MacBook Pro :: Backlit Keyboard Stopped Working / Sometimes Work After Restart
Oct 27, 2009
My backlit keyboard just randomly stops working. I can restart the computer and sometimes it starts working, but sometimes it doesn't. Any idea what is affecting this?
So recently my keyboard and trackpad stopped working after a restart, none of the keys or the trackpad worked, however, the power button works for some strange reason. I haven't installed any software previous the restart, it's strange why this is happening.
I have a MBP on OS X version 10.6.8, the mid-2009 model. The problem: I can't get my keyboard to light up. When I press on the F5 and F6 button I see the image of the keyboard light pop up on the screen but it has a line through it telling me I can't do it. These feature worked a couple days ago, and I didn't change any settings since then. I have tried everything. I made sure the settings were right and reset them. I have tried to update my software which told me I was up to date. I have put my laptop in a pitch black room. I have covered the sensors. I have done an SMC reset as well as a PRAM reset. None of these things worked. I did download the LabTick app, which then I was able to light up my keyboard but I don't want to have to use a 3rd party application. I would like to have my keyboard adjust automatically. I have uninstalled LabTick.
how to get my backlit keyboard to work? all of a sudden it quit working...i checked my keyboard preference and the checkbox to automatically illuminate keyboard in low light is checked..
Just got my new MacBook Pro. I have a problem with the keyboard. I can manually get it to light up with F5/F6. but it wont light on its own when its dark. the display dims in darkness so the sensor is working.
I just recently upgraded my 2010 macbook pro RAM. I went from 4gb to 6gb and now my backlit keyboard is no longer working. I have tried messing with the keyboard settings as well as the F5 and F6 buttons. The keyboard does not even come on in low lit conditions. Why is my backlit keyboard no longer working?
I got my motherboard replaced a few months back and i am now just noticing that my backlit keyboard is no longer working. Is there away for me to connect it as i no longer have warranty.
I installed 10.5.7 yesterday. Immediately after the installation was complete, my Apple bluetooth keyboard stopped working. Went into Bluetooth system settings, and it said that there was no bluetooth hardware found... (it's built into the machine!!)...
Also, every time I start iTunes, it gives some weird error about Adobe Flash player. I'm not at home now so I don't have the exact wording of the error with me, sorry...
Yesterday I had a Leopard software update which included new keyboard firmware. I did the update and the keyboard continued to function normally. This AM I booted my MacBook Pro and discovered the keyboard no longer responds to inputs. However, the MB does responds to an external USB keyboard.
Now I don't know if I have a sudden hardware problem or the MB keyboard is not working as a result of the firmware update. Has anyone else experienced a similar problem? Can I go back to the earlier revision of the keyboard firmware?
Hmmm - while writing this I just realized I have a bootable image of my system made a few week back on an external drive - I'll have to try it.
I was just using my Macbook normally and it came up with an error like IP was in use or something with the red exclamation mark. The my internet stopped working so I just restarted it. Now my Macbook is literally not working? I can turn it on but when I get to the login screen, my mouse or keyboard are not working! So all I can do is hold the power button to turn off. It appears OSX is still running fine though because the screen dims after a while and the flashing | in the name input bar is still flashing.
It seems that during my afternoon class, I shut down my macbook and then when I went to use it about 10 minutes later the keyboard nor the trackpad works. Now the keyboard/trackpad is not defective as it works via the OSX install cd and it works in Windows Vista (dual booted) When ever I start up OSX it just comes up and the mouse is in the upper left hand corner, and the keyboard doesn't work at all. I have tried a pram reset by pressing command + option + p + r and that did nothing. When I am in OSX the only way to get out is to hold down the power button till the macbook turns off. What else could be wrong is there anything I can do, the nearest Apple store is about 80 miles away so I am trying to avoid that at this point as it seems like a software issue.
