MacBook Air keyboard problems

Hi,
I've got a mid-2013 MBA with 1.7Ghz i7 processor. I tried using an Apple bluetooth keyboard with the MBA connected to a TV. This worked fine, but when I went back to using the MBA's native keyboard, there were functions that disappeared, for instance, the display brightness keys and the keyboard backlight keys no longer work. Only the ESC key still works amongst the top row of function keys. How do I correct this problem? Thanks in advance,
Nick

Hello, citizenoftheworld.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
I understand that your function keys aren't functioning as expected. First, try adjusting the behavior of these keys as outlined in the article below. If the issue persists, see the steps in the second article below.
How to change the behavior of function keys on your Mac
One or more keys on the keyboard do not respond
Cheers,
Jason H.

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My MacBook Air keyboard has become raised and spacebar is not working!

My sons MacBook Air Keyboard has become raised/warped. The centre point of the raised area is the top left hand corner of the trackpad. I would say the highest point is 2 to 3mm above the normal surface line.
The first signs of the problem was an inconsistency in the spacebar operation. Now the spacebar fails to operate at all! Apart from the Spacebar the Air seems to perform all other functions normally.
The raised area /warped area has also created a wobble when the MacBook Air is on a flat surface.
Model A1237
MacBook Air 1.6 Ghz Intel Core Duo
Memory 2GB 667 MHz DDR2 SRAM
Serial Number W8806AVHY51
Software Mac OS Lion 10.7.1
Thank you for taking the time to read my issue and hopefully provide some guidance!!

If your Air came with Lion pre-installed you might find it a bit complicated to downgrade. In any event the battery should be replaced under warranty. [My 17" battery was replaced by Apple at the Genius Bar even though the year warranty had expired; they were genuinely concerned since there was a safety issue concerning power!] On the point about your 3 Lion concerns, I note that many on this forum have dealt with similar issues. In my case I purchased a new machine with Lion rather than upgrade my existing Snow Leopard MacBook Pro 13" or iMac 27" and have found there to be no troubles whatsoever. I enjoy the speedy response and smooth execution of tasks on 10.7.2. Good luck with your battery issue.

Macbook air a problem , it powers on only sometimes when it wants to, macbook air a problem , it powers on only sometimes when it wants to

macbook air a problem , it powers on only sometimes when it wants to

Reset the SMC, then test your MacBook Air again.
Power or other problems related to unexpected system sleep, shutdown, lights or fans call for an SMC reset:
Before Resetting the SMC
Try each of the following steps in this order before you reset the SMC. Test the issue after completing each troubleshooting step to determine if the issue still occurs.
Press Command + Option + Escape to force quit any application that is not responding.
Put your Mac to sleep by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Sleep. Wake the computer after it has gone to sleep.
Restart your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Restart.
Shut down your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Shut Down.
Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own
Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if it's not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Has your Macbook Air overheating problems been solved?

Hi All,
Has there been a solution to the Macbook Air overheating problem for you?
I'm considering selling my MBA but want to see first if there has been any new updates on this issue.
I have a Macbook Air with the specifications as follows:
Model: MacBook Air 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Production year: 2008
Production week: 15 (April)
OS X Version 10.5.7
Have had the computer for about a year now and it has been constantly overheating and becoming more or less unusable when doing so. Have been hoping upgrades to the software would solve this eventually but that does not seem to have happened.
As I'm writing this room temperature is about 20 degrees celcius. Laptop sits on a table with power cable plugged in. Not running any external screen. There is no video streaming or music playing. Only the Firefox browser and a few more idle apps are active such as Mail and Skype (in the background). Even under these conditions the fan is currently running loud at 6100rpm and the Macbook Air is very hot underneath.
CPU temperature is currently 54 degrees Celsius. Both cores seem to be active.
Now, as an experiment I will head over to YouTube to watch a video and open up Microsoft Word in the background, a perfectly normal usage for a computer this new. This is what happens:
The computer starts to become painfully slow. After for example clicking an item in the browser there is a 1-3 second delay before the click actually becomes effective. It's now so hot underneath that I would not want to keep it in my lap. It is hard to use the mouse pointer properly as it does not update in realtime, I have to assume where it will land based on my movements. When scrolling, the spinning wheel icon becomes active. Everything is now happening in slow motion.
Video is lagging heavily. I can only see probably 1 out of every 10 frames or less of the video. All applications running are very slow. CPU temperature is now 64 degrees celsius. Fan is at 6200. Computer is now unusable for me. When I scroll a page in the browser it takes about 2-3 seconds before anything happens. Changing tabs takes 5-6 seconds after I click them. I will have to shut it down before re-starting and resuming work. When room temperature is even higher on a hot day needless to say everything gets a lot worse quicker.
Is this normal for Macbook Air's? If that is the case they are more or less unusable for most types of normal 2009 year usage (video, audio, browsing, office work etc).
What solutions have you found? Coolbook? Software/Firmware updates? Hardware changes? Please let me know if you have been able to make your MBA not overheat under normal usage.

