Menus/Keyboard not working in other user profiles.

Question

Level 1

6 points

Menus/Keyboard not working in other user profiles.

My user profile works fine. All other user profiles newly created and old are not working with all keyboards or mice options. I updated everything. I reloaded MacOS Tahoe latest version from recovery menu.

Mouse will select and pulldown menus but then when you try to select item on the menu as displayed the menu disappears. Happens every time in other user profiles.

Keyboard commands don't respond and when typing anything in any application or document, keyboard does not work for more than a moment or two.

None of this happens with my user profile only the other user accounts on the mac. I have tried creating new user profiles and this happens with the new profiles as well.

I have tried creating user profile without an apple account just in case it is trying to download corrupted files from an old profile. I tried setting up a Guest account. Same behavior with the guest account.

I can logon to the other profiles with all keyboards (wireless and hard wired) and use mouse (wireless and wired) to navigate to menus but once I select a menu or type anything menu disappears or keyboard stops working after a moment or two. I have never seen this happen before in all the decades I have used Macs.

Color me frustrated...

Mac mini, macOS 26.1

Posted on Nov 29, 2025 6:52 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,042 points

Nov 29, 2025 5:06 PM in response to rwheaton2

I have tried apple keyboards apple

mice. Third party keyboards third party mice.

the problem only occurs with other user profiles not my own profile.

this is frustrating to have to explain

I guess I didn't make that clear enough. If you have ever installed any third-party mouse or keyboard software, remove it and see what happens. With it installed, it will affect every input device, not just the one it was designed to support. You could also start up in Safe Mode which will disable the software.

You seem to have Logitech software installed, but maybe there is something else related to logi.

You also have Trusteer installed. Not any sort of input device driver, but it has never been known to leave your Mac at peace.

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 29, 2025 8:53 AM in response to rwheaton2

We need more information, startwith your mac model, os version and which specific input devices you are using.

To avoid a long back and forth: Please run Etrecheck and post its full report here.

Use the “additional text” button and paste the report into the text box.

Reply

Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,042 points

Nov 29, 2025 11:18 AM in response to rwheaton2

Are you using third-party mouse and keyboard, or are they Apple devices?

If third-party, the software they need to work correctly may not be global, but installed in each user account (they are not "profiles").

Reply

Answer 4

rwheaton2 Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 29, 2025 11:09 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Mac mini Model: Mac14,3

Apple M2 (m2) CPU: 8-core

8 GB RAM - Not upgradeable

Tahoe 26.1 issue started several months ago while still in Sequoia whatever latest versions was then.

apple mouse usb and wireless, apple pad wired and wireless, usb keyboard, wireless logitech keyboard, keyboards and mice from Geek Squad check no apple stores in Vermont.

All input devices work 100% for MY profile but not for all other user profiles. Admin or User level profiles have same problem.

For all other user profiles, newly created (even after full recovery reload of Tahoe 26.1 today) dummy profiles and older user profiles that have been on system for LONG time. Mouse clicks on Menu top of any application or window and displays the menu list but immediately disappears. Not enough time to select any menu item. Keyboard commands are not working. I can logon to profiles from lock screen but as soon as the desktop appears this disappearing menu list behavior starts. I can't type anything in apps, dialog boxes or windows. Mouse will display and moves across screen but dialog boxes will not permit typing, menu lists disappear.

This utterly stumped the Geek Squad guys. They ran recovery overnight. Did NOT reformat the drive.

EtreCheckPro report attached.

Reply