Two or three days ago, the topmost line of my keyboard (contains esc, brightness, expose, dashboard, play/pause, mute, eject, etc.) suddenly stopped working. Strangely, some of the keys have switched functions: expose opens a search bar, keyboard dimmer refreshes the webpage, keyboard brighter selects the web address, play/pause is now shows Spaces, skip forward is expose, and sound increase is dashboard. I reset my keyboard, but nothing changed.
This week, my macbook keyboard started becoming erratic, then became much worse. Basically, it started with the tab key not working, then the keys 'r' and 'a' and 'v' stopped. It felt like a virus, although I cannot seem to find many people with similar issues. Progressively, the keyboard has got much worse, to the point that it cannot now be used. Bizarrely, if I plug in a USB keyboard, as I am using now, then I am able to type without any issue.
I have searched forums and have done the basic stuff - reset my PRAM, reset the SMC (although I am not sure whether this was done properly, as resetting the SMC was a basic exercise, unlike PRAM reste where a noise indictaed it having been complete). I feel that the next step is to do a complete reinstall, but I don't want to do this if possible, as I don't know how it will affect the lion install etc.
during SW to my mini-mac wireless key board the keyboard stop responding. now i have left without an ability to work with my wireless keyboard. is there any why to reset the keyboard to default setting so it will come to live again..
Recently I was cleaning my Unibody MacBook with an alcohol based cleaning product.I was cleaning my Keyboard, upon after about 30 minutes later my shift key stopped working.It appears some of the cleaning product has gotten itself under the keyboard?About 2 hours after, the shift key started working again, but later my F1, 1, Q,A,Z and F11, F12 and Delete keys stopped working?After this I unplugged the machine and put it on the radiator� Too late? � Perhaps�.Today I powered it on again but still the same keys stopped working, though the shift key still works.I've connected an external keyboard to type this up. I bought this machine about November 2008 with only the basic warranty.
The keyboard of my macbook pro 2.4GHz intel dual core stopped working I must have turned it off by accident I saw that to make it work again I need to go to system preferences only problem is that my laptop is secured by a password that I cannot type due to the keyboard not working...
suddenly, my MBP (2.6ghz, 15") illuminated keyboard has stopped working. out of the blue. same conditions in the room as when it's worked before - so it's not an ambient lighting problem. the functionality is all turned on, and pressing the dim/brighten keys on the keyboard, while producing visual feedback on the screen (like the volume indicator), produces no illumination on the keyboard. im plugged in, fully charged... can't figure it out!!!
to be honest, i never really use the keyboard illumination, but now that its actually not working, its really bothering
so i installed windows 7 on bootcamp, i noticed that the keyboard backlight keys to adjust the keyboard backlight arent working. then i switched over to the mac os, and it also stopped working there!
whenever i press the keys, the transparent box shows up but the bars do not move, it is currently off, and it also has that crossed out circle symbol.
I have just added a new, larger internal hard drive and carbon copy cloned everything on my old HD to this new one. It seemed like everything was ok, but at some point ALL my key commands stopped working: com-q, com-i, all the keyboard shortcuts in my applications and in finder.
Today I was working with some work and put my laptop to sleep by shutting the lid. Less than half an hour later I opened it and the keyboard and trackpad were both unresponsive. I tried everything but nothing worked so I shutdown the computer by holding the power button down. I then restarted it and they still wouldn't work so I was unable to login. I have also tried an SMC reset but this was to no avail either.
My keyboard stopped working in Finder last week. I see a number of other discussions were going about this but either thier problem was not the same as mine or the solutions given were not available to me, such as rebooting from a disc.
I am considering whether or not I will get the backlit keyboard model or not. I want to save $300, but I also want to be able to see the keys (within reason).
I like my current PBG4's backlit keyboard, and sometimes find it necessary, however, it does have low contrast silver keys with white lettering. Since the Macbooks have black keys with white lettering, and therefore more contrast, I am wondering if this will improve visibility in low light conditions enough so I won't have to have the backlight.
Do any of you have the new MacBook sans backlit keyboard, and if so what are your impressions of being able to see the keys in a dim (not dark) room?