My macbook pro keyboard and trackpad lock up randomly

In the last day or so, my mac has started locking up the keyboard and trackpad randomly. It happened to me a couple times yesterday completely at random times. Once when I was playing a game, and another time when I was just browsing the web. I had Mavericks 10.9.3 at the time of the first lockup, then updated and the second lockup occurred under 10.9.4. I have a 15" mid-2012 macbook pro.

I have to hard restart the computer by holding down the power button. Closing the lid like in the issue with the retina mackbooks does nothing.

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Macbook Pro Keyboard and Trackpad Not Working

few days ago, my Macbook Pro keyboard and trackpad started to act very oddly.
Basically, the keyboard doesn't work at all. I press down the keys, and all I get is that error message sound. The volume and display brightness keys seem to work, but almost all of the others just won't type anything. it-s like any key command or alt would stay pressed so when i click any key its trying to perform other function instead of just typing the letter. that-s probably the reason why the trackpad is also being very odd. When I first turn on the laptop, it seems to work as normal. I can click on an application, and it opens. But about one minute after the laptop first starts, it's like anywhere I click on the trackpad is a right-click. To open an application, I click like I normally would but instead of opening, a menu pops up as if I right-clicked. This happens in Finder and everywhere else that I've tested (for instance, I can't drag any Finder windows to different positions on the screen, because it acts as if I right-clicked instead of left-clicked), no matter whether I tap or click the trackpad.
I have reset my permissions, but that didn't fix anything. I verified the hard drive and it said there were no problems. A big issue is that I can't do anything that requires me to type in my password, since I can't type anything. I tried to reset the PRAM, but I don't think that it even registered me pressing the Command-Option-P-R keys when I booted up, so i just removed the battery for a while, i am not sure that did anything at all.
i tried to reinstall the os, i had mavericks and i installed a fresh mountain lion but the problem persists. i recently installed virtualbox and the keyboard seems to work right as long as i do not press any of the following keys command, alt, shift, etc.. if i press any of them same thing happens. i found that if i connect a usb keyboard everything works, but when i use the inbuilt keyboard the problem is back and a i have to connect disconnect the usb keyboard to be able to type or use the trackpad normally.
any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.

No one cared enough to answer.

Why does my Macbook pro keyboard and trackpad randomly become unresponsive forcing restart in OSX Mavericks?

Randomly when using OSX Mavericks, since installing yesterday, my mid-2012 Macbook Pro keyboard and trackpad freeze and become unresponsive.
The computer is still running whatever I was doing, the computer does not crash, i just cannot control it and the only way I have found as a fix is to restart.
This never happened in Mountain Lion.
Can anyone help?

Very similarly.
Mac Mini late 2012. i7 CPU, 16GB ram. 12GB unused.
After installing Mavericks, it seems to grind my system to a halt. It is still running (I can move the cursor and activity monitor updates processes) but every application I try to launch results in a colorful waiting sign. It even can take a minute or more before an application shows "any" sign of starting.
I tried to open a terminal session (so I could manually kill a process) but the terminal session did not even process. It timed out after 5 minutes.
Acitivity monitor shows 90-95% idle and I have no idea what's causing it.
I have already rebuild disk and reset permissions (all seemed fine) 3 times.
I've rebooted over 8 times since last night. I cannot use my Mac anymore reliably.
Please help.

Macbook Pro Keyboard and trackpad not working - SOLUTION!

