# My laptop's trackpad has been taken over by zombie killer mutants. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 28, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983 "2008-07-28T21:40:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/1 "2008-07-28T21:40:24Z")
I bought this delightful slice 'o technology on Craigslist. It worked. I paid. Within a few days ( and already on the road ) I realized that something was amiss. While typing, the cursor would randomly be moved to another place in the document. Sometimes it would be moved OFF of the document. This is unpredictable. Might happen 3 times in 100 words typed, might not happen for quite a while. It is, of course, insanely vexing. A few things about this. It almost NEVER if ever occurs while using AIM or any other messaging software. It happens while using MS Word, or while writing posts on the Dope. Now some new twist has been brought to the mix. I move the cursor to the bar at the top of a window and then holding down the bar, try to drag a window to another place in the laptop. When I released the bar, the window jumped back _where it had been_ instead of staying put. ( While writing the word " another" just now, the cursor leapt up into the middle of the word “days” in the first graph… ) Is it zombies? Should I hurl this Macintosh PowerBook G4 Aluminum with IBM processor into the river? Or, well… I’m guessing the trackpad itself, or the trackpad driver, is wonky. Thoughts? Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/2 "2008-07-28T21:50:58Z")
Does it still happen if you plug in a mouse? Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers? ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/3 "2008-07-28T22:13:06Z")
I can’t help, but I CAN report two facts: Laptops do NOT like Dr. Pepper…and neither does Apple Care. And my trackpad button is sticky. Is it possible you could field repair your laptop? A lot of parts like that can be found on eBay. On re read, go to [ifixit.com](http://ifixit.com), they might have parts and a disassembly guide for your PB. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/4 "2008-07-28T22:16:41Z")
I’ll offer two things I’ve discovered with my Dell Latitude trackpad: 1. They do go bad and my mouse did mysteriously drift over the screen. Mine tended to go to the upper right corner. The trackpad had to be replaced. 2. It’s amazing how easy it is to drag (or tap) a thumb over the trackpad while simply typing and I do it all the time. Not a zombie trackpad but more a zombie thumb. Check for this before you resort to laptop surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/5 "2008-07-28T22:39:23Z")
Yeah, I frequently bump the heel of my hand against the touchpad whenever I try to type on my laptop. It blops the cursor all over creation, so arch those fingers like a pianist! ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/6 "2008-07-28T22:48:36Z")
My work laptop used to do this. New Toshiba Techra M3 and I had it docked, so the trackpad wasn’t in use. Still, it would drift to the left. Putting a finger on the touchpad would stop it, and then I could use the regular mouse just fine. It didn’t happen all the time, just periodically. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/7 "2008-07-28T22:50:20Z")
[QUOTE=Soul] Yeah, I frequently bump the heel of my hand against the touchpad whenever I try to type on my laptop. It blops the cursor all over creation, so arch those fingers like a pianist! [/QUOTE] Typing like a pianist? Sounds like you’re suffering from pianist envy. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/8 "2008-07-28T23:07:57Z")
Trackpads are the work of the devil. I use my trackball mouse (doesn’t need to move) and turn the damn thing off. There is no way I can work with it on and not have the cursor skittering hither and yon. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/9 "2008-07-30T01:50:59Z")
Hmmmmm. The last few posts made me think about what I am doing right now. I’m on a plug- in keyboard and plug- in trackball. I believe, most surely, that this symptom does NOT arise when using this office set-up. Only when flying on the laptop alone. Harrumph !! I’m-a gonna tape a sheet of paper over the laptop trackpad. In that manner, I can tell if it’s randomly re-placing the cursor because no peripherals are plugged in, or if somehow my meathooks are brushing against the üuber-sensitive trackpad. If it IS that, I wonder what I can do. I use a Podium Pad that allows my hands to rest at an ergonomically-pleasing angle as I work. It also allows my hands not to fully rest upon the surface of the laptop as I tap away at the keys. Dunno that this hurts, but I use it all the time, and this symptom occurs. Hmmmm. **Voyager** , I do actually have an adorable little portable mouse that I use when traveling. Sometimes I use the machine ON my lap, and then the trackpad is vital. But frequently I am at a desk in a hotel, and use the mini-mouse. Still, my hands may brush the trackpad. NEAT idea- can I disable the trackpad?? Lemme look. I cannot turn it off totally. I did just turn it off when a mouse is present. That should help a LOT. Damned zombies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/10 "2008-07-30T03:46:06Z")
Won’t work. I just put a piece of paper on my trackpad…still worked fine. Same too with ziplock bags. Aluminum foil appears to work, but it would make Jonathan Ive ([Jony Ive - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ive)) spin in his grave…and he’s not dead yet. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/11 "2008-07-30T04:12:41Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] Trackpads are the work of the devil. I use my trackball mouse (doesn’t need to move) and turn the damn thing off. There is no way I can work with it on and not have the cursor skittering hither and yon. [/QUOTE] Are you me?? Trackball user here, too (don’t need a surface!) and I HATE trackpads. The heels of my hands brush them when I type and move the cursor around and it drives me into a rage. I had a laptop that the trackpad couldn’t be disabled (even in the bios) and I ended up taping cardboard over it. I never, ever, ever, ever (did I mention ever?) use the trackpad. They’re evil. Edited: I just finished reading the last couple of posts: paper is not enough. It has to be something thick. Cardboard works well. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/12 "2008-07-30T06:09:07Z")
[QUOTE=Unintentionally Blank] And my trackpad button is sticky. [/QUOTE] Dude, TMI! 😛 * * * There’s a slim chance you have a virus. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-laptops-trackpad-has-been-taken-over-by-zombie-killer-mutants/457983/13 "2008-07-30T11:01:42Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] Dude, TMI! 😛 * * * There’s a slim chance you have a virus. [/QUOTE] Naw man, read upthread. It’s **Dr. Pepper** (and Rum, but let’s not go there)