Why does cursor move erratically & erase data?

[ThoriumBlvd]

Rather, it makes for an intermittent short!, this problem has surfaced on other netbooks over the 5 years. It may well be a good vacuuming is in order. If this fails, next up is case to ground... pads, and even the SSD's in some ASUS products exhibit this in the "seashell" case (read: slim) of the 10xx and 11xx models. This may also apply to any netbk. a quarter-turn of the screw as it were.

[este.el.paz]

@ThoriumBlvd:

Thanks for the post . . . . I guess that means that the devs have still not figured out how to solve this problem???? I was thinking it was an Apple issue, but it seems like it's also a PC issue . . . .

e.e.p.

[Resistor]

Cloth gloves.
With the fingers cut almost to the nub.

My first laptop was a Dell from 2002 or 2003. Same issue and no solution.
This is a Dell 15z Ultrabook. The gloves help - almost as much as that new nail apron.

[este.el.paz]

Cloth gloves.
With the fingers cut almost to the nub.

My first laptop was a Dell from 2002 or 2003. Same issue and no solution.
This is a Dell 15z Ultrabook. The gloves help - almost as much as that new nail apron.

@Resistor:

Thanks also for your post, seems like over time this issue is experienced by more people. In my case it happened in LM13 MATE, and then in LM15 Cinn . . . but seemed to diminsh in LM15 XFCE--it still happened, but not with the frequency and size of data erased as it did with Cinn. But, problem is that XFCE is a bit "plain-jane" in terms of eye candy; it just plain works, but not too flashy . . . . I had to zero out my HD to get a partition added for OSX ML, so LM got wiped . . . I'll have to see when I get time to decide if I want to go back to the Floating Feet screensaver of LM13 or wait for 16, better yet LTS 17 . . . .

Perhaps at some point one of the devs will turn a hand to fixing what should be standard operating procedure; laptop with touchpad, keyboard . . . typing . . . and the words don't get erased spontaneously?????

e.e.p.

[yuriyg]

Unfortunately, I can't offer any solution, but think it may be worthwhile to add a "me too" ...
I have 2 laptops -
one old Dell Inspireon 1440 (i think) running LM14 Mate
the other is Dell Precision M4800 running LM16 Cinnamon

Both have the same issue - I have not seen the delete problem until just now
but the jumping cursor was something I've lived with for over a year

I thought the old laptop had a hardware issue with touch pad sensitivity being way too high and me touching it lightly as I type
But I the new M4800 came with windows and seemed ok until I put LM16 on it
I have to confess, I didn't type much on windows.
Also most of my typing happens in Eclipse may be the "delete" part of the problem is specific to FF ?

One other thing - I have disabled blue tooth from the LM UI but the indicator is still lit next to the keyboard.
I will try to disable it from the bios setup.

Again it seems to me that I may be touching the touchpad with the palm of my hand, and every time the cursor jumps I start paying attention to it and it does not happen for a while. I don't use external keyboard or mouse with my laptops ever.

If I could stand using ubuntu with its unity interface or could afford the time to install-reinstall, I would try to see if the Ubuntu 12.04 has the same problem - I would be very surpised if the touchpad drivers were different at all, why would they be ?

[este.el.paz]

@yuriyg:

Thanks for the post, it does seem over the last [9months] since I first posted this, other people are reporting it as happening with them. I ****think**** I had Xubun 12.04 loaded on this computer and it did do it as well . . . but not with the enthusiasm that LM seems to bring to the problem. I was recently testing the LM 16 MATE LiveDVD and the problem did happen there as well, I was hoping it would be gone. However, the md5sum number wasn't correct, so it appeared to be some corruption and the installer crashed in the MATE & XFCE versions . . . perhaps if I get a chance to try again for a clean .iso, I'll give it a try. I haven't tested a 32 bit .iso on this computer, it might not happen in 32 . . . ?

