Bluetooth and Built-in keyboards stop working randomly

While I've read several threads about the built-in keyboard on MBPs stop working I've never seen one quite like this. We're on a late 2012 17" MBP, Core i7 with 4GB memory. Randomly both the built-in keyboard on the machine AND the Bluetooth keyboard stop working - but not fully. On both the arrow keys and backspace key still work but nothing else (CMD, space bar, etc).
What's really odd is a USB keyboard works perfectly when this happens. We plugged one in and blamo, it worked just great - but the built-in and the bluetooth ones continued to not work (just as described above).
The user commented that this has been the case on her last 2 machines and both were built from scratch. That leads me to think it's software rather than hardware - I went through everything that was running, shutting down everything I could - with no good results. If you log out/back in (or reboot) that fixes the problem as well (further leading me to software)
Thoughts anyone??
Thanks!
-Ross

Hello RosslnCO2,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
For more information on this, take a look at:
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
About NVRAM and PRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
Best of luck,
Mario

Similar Messages

Ps2 keyboard stops working

I've been working on a dual boot machine tonight, got Windows up, got Arch up, rebooted after working on X,
and my ps2 keyboard stopped working. Not in grub, where I can still choose what to boot, nor in Windows, if I go that way. But I cannot even log into Arch. I've seen some posts re this happening inside Arch, but never to this extent.
I've tried 2 keyboards, same issue. The weird thing is that it was working.
I don't have a usb keyboard and I really hate to spend any money on this; any ideas?
Last edited by timm (2007-02-27 01:42:47)

I forgot to check the bios to look for anything there, but I did boot with Arch CD and still had no keyboard once I get to the login prompt. (Did have it for modifying the grub startup menu, etc) Will check the bios tonight for any oddities.
It still works in Windows, so the keyboard and connector can't be bad.
[UPDATE]
I checked the bios, nothing there dealing with the ps/2 at all. I did note that when I boot into Windows, the num lock button light on my keyboard lights up, but when I go into arch, I can get none of the lights to come on. The keyboard seems completely dead.
Could this be a missing driver or something like that? When I was messing with it the other day I got it to be recognized by turning the computer completely off and then restarting it; that hasn't worked since.
Could this be a bug somewhere?
Last edited by timm (2007-02-27 01:42:01)

Apple wireless mouse and keyboard stop working ... now says OS X version and bluetooth incompatible

For no apparent reason my apple wireless mouse and keyboard stopped working. I was not upgrading or installing anything, the batteries are good, nothing was changed as far as I know. Now bluetooth discovers the paired devices, connects for about 30 seconds, the disconnects ... or stays connected but doesn't work.
What's happenned ... I'm rushing to finish a big job ... any ideas? I've tried re-pairing but doesn't work ... says that OSX version may be incompatible with device bluetooth ... I'm using Lion so maybe there is another lion problem?

Hello:
Barry: What do you mean with "making devices favorites"?
This is the method:
Go to system preferences>bluetooth. Highlight an item in the sidebar. If detailed information does not appear, click on the little gear and select show more info. Then click on the gear again and select favorite.
And how could an hardware-related problem be (temporarily) solved rebooting the OS?
Intermittent problems are, IMHO, most often caused by hardware. Restarting will occasionally "fix" problems - why, I do not know.
Barry

After 10.8.5 bluetooth hardware disapeared and sound control on keyboard stopped working

after 10.8.5, bluetooth hardware disapeared from system info. Sound controls on keyboard stopped working.
all works fine in safe mode. i have already zapped the PRAM, applied the combo update and deleted the bluetooth prefs with same results.
Mike