Hi Everybody,
Thanks for your replies to start with.
I have tried to install Coolbook now and has it running. When using 'throttling' and letting it change CPU speeds (I think..) the problem still remains. When watching a video or other demanding task the temperature goes way up. Running a CPUTest (small or big) gets CPU temperatures of up to 84-85 C. Fan of course at 6200rpm all the time.
Right now, I have Coolbook set to 800Mhz and 0.9V. Apps running are Firefox, Skype, Mail and iTunes with no audio playing. CPU temperature at 56 c and fan speed (as usual) at 6200rpm. I can use the computer now. It is still lagging and not very fast at all. Sometimes text appear 1-2 seconds after I have written it on the keyboard.
So Coolbook has made a difference for me, but only when putting the CPU speed down to 800MHz. I wouldn't call reducing the CPU speed to half a 'solution' though and will not keep that as a long term solution. Reducing voltages for higher CPU-speeds 0.9875V for 1600MHz does not work, it still heats up massively.
Have used the MBA for the whole day today and can't recall a single time the fan has not been around 6200rpm except right after boot.
Thanks for the tips on upgrading to 10.5.8. I will try that right away and let you know how it works out.
Have also considered buying some cooling device but just as you say that feels like a bit of a last thing to resort to.
I'm surprised Apple hasn't responded stronger to this. Had this happened in the car industry we would have seen thousands of cars being sent back to the garage to be fixed.
If this only has to do with some specific production weeks then the right thing to do would be for Apple to let those people have their computers either fixed or replaced.

I would like to know how do I install the brazilian keyboard into macbook air, keyboard with accents (Portuguese Language), I tried so many times how to put into it (Macbook Air). So, thanks for now! I'm waiting for it.

I would like to know how do I install the brazilian keyboard into macbook air, keyboard with accents (Portuguese Language), I tried so many times how to put into it (Macbook Air). So, thanks for now! I'm waiting for it.

After you go to system preferences/keyboard/input sources as suggested by sberman, click on the + button and scroll down to Portuguese and select that. Over at the right you will see the choices Brazilian, Brazilian abnt, Portuguese. You might want to add all three to see which you like best.
The "Brazilian" layout is pretty useless. It is identical to the US layout and the only way to make accents is via the option key shortcuts: option + n, then o gives you õ.
The Brazilian abnt and Portuguese layouts have dead keys for adding accents over at the right edge of the keyboard. But these may not match what is printed on your keys.
You may prefer to stay with the US layout. On that you can get accented letters by just holding down the base letter and selecting what you want from the popup menu that appears. Or you can use the option key shortcuts.
Another option is the layout called US International PC, which has accent deadkeys on ~, ', etc.
Which ever layout you want to use, you must select it in the "flag" menu at the top right of the screen.
To see which key does what for any layout, use the Keyboard Viewer:
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13746

How do I get a division sign on my macbook air keyboard?

How do I get a division sign on my MacBook Air Keyboard??

Lucy ~ You can use the Keyboard Viewer to help you learn which keyboard shortcuts to use to enter special characters or symbols.

My MacBook Air has problems connecting to a saved network when I first open it.

My MacBook Air has problems connecting to a saved network when I first open it. When it idles, the connection gets lost and even clicking on the network won't connect it. Then I have to turn off wireless and turn it back on for it to connect. My boyfriend's MacBook Pro does not have this same problem and this problem started maybe 2 months ago and nothing about our internet or router has changed, and its only my computer having the problem. Its a 2013 MacBook Air and my softward is: OS X 10.9.1 (13B42). Please help!

Hello, nheredia05.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
There are a couple steps that I could recommend trying. Power cycle the router and test to see if the behavior persists. Next, try an remove this prefered network from your list and then add it back again. Make sure all firmware updates have been processed on the router side and the settings have been optimized for performance. If the issue still persists try the steps in the second article.
iOS and OS X: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4199
About Wireless Diagnostics
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5606
Cheers,
Jason H.

How much does it cost to replace a Macbook Air keyboard? And what components does the replacement include?

How much does it cost to replace a Macbook Air keyboard? And what components does the replacement include?

