves the cursor around the screen fine, but just doesn't recognise taps or clicks of any kind. This wouldn't be the end of the world except I use a Henge Dock, which means each time I reboot I have to un-dock the MacBookPro just to use the built-in trackpad to select my login.
The only solution Ive found was to select "show input menu at login window" in the accounts preferences which means I can use the keyboard to choose user and then type password. Not THE solution I would ideally like but works nonetheless!

**TheKeddi** · 11th August 2011, 02:32 PM

Could the henge dock have something to do with it at all? I don't know, just clasping at straws now :-(

**grfxninja** · 11th August 2011, 05:19 PM

Why not use the keyboard to choose the user?
Start typing the username - in my case it is daniel, so I would just type "da" and hit enter, then type in my password and hit enter. I don’t use my mouse or trackpad till I get to the desktop. The way I figure, you’ve got to type in your password anyway, so you’d be using the keyboard anyway…

(I know this doesn’t fix your initial problem. I don’t know if mine does the same because, as I said, I don’t even touch the mouse/trackpad until I hit the desktop anyway)

**Hydrology** · 11th August 2011, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by TheKeddi

Could the henge dock have something to do with it at all? I don't know, just clasping at straws now :-(

No, because to be honest this is and was before I even received and installed my Henge dock :-(

**TheKeddi** · 11th August 2011, 10:10 PM

Well I got nothing. It worked fine switching on my iMac with two users and the trackpad.

**digitalmvp** · 4th February 2012, 12:05 PM

I have solved the mystery...press and hold the touchpad. You will hear click like windows mouse. Viola....

**Hydrology** · 4th February 2012, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by digitalmvp

I have solved the mystery...press and hold the touchpad. You will hear click like windows mouse. Viola....

Doesn't work for me.
Every other aspect of this trackpad works perfectly, except at login.

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