Next project will be to try to update from the present install of LM15 MATE to 16 using the APT method . . . just for humor . . . but before I do that I'll want a clean .iso of 16 ready for any problems with mdm that might happen . . . . On another thread discussing the installer crash issue I was having, the poster suggested turning the mouse sensitivity down . . . which I've done. But, yes, the problem mostly happens in FF, typing in LM forums as I am now . . . and, at this point it doesn't have anything to do with accidentally swiping the touchpad . . . it just happens . . . . If it was just the cursor moving to a new place that might be a little more "bearable" . . . it's when it jumps, erases data, and freezes the GUI . . . necessitating a shut down to get out of it . . . that is painful . . . .

e.e.p.

PS: I forgot to add that I've tried the Bluetooth both on & off and that doesn't seem to make a difference in the problem. But, having the sensitivity to the lowest setting did let me get through this post w/o issue . . . may or may not be significant, sometimes can be weeks between the incidents, and then a flurry of them, etc.

[Resistor]

Try this. It seems to have made a difference. The cursor has not jumped at all, in typing this sentence, and the following solution is the only thing I can attribute to that feat.

I think what I did, was to enter "synclient" into the terminal.
I found that 'PalmDetect' had a value of 0.
So, I entered

Code: Select all

synclient PalmDetect=1

And, that was that.


Here is the original post, which may have come from this very forum. Not sure, though...

synclient PalmDetect=1
Open the Terminal and type this command and press Enter: synclient PalmDetect=1
If this works then create a startup program to make the setting persistent.
Go to Menu → Preferences → Startup Applications.
Click on "Add". In the new window under "Name" you can put "disable-touchpad". In the "Command" window put:
synclient PalmDetect=1

[este.el.paz]

@Resistor:

Thanks for the post, I think we've corresponded here before . . . but the question for me is, when you say "label it 'disable touchpad'" does that mean that this command is temporarily disabling the touchpad, and by adding it to "start up" it is semi-permanently disabling the touchpad?

If so, I don't really want to disable the touchpad function in a laptop . . . it reduces the functionality of the laptop, etc. Perhaps other users might not mind losing the touchpad, but for me it doesn't make sense . . . seems like by now operating systems should be able to recognize the touchpad functions, as well as other cursor controller functions.

I'm watching to see how well this keeping the sensitivity at the far left to see how that works . . . but, perhaps using the command line to test out your suggestion is easy and reversible . . . or in fact doesn't actually "disable the touchpad" . . . . I do have "disable while typing" checked ON, as well . . . which in the past hasn't prevented this problem, but I don't think it causes it, so I check it "ON" . . . .

e.e.p.

[Resistor]

@Resistor:

Thanks for the post, I think we've corresponded here before . . . but the question for me is, when you say "label it 'disable touchpad'" does that mean that this command is temporarily disabling the touchpad, and by adding it to "start up" it is semi-permanently disabling the touchpad?

If so, I don't really want to disable the touchpad function in a laptop . . . it reduces the functionality of the laptop, etc. Perhaps other users might not mind losing the touchpad, but for me it doesn't make sense . . . seems like by now operating systems should be able to recognize the touchpad functions, as well as other cursor controller functions.

I'm watching to see how well this keeping the sensitivity at the far left to see how that works . . . but, perhaps using the command line to test out your suggestion is easy and reversible . . . or in fact doesn't actually "disable the touchpad" . . . . I do have "disable while typing" checked ON, as well . . . which in the past hasn't prevented this problem, but I don't think it causes it, so I check it "ON" . . . .

e.e.p.

I'm not shutting down so much, these days, as I suspend a lot.
I don't recall if I've shut down or restarted since using those commands in the terminal.

But, I'm typing this live and the cursor is as stable as can be.
If I shut down or restart, I may have to enter those commands, again.
In which case, I will spend more time trying to implement the original instructions:

Code: Select all

Go to Menu → Preferences → Startup Applications.
Click on "Add". In the new window under "Name" you can put "disable-touchpad". 
In the "Command" window put:
synclient PalmDetect=1

[este.el.paz]

I'm not shutting down so much, these days, as I suspend a lot.
I don't recall if I've shut down or restarted since using those commands in the terminal.