I had two fans replaced in 2012 on my 2006 MacBook Pro were around £10 each with labor at £20. I don't know that these prices are still viable, but it may give you an estimate.
Good luck,
Clinton
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS Mavericks 10.9.4, 16GB Crucial RAM, Crucial M500 960GB SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

My MacBook Air keyboard isn't working, except the power button. I had the same problem over the summer and had it repaired ~4 months ago. What should I do?

The keyboard of my 11-inch MacBook Air, purchased in November 2011, isn't working at all. None of the keys respond except the power button. I'm able to restart the computer, and have done so multiple times. I've attempted SMC and PRAM resets, but they haven't worked.
I've never spilled anything on the laptop, haven't stepped on it, and haven't otherwise damaged it ever. I use the laptop very lightly. I only use it to take notes for class, browse the Internet, and watch movies. I don't download anything but PDFs, PowerPoints, images, and Word documents. I don't even have music on it. So I don't think I had any part in creating the problem.
I had this same problem with my laptop over the summer, and I took it into the Apple Store to get it repaired for $200. They told me that they didn't know the cause of the problem. I think they replaced the bottom half of my laptop entirely (receipt says there's a new "Housing, Top Case with Keyboard, US") and told me the problem was fixed. This was on June 30. The laptop keyboard stopped working again today, October 19. I called Apple Support and they told me that I would have to pay for the repair again because it's been 90 days since the last repair. I'm annoyed and upset that I have to pay $200 again to re-repair a problem that should've been properly fixed the first time. Plus, if the problem keeps happening despite multiple repairs, I can't afford to keep getting the laptop repaired over and over again due to the Apple employees' incompetence.
Does anyone have any advice on how to fix the laptop? I'm a grad student and don't have the funds to pay for another repair, and there's no way for me to get to an Apple Store without hiring a car service, so I'm trying to avoid going to the store if possible. Thank you.

Get the new keyboard at eBay and replace by yourself may be cheaper way, though you're required higher skill and well know about MacBook Air.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0 .Xmacbook+air+2011+keyboard&_nkw=macbook+air+2011+keyboard&_sacat=0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLbasVD69xo

Water and macbook air- bluetooth problem

I spilt a whole glass of water over my macbook air, I dried it off and put it straight in the airing cupboard for 5 days. When I came to turn it on I could hear a high pitched buzzing noise coming from the top of the keyboard. I powered down and performed a SMC reset and it came back on with no noise. Everything seems to be working now apart from the bluetooth. Have I got lucky?- if I take it to Apple about the bluetooth problem will they blame water damage, is it any easy fix?
Thanks

Thanks Linc. Tried all of that but still nothing. I can't help get the feeling that it's me doing something stupid but I've never had this problem with my iPhones, iPads or iMacs.

My MacBook Air keyboard freezes, very interesting.

I have a MacBook Air (2010, Oct.) 13" which has keyboard problem.
Sometimes, keyboards attatched to my Mac - includes USB Mac keyboard - freezes and doesn't respond.
Mices? They work well.
It's interesting because when the problem occurs, function keys and specific keys like 'control', 'option' are still alive!
So I can still move around between spaces by 'control + number', but in this case, there's another problem.
The 'Spaces indicator' sticks on the screen and never disappear.
These problems occur almost every time when I'm running Parallels Desktop 6, and rarely occurs even I don't run PD6.
And once it occur, the problem last until I reboot.
Complete re-install of MacOS X could not be the cure.
How can I solve this problem?

BladeH,
This problem has been around for awhile now. Here's some information on the issue and some things you can try. I don't think anyone has really come up with a good answer.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20015817-263.html
Regards,
Captfred

