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Apple Keyboard...shocking
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Shocking keyboard...
Relative to the aluminum keyboard giving shocks...I have two aluminum keyboards and have never encountered any issues. I am inclined to think that you could have either a problem with your electrical AC ground or might have a static electricity problem. Try taking a voltmeter and reading AC volts from the keyboard frame to the electrical ground pin of the AC household wiring...the screw on the cover plate with contact to the metal and not the paint. You should have zero AC volts there.
Your computer if powered up from an outlet strip or AC 120 volt duplex outlet should have a ground pin and you should not be using any isolation plugs to keep the system off ground. Make sure all your equipment has 3 prong plugs other than those devices which use small transformers with just the two prong plugs and DC power supplies.
You might also be getting static electricity shocks by shuffling along carpets or picking up static electricity body charges and then if the aluminum keyboard does in fact have a good ground, you might be drawing a spark to that ground from your body. If you didn't get shocks from your old keyboard, then this could be it. The same thing would happen if you go to a water faucet instead of your aluminum keyboard and see if you get a shock there by touching the metal fawcet or water outlet. The only solution to that problem might be to get a set of hospital electrical booties to put on your feet to wear around the house. You could also increase the relative humidity inside your house to avoid static build up and prevent static electric charging of your body.
Hospital booties conduct the static electricity charges from your body and discharge you to earth ground through your feet through the conductive booties. They use these in hospitals in areas with explosive gases for anesthesia to avoid statically triggered explosions. I used to have to wear conductive sole shoes where I worked to avoid the same thing. The conductance of the shoes or booties is not like the low resistance of household wiring but it is sufficient to drain off static charges from your body and avoid static electric shocks in low humidity areas.
Relative to the aluminum keyboard giving shocks...I have two aluminum keyboards and have never encountered any issues. I am inclined to think that you could have either a problem with your electrical AC ground or might have a static electricity problem. Try taking a voltmeter and reading AC volts from the keyboard frame to the electrical ground pin of the AC household wiring...the screw on the cover plate with contact to the metal and not the paint. You should have zero AC volts there.
Your computer if powered up from an outlet strip or AC 120 volt duplex outlet should have a ground pin and you should not be using any isolation plugs to keep the system off ground. Make sure all your equipment has 3 prong plugs other than those devices which use small transformers with just the two prong plugs and DC power supplies.
You might also be getting static electricity shocks by shuffling along carpets or picking up static electricity body charges and then if the aluminum keyboard does in fact have a good ground, you might be drawing a spark to that ground from your body. If you didn't get shocks from your old keyboard, then this could be it. The same thing would happen if you go to a water faucet instead of your aluminum keyboard and see if you get a shock there by touching the metal fawcet or water outlet. The only solution to that problem might be to get a set of hospital electrical booties to put on your feet to wear around the house. You could also increase the relative humidity inside your house to avoid static build up and prevent static electric charging of your body.
Hospital booties conduct the static electricity charges from your body and discharge you to earth ground through your feet through the conductive booties. They use these in hospitals in areas with explosive gases for anesthesia to avoid statically triggered explosions. I used to have to wear conductive sole shoes where I worked to avoid the same thing. The conductance of the shoes or booties is not like the low resistance of household wiring but it is sufficient to drain off static charges from your body and avoid static electric shocks in low humidity areas.
Possible Solution
I just experienced the same thing. Slim aluminum keyboard, electrocuting my fingertips as I typed. It's really pretty hilarious, except that it hurts like hell. And it doesn't discharge like static every keystroke is a new shock and worse if I accidentally touched metal.
Anyhow, my theory is this: I had the power cable to my monitor, the DVI cable, and the keyboard wire all tied up together shooting down the same hole in my desk. I think that the current may have been jumping from one cable to the next, this happens with old cars sometimes and when it does it causes irregular timing in the cylinders.
What I've done is just moved the keyboard wire way the hell away from any power cables. Hopefully this will do the trick. It's simple, but it may just work. Good luck to ya'll.
I just experienced the same thing. Slim aluminum keyboard, electrocuting my fingertips as I typed. It's really pretty hilarious, except that it hurts like hell. And it doesn't discharge like static every keystroke is a new shock and worse if I accidentally touched metal.
Anyhow, my theory is this: I had the power cable to my monitor, the DVI cable, and the keyboard wire all tied up together shooting down the same hole in my desk. I think that the current may have been jumping from one cable to the next, this happens with old cars sometimes and when it does it causes irregular timing in the cylinders.