Recently my Macbook Pro of 3 years suddenly stopped working -- or at least the keyboard and track pad did. I plugged in an external USB mouse and and keyboard and was able to use it but it was of course cumbersome. Thinking it was a software issue like the one that used to happen to my old G4 desktop I reinstalled the OS but this did nothing but cause a lot of extra work. After doing a lot of hours of research I finally began reading that people were finding a solution by replacing their "topcase" (the topcase includes the keyboard and trackpad). This is a $300 fix and not knowing if it would even work I didn't want to try it and be wrong!
To make a short story longer I found a website (which I have no affiliation with) called www.powerbookmedic.com who sold the cable only so you could do your own fix for about $35. They provide basic video but not an exact step by step to replace the actual cable -- just how to get to it.
I will warn you that the components are tiny and I recommend buying the Mac tool kit and pry tool to help you through it. Even so I broke a small component but luckily it still works. In the end I now have a working Macbook Pro and some extra tools for the next time. I stripped a screw so had to spend another $15 and buying anti-static tape, although not necessary might be a good idea. Total cost to me was about $60 with tools and everything.
It is not very hard to do the replacement but it is tricky because the components are so fragile and I did not have a video to properly describe how to open up connectors -- hence why I broke one. But if you are patient, savy and need to save a few bucks it can be done.
PS- I have rebuilt desktop Mac's before but this was the first time I ever opened up a laptop. I used the video's provided at http://www.powerbookmedic.com/ as much as allowed.
Good luck!

No one cared enough to answer.

My Macbook pro keyboard and trackpad do not work

There is no water damage. So please, do not say this may be the problem. My mac is only around 2 months old. I was using my keyboard and trackpad fine, when i looked away, and when i looked back nothing worked at all. No keys, nor the trackpad work. Please if someone knows a known issue, please bring it to my attention. Thanks!

There is no water damage. So please, do not say this may be the problem. My mac is only around 2 months old. I was using my keyboard and trackpad fine, when i looked away, and when i looked back nothing worked at all. No keys, nor the trackpad work. Please if someone knows a known issue, please bring it to my attention. Thanks!

HELP!: MacBook Pro Keyboard and Trackpad freeze...

Good Afternoon,
Yesterday afternoon, I turned on my MacBook Pro and a few seconds after bootup the trackpad became unresponsive, I then tried to perform a restart with the aid of the keyboard however, I then, noticed that my MBP keyboard also became unresponsive. I then tried to turn off the system through the power button and a dialog of OSX came up asking me to Restart, Sleep, and/or Shutdown the computer, meaning that the OS was somewhat responsive. Since I could not select any of the options via keyboard or trackpad I decided to close the lid of my MacBook Pro. Interestly, when I reopened the lid I has to push the power button and the computer went over a new start up sequence and the computer has behaved normally thereafter. However, I should note that this is the second time that my MBP freezes on me in the fashion. What should I do? Is this a common error in MacBook Pros?
My MacBook Pro model is a 15" Core i5 2.53ghz Mid-2010 with 500GB HDD, 4GB of Ram, and a Nvidia 330m 256mb grapichs card.
Thank You for any assistance in this matter.

vea1083 wrote:
Good Afternoon,
Yesterday afternoon, I turned on my MacBook Pro and a few seconds after bootup the trackpad became unresponsive, I then tried to perform a restart with the aid of the keyboard however, I then, noticed that my MBP keyboard also became unresponsive. I then tried to turn off the system through the power button and a dialog of OSX came up asking me to Restart, Sleep, and/or Shutdown the computer, meaning that the OS was somewhat responsive. Since I could not select any of the options via keyboard or trackpad I decided to close the lid of my MacBook Pro. Interestly, when I reopened the lid I has to push the power button and the computer went over a new start up sequence and the computer has behaved normally thereafter. However, I should note that this is the second time that my MBP freezes on me in the fashion. What should I do? Is this a common error in MacBook Pros?
My MacBook Pro model is a 15" Core i5 2.53ghz Mid-2010 with 500GB HDD, 4GB of Ram, and a Nvidia 330m 256mb grapichs card.
Thank You for any assistance in this matter.
Anyone?