But, I'm typing this live and the cursor is as stable as can be.
If I shut down or restart, I may have to enter those commands, again.
In which case, I will spend more time trying to implement the original instructions:

Code: Select all

Go to Menu → Preferences → Startup Applications.
Click on "Add". In the new window under "Name" you can put "disable-touchpad". 
In the "Command" window put:
synclient PalmDetect=1

@Resistor:

Well, I try to mostly use suspend as well, but I'm talking about when this jumping cursor problem happens, some times it also "crashes" the GUI . . . the mouse can be moved around, but clicking on stuff does nothing . . . necessitating shutting the unit down by the power button . . . nothing else works, including trying to get to a TTY window . . . .

So far this dialing the "sensitivity" down has been working . . . so far . . . but question remains, by changing this "PalmDetect" number is that for the most part disabling the touchpad, even while not typing?

e.e.p.

[Resistor]

I'm not shutting down so much, these days, as I suspend a lot.
I don't recall if I've shut down or restarted since using those commands in the terminal.

But, I'm typing this live and the cursor is as stable as can be.
If I shut down or restart, I may have to enter those commands, again.
In which case, I will spend more time trying to implement the original instructions:

Code: Select all

Go to Menu → Preferences → Startup Applications.
Click on "Add". In the new window under "Name" you can put "disable-touchpad". 
In the "Command" window put:
synclient PalmDetect=1

@Resistor:

Well, I try to mostly use suspend as well, but I'm talking about when this jumping cursor problem happens, some times it also "crashes" the GUI . . . the mouse can be moved around, but clicking on stuff does nothing . . . necessitating shutting the unit down by the power button . . . nothing else works, including trying to get to a TTY window . . . .

So far this dialing the "sensitivity" down has been working . . . so far . . . but question remains, by changing this "PalmDetect" number is that for the most part disabling the touchpad, even while not typing?

e.e.p.

Changing the "PalmDetect" number is turning it from off to on.
From 0 to 1.

[este.el.paz]

Changing the "PalmDetect" number is turning it from off to on.
From 0 to 1.[/quote]

@Resistor:

Alrighty, good to know . . . I guess that could be searched on the internet, but since you've gone this far perhaps a tad bit more information would be helpful . . . . What does turning the PalmDetect number to on do exactly?

e.e.p.

[Resistor]

Changing the "PalmDetect" number is turning it from off to on.
From 0 to 1.

@Resistor:

Alrighty, good to know . . . I guess that could be searched on the internet, but since you've gone this far perhaps a tad bit more information would be helpful . . . . What does turning the PalmDetect number to on do exactly?

e.e.p.[/quote]
It stabalized my pointer.

[yuriyg]

I've been having this problem on 2 laptops one very old with LM 13 and one very new with LM 16

I've always suspected that it was caused by a light touch on the pad with the palm
Now I am pretty sure it is because after I turned off "tap to click" - the problem is gone.

[este.el.paz]

I've been having this problem on 2 laptops one very old with LM 13 and one very new with LM 16

I've always suspected that it was caused by a light touch on the pad with the palm
Now I am pretty sure it is because after I turned off "tap to click" - the problem is gone.

@yuriyg:

Thanks for the follow up, and thanks for the "turn off 'tap to click'" . . . I'll check that out and see what happens. But, in my case the "light touch on the pad" is not the problem, as I've had multiple incidences where my palms/fingers were not even close to the touchpad and there is like a "flash" on the screen, sometimes when typing the "shift" key sometimes other keys . . . and the cursor has jumped . . . and so forth and so on, as I've mentioned here many times.