Mid 2013 macbook air keyboard/trackpad stop responding

I have a mid-2013 13" Macbook Air - 512GB SSD, 8GB RAM - 1.7Ghz i7
I spend a good deal of time working at my home, where I have two external monitors (one via USB, one via the thunderbolt port) and a bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard. Things are great.
I also go on the road, and when I do, I simply unplug my monitors, close the lid, and go.
Lately, I've had some very odd behavior happen which acts a lot like what is described in the latest 13" Macbook Pro Retina EFI fix: http://www.macrumors.com/2013/11/07/apple-releases-fix-for-13-inch-retina-macboo k-pro-keyboardtrackpad-issues/
Here's what happens....when I'm traveling and away from my bluetooth keyboard/mouse, I will open up my MBA and the trackpad and internal keyboard are unresponsive. I can press the power button and get it to turn off...power it back on and am able to use the keyboard to control various boot options (diagnostics, single-user, safe-mode, recovery model, etc). Booting up full, however, the issue will still exist. Looking at the console log, when this is happening, there are a ton (about 4000 every minute) of the following :
11/1/13 7:45:26.000 PM kernel[0]: Error: AppleHSSPIController::doSPITransfer CRC from device was invalid
11/1/13 7:45:26.000 PM kernel[0]: Error: AppleHSSPIController::InterruptOccurred Failed to transfer interrupt data with Err (0xe00002eb)
Eventually, something happens and things start to work -- I will generally see the following in the console log when it starts working:
11/1/13 7:45:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad::start Start Succeeded
If I let the machine sit at the unlock screen, eventually a dialog comes up and says "unable to find external bluetooth keyboard/mouse..." It says it will continue to search and will pair with one eventually....it's the same message I would get from my mac mini if it couldn't find the bluetooth keyboard (and has no internal/hardwired keyboard).
When it is happening, I can use "cmd-r" to boot into recovery mode and recovery mode will complain about not having a mouse/trackpad - yet the keyboard seems to work to control what happens at boot time.
I called Apple and got sent to the apple store with a "it sounds like a faulty logic board or a connection that needs soldering". The Apple Store "genius" didn't quite think that was the case and has instead suggested I re-install the operating system. I'm non-plussed by both suggestions. This has happened both before and after Mavericks...
On one of my latest trips, I had a case where I took my laptop out on the plane to try to use it...only to have this issue occur. I landed, got to the hotel, tried again and everything worked fine. Went to dinner - leaving my laptop on the desk plugged in - only to come back to have the keyboard unresponsive.... I've now resorted to traveling with my bluetooth keyboard and mouse "just in case".
Any ideas/thoughts?

Mv2400
I will open up my MBA and the trackpad and internal keyboard are unresponsive.
Do four things to test for fault on this,
reset SMC ,
reset NVRAM,
uncheck "put hard disks to sleep"
and UNPAIR both your bluetooth mouse and keyboard from this Mac that you are using with it currently.
yes, the notion that your logic board is at fault is extremely unlikely, additionally (though far more likely) that your Mavericks OS is corrupt.
RESET SMC
Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.
RESET NVRAM
Shut down your Mac.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Lastly, go into SYS PREFERENCES > ENERGY > uncheck "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" in both tabs.
Let your Mac go into sleep or close the lid for a few mins. and reopen and verify that your trackpad and mouse are fine. They should be after this,.........
If not contact Apple for full in shop diagnostic, theyll run a hardware test (unlikely causation) and reinstall the OS, then retest and LASTLY replace the logic board (very unlikely).

Macbook Air keyboard dimly lit after spill...

I spilled liquid on my keyboard a little while ago, and it wasn't the first time. I cleaned everything up, but afterwards I noticed that the left half of my keyboard is lighting up much dimmer in comparison to the right side. Also, sometimes when I plug in my charger, the light won't go on when I attach it or it only works on one side when I flip it over. I'm not good with tech-y things, so it would be impractical for me to take my entire computer apart and it would be easier to have it repaired. I'm just wondering if there's an easy solution to fix this, or what the repair cost would be. I have a MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013). Thanks!

Make sure you have a good solid backup!!
You're lucky your computer is working at all. That state may not last long.
Follow John Galt's advice and have it looked at as soon as you can.

Macbook air keyboard issue

So i have a mid 2013 macbook air (running OS X YOSEMITE) , and im having issues with the keyboard:
keys "w" through "o" dont work on the third row from top (and when they do, they lag and stop working after couple mins)
if ur wondering, im writing this on the keyboard viewer
Been like for 3 days, please help so i can avoid repair fees
thanks

Upgrading the OS should have no effect on your keyboard.

My 2012 Macbook Air Keyboard and Trackpad Not Working

This all started last weekend when I installed the latest updates from Apple. The reboot and startup went fine, and nothing happened for a couple of hours, but while I was reading on the Kindle app (fullscreen), the trackpad stopped working. The keyboard stopped working too. Only the power button worked.
Since I received both a Growler and Notification Alert while this was going on, I assume everything else in the background is working just fine, but the keyboard and trackpad simply are not working. I rebooted the machine and it was working just fine. I dismissed it as a one-off occurance.
However the same issue occured a few hours ago, this time with the Safari screen full-screen. Since I was home, I've added a regular USB keyboard and mice, and that's how I'm typing this out on my Macbook Air at the moment
Like I said, this all started after I installed the OSX 10.8.4 updates onto my machine. I've never had a prior issue with the keyboard and trackbar until yesterday.
Any advice?

No one cared enough to answer.

MacBook Air keyboard problems

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