Trackpad may become unresponsive of update process gets interrupted

Jun 21, 2012 11:41 GMT  ·  By

The trackpad on Apple’s brand-new MacBook Pro with Retina display (Mid 2012 model) can become unresponsive if the user fails to apply a necessary update properly. Apple outlines the procedure to get you up and running again in a Support document that’s just popped up on the Mac maker’s site.

Cupertino says that after applying the MacBook Pro (Retina) Trackpad Update, the trackpad can become unresponsive “when the update is interrupted by the computer going to sleep.”

It’s not as much as an issue with the software as it is with the general rules of installation. As 9gag’s Boromir meme would say, “one does not simply interrupt an OS X update.” Fair enough.

But if you did, Apple says you should start looking for an external mouse “or [an]other pointing device” (as if there were any), “connect it and reapply the update.”

The company urges users to ”not disconnect the power or allow the computer to sleep during the update process” this time around.

If you don’t have access to new hardware, the steps required to resolve your problem are a bit more complex (and in greater numbers):

1. Press Control-Fn-F7 (this enables all commands via the keyboard). 2. If the Updater application is on the screen, go to step 7. If the Updater application is not on the screen, continue to step 3. 3. Press Command-Tab to go to the Finder. 4. Press Command-Shift-U to open the the Utilities folder. 5. Use the arrow keys to navigate to "MacBook Pro Trackpad Update" so it is highlighted. 6. Press Command-O to start the application. 7. The word "Update" should be highlighted in blue. If it is not, press the Tab key to highlight it. 8. Press the space bar to initiate the update. 9. Press Return to confirm OK. 10. Enter your admistrative password, then press return. 11. Allow the update to finish. Do not unplug the computer, let it sleep, or interrupt the update while it is in progress. 12. The word "Updated" with a green checkmark appers in the progress box when the update is complete. The trackpad should now be functional.