At least with "tap to click" it's easy enough to change for testing purposes . . . turning down the mouse sensitivity bar seems to have helped, but not eliminated the problem . . . .

e.e.p.

[este.el.paz]

Now I am pretty sure it is because after I turned off "tap to click" - the problem is gone.

@yuriyg:

Yes, it does seem like turning off "tap to click" has reduced or eliminated the problem with the jumping cursor . . . but, of course the benefit of tapping the touchpad is also gone . . . . It would be nice if the full or more full function of a laptop would remain in LM 16 . . . .

e.e.p.

[henriquearake]

Damn... all this reading and no one hase figure it out yet.

Well, for all it matters, I've been having (is this construction correct?) the same problem both in a Sony Vayo notebook and at my PC. In the notebook, it was worst: mouse would freeze completely. There, the solution was to disabilitate the touchpad entirely. No problem since then.

At my office PC, though, now and then my mouse goes beserk: jumping all around and clicking randomly. If I keep hitting esc button, it would calm the little freak.

I've been using Mint 16 cinnamon here.

[este.el.paz]

Damn... all this reading and no one hase figure it out yet.
Well, for all it matters, I've been having (is this construction correct?) the same problem both in a Sony Vayo notebook and at my PC. In the notebook, it was worst: mouse would freeze completely. There, the solution was to disabilitate the touchpad entirely. No problem since then.
At my office PC, though, now and then my mouse goes beserk: jumping all around and clicking randomly. If I keep hitting esc button, it would calm the little freak.

I've been using Mint 16 cinnamon here.

@henriquearake:

Thanks for your post . . . I haven't marked the thread as "solved" because I don't consider turning off a touchpad feature, i.e., reducing the functionality of a laptop, to be a "solution" . . . it's just a work around. But, for me the "turn off the 'tap to click'" feature has seemed to reduce or eliminate the problem . . . but it also reduces the function of the laptop. If you read the whole thread you can see that some of the guys suggested it is a "synaptics" problem . . . the cursor is overwhelmed by the multiple inputs from mouse, touchpad, keyboard. But, my answer was that laptops have been around for a long time . . . and so the devs should have "figured it out" by now . . . but seemingly have not.

Also, when I first posted about it here, no one else was saying they had the problem . . . it's been up for a while now and so more people have found this to be a problem and posted about it here . . . which it is, still is. Did the bug report, but it was closed without being assigned to anyone. For you I might suggest trying the clean install of XFCE version as being a bit less likely to have the problem . . . and, try the uncheck the "tap to click" option in the touchpad preferences, rather than turning it off completely . . . . And ****maybeeeeee**** some day the devs will address the problem and actually *****solve***** it????? Maybe in LM17 LTS . . . .

e.e.p.

[smarkus]

I also encountered this problem running Linux Mint 16 and Cinnamon. I share your frustration - it is particularly annoying to have some of your text wiped out at random.

I think I may have found a solution! Turning off all the keyboard shortcuts on the Typing tab (and possibly a few others) seems to have prevented this happening... I have not tried it for very long but everything seems strangely reliable at the moment.

Hopefully this might work for you!

Best wishes,
Steve.

[este.el.paz]

I also encountered this problem running Linux Mint 16 and Cinnamon. I share your frustration - it is particularly annoying to have some of your text wiped out at random.

I think I may have found a solution! Turning off all the keyboard shortcuts on the Typing tab (and possibly a few others) seems to have prevented this happening... I have not tried it for very long but everything seems strangely reliable at the moment.

Hopefully this might work for you!

Best wishes,
Steve.

Steve:

Thanks for stopping by and reporting your issues as well; yes, it is particularly annoying to have text wiped out. But, very good if you found a "solution" . . . however, I would still call that a "work-around" rather than a "solution." And, not having keyboard shortcuts might even be more "debilitating" to the regular function of a computer than the un-doing of "tap to click" that has "worked" for me . . . but perhaps not quite has rough as completely turning off the touchpad . . . .

e.e.p.