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
I've tested these instructions only with the Safari web browser. If you use another browser, they may not work as described.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It won’t solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Third-party system modifications are a common cause of usability problems. By a “system modification,” I mean software that affects the operation of other software — potentially for the worse. The following procedure will help identify which such modifications you've installed. Don’t be alarmed by the complexity of these instructions — they’re easy to carry out and won’t change anything on your Mac.
These steps are to be taken while booted in “normal” mode, not in safe mode. If you’re now running in safe mode, reboot as usual before continuing.
Below are instructions to enter some UNIX shell commands. The commands are harmless, but they must be entered exactly as given in order to work. If you have doubts about the safety of the procedure suggested here, search this site for other discussions in which it’s been followed without any report of ill effects.
Some of the commands will line-wrap or scroll in your browser, but each one is really just a single line, all of which must be selected. You can accomplish this easily by triple-clicking anywhere in the line. The whole line will highlight, and you can then copy it. The headings “Step 1” and so on are not part of the commands.
Note: If you have more than one user account, Step 2 must be taken as an administrator. Ordinarily that would be the user created automatically when you booted the system for the first time. The other steps should be taken as the user who has the problem, if different. Most personal Macs have only one user, and in that case this paragraph doesn’t apply.
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
When you launch Terminal, a text window will open with a line already in it, ending either in a dollar sign (“$”) or a percent sign (“%”). If you get the percent sign, enter “sh” and press return. You should then get a new line ending in a dollar sign.
Step 1
Triple-click the line of text below on this page to select it:
kextstat -kl | awk '!/com\.apple/{printf "%s %s\n", $6, $7}' | open -ef
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Then click anywhere in the Terminal window and paste (command-V). A TextEdit window will open with the output of the command. If the command produced no output, the window will be empty. Post the contents of the TextEdit window (not the Terminal window), if any — the text, please, not a screenshot. You can then close the TextEdit window. The title of the window doesn't matter, and you don't need to post that. No typing is involved in this step.
Step 2
Repeat with this line:
{ sudo launchctl list | sed 1d | awk '!/0x|com\.(apple|openssh|vix\.cron)|org\.(amav|apac|cups|isc|ntp|postf|x)/{print $3}'; echo; sudo defaults read com.apple.loginwindow LoginHook; echo; sudo crontab -l; } 2> /dev/null | open -ef
This time you'll be prompted for your login password, which you do have to type. Nothing will be displayed when you type it. Type it carefully and then press return. You may get a one-time warning to be careful. Heed that warning, but don't post it. If you see a message that your username "is not in the sudoers file," then you're not logged in as an administrator.
Note: If you don’t have a login password, you’ll need to set one before taking this step. If that’s not possible, skip to the next step.
Step 3
{ launchctl list | sed 1d | awk '!/0x|com\.apple|org\.(x|openbsd)/{print $3}'; echo; crontab -l 2> /dev/null; } | open -ef
Step 4
ls -A /e*/{cr,la,mach}* {,/}Lib*/{Ad,Compon,Ex,Fram,In,Keyb,La,Mail/Bu,P*P,Priv,Qu,Scripti,Servi,Spo,Sta}* L*/Fonts .la* 2> /dev/null | open -ef
Important: If you formerly synchronized with a MobileMe account, your me.com email address may appear in the output of the above command. If so, anonymize it before posting.
Step 5
osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to get name of login items' | open -ef
Remember, steps 1-5 are all copy-and-paste — no typing, except your password. Also remember to post the output.
You can then quit Terminal.

HT1338 I have an apple wired keyboard hooked up to my Mac mini. A while ago, the keyboard stopped working. I tried re plugging it in, and nothing's working. The "Bluetooth settings" keeps popping up, but I don't have Bluetooth, it's wired. Please help!

I have an apple wired keyboard hooked up to my Mac mini. A while ago, the keyboard stopped working. I tried re plugging it in, and nothing's working. The "Bluetooth settings" keeps popping up, but I don't have Bluetooth, it's wired. Please help!

System Preferences->BlueTooth and turn it off. Restart and see if that fixes the problem.

