Filed under: OS, Software Update, Macbook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air
Multi-Touch Trackpad Update for Windows & Vista
Last night, Apple released a Windows update for MacBook machines running Boot Camp. It's not clear yet whether you can or should install this on all MacBook/MacBook Pro models, or just the newest (unibody) versions. If you've been running Windows on these new MacBooks, then you know how fickle the Multi-Touch trackpads are. This update will hopefully help matters, as we've received quite a few tips about trackpad problems in Windows (not to mention the numerous postings on the Apple discussion boards).
Apple tell us that the update "Improves the performance of the Apple Multi-Touch trackpad when running Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista on a Mac computer using Boot Camp."
You can download this update from the Apple Support Downloads website. It is a Windows executable, so you will need to be running Windows to install it. It is available for both Windows XP & Vista.
On a side note, the download page for the update shows an... interesting, and previously unknown version of Vista, at least to anyone browsing right now (it will probably be fixed shortly). We can only imagine that "Widows Vista" is coming soon to a computer near you.
Thanks to Ryan, and others who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Fernando said 5:56PM on 12-18-2008
Yay! About time innit?
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Fernando said 6:09PM on 12-18-2008
The update is not intended to this computer and will not be installed. on a pre-unibody macbook pro.
Lame.
Neil said 6:00PM on 12-18-2008
Maybe it will solve the click goes to the side bug.
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Beeswax said 6:01PM on 12-18-2008
PRAISE BE TO GOD! Hopefully this works well. I was getting tired of clicking 8 times to open a shortcut on the desktop.
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m said 7:00PM on 12-18-2008
seriously, it was crippling under windows. about time. how many months has it been?
Beeswax said 7:25PM on 12-18-2008
Yes! It is much, much improved now. I was able to open FireFox, navigate to TUAW, and leave this comment without a single mistake on the trackpad. Plus the two finger right click doesn't require a third finger anymore.
GRiNSER said 6:11PM on 12-18-2008
Will they bring an update for the older non multi-touch Macbook Pro too? Would be necessary because two finger scrolling and right clicking in Vista is implement badly (which it wasn't in a previous Boot Camp version as of what I remember)...
No problems under OS X though...
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dan said 6:32PM on 12-18-2008
Great update -- this has been the biggest annoyance with Boot Camp. The trackpad was virtually unusable.
For me (at least), this update has been HUGE -- the trackpad works as advertized finally!
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lintyboo said 6:46PM on 12-18-2008
"This update is not intended for this computer"
Well I really don't know what this update is for then...
Specs:
MacBook Pro (UNIBODY)
Windows XP 32-Bit
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Paul said 6:49PM on 12-18-2008
"The update is not intended to this computer and will not be installed."
On a Rev. 1 MBA. Oh well. I was hoping for tap to click.
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Majormauser said 9:39PM on 12-18-2008
Update now Night and friggin day difference thank God .... Steve
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Majormauser said 9:42PM on 12-18-2008
UPDATE NOW!!! dont waste your time reading this..... life is so much better in windows..... You will rediscover life... Sorry for my fervor .... this was my biggest pet peeve.
Majormauser said 9:43PM on 12-18-2008
THE UPDATE IS FOR UNIBODY.......!!!!
dukepride05 said 11:34PM on 12-18-2008
does anyone ever bother to proofread these posts? the grammar gets worse every day....
(and its not just this post)
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pete said 11:59PM on 12-18-2008
hate to be a pain, but don't you mean "it's" not "its"? (why do the grammar nazis always have poor grammar themselves?)
dukepride05 said 10:01AM on 12-19-2008
because i am being lazy and typing in a comment box... when i write things for work i practice what i preach.
alex_dlc said 4:00AM on 12-19-2008
title should be "...update for xp and vista" not "...update for windows and vista" vista is windows, so saying "windows and vista" dosnt make sense.
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MisterWoofWoof said 5:57AM on 12-19-2008
Apple has issued a update for the Trackpad but the update is only compatible with the newer unibody Macbooks and Macbook Pros.
I have made the following patch that is compatible with all Macbook Pro and Macbook models with trackpad issues. Don't forget to run the registry patch last.
Download it here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SNIG71OI
This should fix the trackpad issues for all Macbook Pro models.
1. Go to Device manager and go to the "Apple Multitouch Mouse Properties."
2. Go to the driver tab and click on Update Driver.
3. Click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
4. Click on "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer".
5. Click on the "Have Disk" button.
6. Browse to the location of the included "Apple Multitouch Mouse Driver" folder and hit OK.
7. Click on next and it will update the driver.
8. Double-Click the included "MouseFix" registry file.
9. Restart and enjoy!
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Sharif said 1:45PM on 12-19-2008
The Device Manager took your patch successfully, updating it to the 2008 driver, but the registry file says "error accessing the registry". I do have administrator privileges and this is Win XP on a Macbook Pro Early-2008. I rolled back the driver to avoid any conflicts.
Justin Holt said 2:29PM on 12-19-2008
Same as Sharif here. Takes the driver just no registry edits. Thanks for that though, hopefully us with the early 2008 model can get a better boot camp experience too...the trackpad is bad not nearly as bad i suppose.