10.5.8 MacBook Pro: Keyboard and Trackpad Not Working

I have an older MacBook Pro (all metal, non-chiclet keyboard) and the trackpad and keyboard have recently become unresponsive. The power buttons work fine and when I plug in a mouse and keyboard via USB, I am able to use the computer-but that limits my mobile usage. Is there a driver update/download that I can get to fix this? Side note: I no longer have the old OS X disc that came with the computer. Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi s,
In some cases, the battery can interfere with a cable between it and the inside of the MBP, causing keyboard and/or trackpad issues. Shut down the MBP, disconnect the power adapter, remove the battery, take a piece of something semi-soft (like a paper napkin folded over a couple times), place it over the cable you see in the battery compartment, and tape it down. Replace the battery and see how things go. If this works, you'll eventually want to replace the keyboard/trackpad cable (about $25 if you can do the work yourself). Note that if you go to a repairshop, they usually want to replace the entire top case assembly, which is much more costly.
If the issue persists, shut down,disconnect the power adapter, remove the battery, connect the power adapter, boot the MBP and see if the issue persists without the battery in place (but remember to save a lot, because if the power adapter gets pulled out the MBP will immediately shut down and any unsaved work will be lost).
Also look at the battery to see if it has any signs of deformity/bulging, in which case do not use it again (it may be pushing on the keyboard/trackpad cable and causing the issue); it must be replaced.

My Macbook Pro keyboard AND USB keyboard will not work. However, the trackpad and USB mouse will work. Any help?

My Macbook Pro keyboard and USB keyboard will not work. However, the trackpad and USB mouse will work. Any help?
This is quite frustrating, since it randomly occured as I was browsing the web. It seemed to happen out of nowhere. I cannot login to my user account because I cannot type my password.
Any help will be appreciated.
-Matt

If you have another Mac, boot the non-working one into Target Disk Mode (holding down "T" at startup). Hook up the two Macs via a Firewire cable. The non-working one will mount on the other Mac as an external Firewire HD.
Next, download the 10.5.6 Combo update from here:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/macosx1056comboupdate .html
Run it. When it asks you for a destination, choose the other Mac that was mounted via Firewire. When it's done, unmount the computer and restart it. The keyboard and mouse should work now.

MacBook Pro Keyboard and tracking pad issues

I bought a refurbed macbook pro from Apple about 10 months ago. I've loved everything about it . . . until now. Yesterday I turned it on and started having keyboard issues. First the y key wouldn't work, then the rest of the keys followed. At that point, it was still starting up normally, but then the tracking pad would only "right click" on items on my desk top, so I couldn't open applications.
Now it will only open up in safe mode and it makes a noise like I'm pressing all the keys at once at start-up. Nothing happened to it between Saturday night when it was working perfectly and Sunday morning so I'm mystified. I brought it to the genius bar this morning and they also couldn't see what was wrong. Genius said something about how some keys looked "stuck" but mentioned it didn't looked like anything was spilled on it or anything.
The only "weird" thing about it is that the hing between the screen and the keyboard has always been a little loose but I didn't know until my husband bought a new pro a few months later and I felt the difference. The genius didn't seem to think that would mean anything.
They told me it would be at least $280 to send it out, diagnose, and fix it. Considering it's less than a year old, I'm a little reluctant (and poor) to do that right way especially since he had no clue what the problem might be.
I'm planning on trying another Genius Bar to see if they might have a better idea (hey, it worked with my ipod once) but I've been combing the message boards to see if anyone has had a similar issue. I found an older thread that talked about 2008 pros haven't issues with the keyboard and trackpad freezing due to a "faulty pressure connector" so I might try that solution when I get home. But any other ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
If you bought your Mac from Apple 10 months ago, it should still be covered by the 1 year warranty and as long as the problem was not caused by accidental damage of some sort, it should be repaired at no cost to you. Was the store aware that you were still under warranty?
You can even upgrade to 3 year Applecare if you do so before the first year of ownership is up--definitely something to do if your Mac is having troubles already.
When you see the next genius, make sure they know you are still in the 1 year warranty period, and if you can, upgrade to 3 year Applecare.
You can also call Applecare on the phone and tell them about these problems and ask them for a case number, which will at least establish that they started while you were still under warranty. If a problem first occurs under warranty, Apple will honor the warranty until the problem is fixed, even if the warranty runs out in the meantime.
Good luck!

Macbook pro backspace and caps lock keys stopped working?