Bluetooth keyboard stops working

My bluetooth keyboard stops working while I use Photoshop CS4. It happened 4 days ago. I called applecare and they asked that I take the keyboard into a dealer. Keypad worked at the dealer. Brought it home and it worked.
When I pair the keyboard to bluetooth the keyboard functions, but in all other applications it doesn't. I think it must be the computer an not the keyboard.
konabill

It's been a while but I am sure the issue lies with the bluetooth now. I did the SMC reset and the same issue only happened once since. This time I plugged in my logitech USB wireless mouse and it worked fine. I tried to disconnect my Apple bluetooth mouse and couldn't get it to connect again. I restarted the machine by clicking Apple->shut down->restart and when the computer restarted, neither the keyboard nor the mouse worked. I again used the Logitech wireless mouse to try to see my bluetooth setting. However I get the message of "bluetooth not available". I'm guessing my bluetooth unit in this new iMac isn't functioning properly. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks

Mighty Mouse and wireless keyboard stop working

Just got my iMac yesterday and everything worked out of the box. But once yesterday and once so far today, the wireless mighty mouse and keyboard stopped working.
Today I noticed after the mouse stopped moving the cursor, the little green light on the bottom of the mouse was blinking. I turned off the mouse and turned it back on, but the green light still blinked and the mouse still didn't work.
The only thing that did something was the power button on the iMac. I had to turn off the iMac and turn it back on. Then the keyboard and mouse worked again.
What's going on? Do I need to get the iMac repaired?

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions ...
Try deleting this file. com.apple.bluetooth.plist
/Users/YourName/Library/Preferences. Drag that file from the Preferences folder to the Trash, empty the Trash and reboot.
If that doesn't help, make sure the batteries are charged. Go to System Preferences/Keyboard&Mouse. Click the Bluetooth tab. Your battery levels are displayed there. When it gets down to one green bar on the left, install new batteries.
If none of the above helps, turn the mouse and keyboard off. Delete the mouse and keyboard from the System Preferences/Bluetooth devices window. Select the mouse in the window on the left, then click the minus - button. Now open the slider on the mouse so the green light blinks. Click + which will launch the Bluetooth Setup Assistant. Just follow the instructions. Same for the keyboard. If you still have issues with the wireless hardware, I'd take it back. You have 14 days in case you need to replace the iMac.
Carolyn

TS3048 Bluetooth and USB ports aren't working can't connect mouse or keyboard.

Bluetooth and USB ports aren't working, so am unable to use Imac past turning it on. There's no way to connect mouse or keyboard, it started right after a software update for Maverick (OS X bash Update 1.0 – OS X Mavericks), bluetooth symbol not showing in the task bar at all.

Hi SBrwn,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
The symptom you're describing can be frustrating to troubleshoot as our options are limited. I do suggest resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) if you have not already. This step can help you regain use of USB and Bluetooth.
Follow these steps to reset the SMC on your iMac:
Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve
Shut down the computer. [by holding down the power button]
Unplug the computer's power cord.
Wait fifteen seconds.
Attach the computer's power cord.
Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.
You can find these steps and more information at this link:
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
All the best,
Jeremy

I have a problem with my PC mobile device that the keyboard stop working and the mouse also

I have a problem with my PC mobile device that the keyboard stop working and the mouse also

All I can suggeset is:
Removing and reinstalling iTunes, QuickTime, and other software components for Windows Vista or Windows 7
or
Removing and Reinstalling iTunes, QuickTime, and other software components for Windows XP
Have you looked at the AMDS topic of:
iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows
Do you have han image capture programs linstalled like for a camers or scanner?

Bluetooth keyboard stops working when i plug in my iphone 5

Hi All...
Heres a question from the twilight zone where strange things happen.
My Hardware/Software used:
- iMac OSX 10.9.2
- Mac wireless Keyboard
- Logitech mouse performance MX
- iTunes 11.1.5 (5)
- iPhone 5 v7.1 (11D167)
I plug in my iPhone via USB cable, and iTunes pops up.. it detects the iphone but not 100% as it just hangs... then out of nowhere, the keyboard stops working as it looses its connection, the only way to restore the connection is to reset the iMac.
Any ideas?

Assuming a PC try:
iTunes for Windows XP: Troubleshooting unexpected quits, freezes, or launch issues
iTunes for Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8: Fix unexpected quits or launch issues

Mouse and keyboard stop working with Mavericks

This has happened twice now since installing Mavericks.
I'll be working along, and then all of a sudden, I am not able to click with my mouse and my keyboard stops working. I AM able to move the cursor around on the screen. But, I am not able to click on anything and I can't use the keyboard to force quit the finder. The only way to get unstuck is to press the power button on the front of the Mac to shut it down and then restart.
I am using a wired Apple Keyboard and a wireless Apple Magic Mouse. My Mac is a MacPro 2 x 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Mac.
Like I said. this has never happened before. But it's happened twice since installing Mavericks.

Everytime I restart my computer, especially for updating maverick, my keyboard and attached mouse (both apple for an Imac) stop working. When I plug in an other keyboard, I can get into my Imac again. Would this SMC apply to this problem as well?
What should I do?
thanks, hb

After editing a message in firefox (whether yahoo mail or any other app) the keyboard stops working and I just get an audio sound with any key stroke.

This problem occurs with any page that requires keyboard input. If I make an errot in typing and have to go back or edit a sentence the keyboard stops working. THis only happens with Firefox and not with any other browser (Chrome, Safari etc)

Hello,
The Reset Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information.
Note: ''This will cause you to lose any Extensions, Open websites, and some Preferences.''
To Reset Firefox do the following:
#Go to Firefox > Help > Troubleshooting Information.
#Click the "Reset Firefox" button.
#Firefox will close and reset. After Firefox is done, it will show a window with the information that is imported. Click Finish.
#Firefox will open with all factory defaults applied.
Further information can be found in the [[Reset Firefox – easily fix most problems]] article.
Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!
Thank you.

Wireless keyboard stops working when some keys adobe photoshop is open and being used.

My apple wireless keyboard stops working some keys when using adobe photoshop. The lestras not work. Stop when I start using the stamp program for example. Is there any solution to this problem. For other macs minis did not have the same problem.

Hello, what are lestras?

Wireless keyboard stop working

Hi..If anyone can help me, I appreciate..
i allways use my wireless keyboard and mouse with my imac and i never had a big issue with the kb\mouse... until recent,that i stored my imac ,mouse and keyboard inside their respective boxes.
off course i put bateries out,nothing had fall and when i return after 1month, the keyboard stop working!!
stop working completly even the backside light is off and i put new bateries.,,,
i turn on the bluetooth from the imac and nothing is coming there..
anyone have any idea about this??
thankx...
i have been usilllllçlçlng

thankx..but i already check all those post and apple info pages...
i really dont understand...the keyboard was in the box inside the imac box ,with the imac inside..nothing broken for sure..just the keyboard stop working..
and i was wondering if there was someone with this problem..
the keyboard its a aluminium model without on\off button,

Built-in iSight stops working on iMac--try re-setting SMU

I spent about two hours trying to figure out why my built-in iSight stopped working--all of a sudden it would show only a green screen in Photo Booth, black in iChat and not at all in iVideoHD, and not really register as available. It did show up in the Apple profiler of USB devices, and also, it would work in a non-apple program, iVisit. I did not install an HP printer, as another thread user commented on. I read about resetting the SMU in an Apple discussion and also in this forum, so I shut down the computer, pulled the power and everything else plugged into the computer and waited a minute, then plugged the computer back in and turned it on, then finally plugged back in my devices including keyboard and mouse (that was Apple's instructions). Vioala! iSight works again.

Hi,
For Others
As a Note on this some G5s are prone to not having the System Preferences > Displays set to Millions.
There is no direct evidence that it effects other computers but do check if your is still set to Millions and is not being commanded by a games app or something else to display less Colours.
8:34 PM Thursday; December 28, 2006
Happy Holidays

Bluetooth and Built-in keyboards stop working randomly

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for