My macbook pro keyboard has suddenly started playing up. The backspace, caps lock and tab keys have stopped working. Nothing has been spilt on it. Any ideas in case it is a software glitch, please?

Take it to an Apple store or AASP.

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.

White Macbook 15" Keyboard and Trackpad Freeze

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a white 15" macbook that is having some issues with the keyboard and trackpad freezing. Both are completely dead. When I wiped the machine, during the OS install, it said there was no keyboard attached. I can only use it by utilizing a bluetooth keyboard and/or usb or wireless mouse. No other performance issues. Hardware tests all check out ok.
This afternoon, my son told me that the keyboard and mouse started working again for about half an hour, then quit again.
Has anyone else had this issue? Ideas? What will this likely cost to fix?
Oh, and no spilled drinks, drops, etc.
Thanks...

As you have determined, this is a hardware issue. We don't know the cause, but it's broken and needs repair.
Contact Apple using expresslane.apple.com if you are in a country that supports it or call the appropriate phone number on this page. Alternatively carry the MacBook in to an Apple retail store or service provider to ask for an estimate.

MacBook Pro keyboard and mouse!

My mbp is typing "8" by itself! It won't sleep, the question key doesn't work, and the mouse goes haywire
and selects items all by itself! Please help what do I do?? Is it a virus?do I need my keyboard and trackpad replaced??please help!

Hi R, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
Remove the battery and see if it behaves any better. In some cases the battery can deform and cause pressure on the keyboard/trackpad cable between the batt and the MBP case. In some cases this issue can occur with a normal battery. In some cases putting a piece of paper and/or tape between this cable and the batt can resolve the issue. In some cases securing the connection resolves it. In some cases replacing the cable resolves it. In some cases replacing the top case resolves it.
Message was edited by: tjk

Built-in Keyboard and trackpad become unresponsive randomly

I've been researching a lot on this but no case seems to apply to mine.
Out of nowhere, about once a day, the built-in keyboard and trackpad of my 2010 MacBook Air will stop working. The only thing that works is the power button, which brings up the power dialog in which I can't do anything. I can also do a hard shutdown.
However, if I connect an external mouse and keyboard, they work. With just a restart through them or a hard shutdown, the built-in keyboard and trackpad start working perfectly. This makes me think it's a software issue, and thinking about it, this didn't happen before 10.8.4.
I ended up resetting the PRAM, the SMC, and finally erasing my disk and reinstalling OSX. After that, I have ONLY installed Google Chrome, nothing else, and it's still happening.
I don't live in the U.S, so taking it to Apple is impossible plus the issue is not easily reproduced, not to mention the computer is almost 3 years old.
Any ideas? Thanks!

The next time you have the problem, note the exact time: hour, minute, second.
If you have more than one user account, these instructions must be carried out as an administrator.
Launch the Console 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 Console in the icon grid.
Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar.
Scroll back in the log to the time you noted above. Select any messages timestamped from then until the end of the episode, or until they start to repeat. Copy them to the Clipboard (command-C). Paste into a reply to this message (command-V).
When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough.
Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

Macbook Pro keyboard and track pad freezes after a day or two of using bluetooth Magic Mouse

The first time this happened I thought my 3 y/old 17" Macbook Pro had died. The mouse cursor had frozen to the top left of the screen and the keyboard was also frozen and no matter what I did it didnt unfreeze. Even restarting. I searched extensively online and the only solution offered was to re install the system software.
The next day I took it into work, opened it ip there and the cursor and keyboard was working again.
This led me to believe there was a conflict with my recently purchased Magic Mouse and/or bluetooth. Even though I had been using the mouse for well over 3 weeks with no problem.
I resumed using the Magic Mouse with the computer for another week and then the keyboard/trackpad froze again. The Magic Mouse remained active. This time, I took the batteries out of the mouse and took the computer downstairs. After a couple of hours everything is working fine again.
Has anyone had this experience and knows how to fix? Or am I resigned to using a wired mouse?

I have never encountered anything similar. However, try resetting the PRAM and SMC.
Barry

My macbook pro keyboard and trackpad lock up randomly

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