What I've done is just moved the keyboard wire way the hell away from any power cables. Hopefully this will do the trick. It's simple, but it may just work. Good luck to ya'll.
Shocks from keyboards and other hardware...
It is most likely that these shocks are static electricity discharges from ones body which is more "equipment dangerous" than "humanly dangerous". Getting a zap in never pleasant but the high voltages involved in static discharges are death to computer components if the solid state devices are subject to the discharges.
If these shocks are more likely to be occurring during the heating season when ones house becomes dry from the heating system running and the lowered relative humidity inside ones home, the solutions could be to increase the humidity within the living space by means of humidifiers or by wearing conductive booties on the feet to discharge static charges on ones body to ground. Shuffling across carpets and then touching an aluminum grounded keyboard is a certain way to discharge yourself but that smarts. The conductive booties are those paper things which hospital operating room people use to avoid blowing up the operating room when volatile gasses are in use.
Since my home seldom gets much below 40% RH, I don't have this problem but I have seen it when it gets really cold outside and the RH drops way down inside the living space. People in the tropics with lots of nice humid air would not have this problem unless they have super air-conditioning.
In the workplace where I was employed we were required to wear conductive soled shoes which had megohm resistance sufficient to discharge body static buildup to ground but insufficient conductivity to electrocute you from AC wiring. The paper bootie approach would help to keep your home clean as well as ward off the static shocks. There is a strap which you stick into your sock to connect your body to the bootie which then drains static to ground.
It is most likely that these shocks are static electricity discharges from ones body which is more "equipment dangerous" than "humanly dangerous". Getting a zap in never pleasant but the high voltages involved in static discharges are death to computer components if the solid state devices are subject to the discharges.
If these shocks are more likely to be occurring during the heating season when ones house becomes dry from the heating system running and the lowered relative humidity inside ones home, the solutions could be to increase the humidity within the living space by means of humidifiers or by wearing conductive booties on the feet to discharge static charges on ones body to ground. Shuffling across carpets and then touching an aluminum grounded keyboard is a certain way to discharge yourself but that smarts. The conductive booties are those paper things which hospital operating room people use to avoid blowing up the operating room when volatile gasses are in use.
Since my home seldom gets much below 40% RH, I don't have this problem but I have seen it when it gets really cold outside and the RH drops way down inside the living space. People in the tropics with lots of nice humid air would not have this problem unless they have super air-conditioning.
In the workplace where I was employed we were required to wear conductive soled shoes which had megohm resistance sufficient to discharge body static buildup to ground but insufficient conductivity to electrocute you from AC wiring. The paper bootie approach would help to keep your home clean as well as ward off the static shocks. There is a strap which you stick into your sock to connect your body to the bootie which then drains static to ground.
I was getting shocked by mine when i first got it. I have all my USB devices plugged into a hub, so when i set my MBP up i only have minimal cables to plug into it. At first i was using the hub unpowered, it was during this time i realised i was getting shocks from the keyboard. But then i plugged the hubs power cord into the mains and since then the shocks have stopped.
So guessing that when i plugged the hub into the mains, it was earthing the keyboard.
So guessing that when i plugged the hub into the mains, it was earthing the keyboard.
Shocks from aluminum keyboards, etc...
I looked at my hub and noted that it was powered up by a small step-down transformer without a 3 prong duplex style plug. It had only the two prongs into the 120VAC outlet. I would not be inclined to think that an isolation transformer type power supply such as this would provide any grounding improvement to a system lacking adequate grounding.
I took an AC digital voltmeter and made measurements between an iMac 24 aluminum frame, aluminum keyboard, an adjacent PowerMac G5, an adjacent display with metal screws on the back, and an iOmega 1TB backup drive with a metal case. On every measurement I got something in the fractional volt level under one volt AC. These readings could be explained by capacitance to ground and not unsatisfactory grounding. Thus I believe I have an adequately grounded set up using 3 prong plugs and nothing floating off ground with regard to the metal parts which can be touched by the hands in the process of using the equipment.
I have found in the past that when a device lacks adequate grounding that when one passes the fingers lightly over the exposed metal of the particular equipment, that a faint vibration can be noted in the fingers. This generally implies something inadequate about the grounding. AC volts readings would likely indicate something more than a volt or two between various devices under such circumstances.
If you are getting momentary zaps when you first approach and touch a device, it is most likely to be a static discharge from you to that device which does actually have an adequate ground. You have picked up a charge and lost it by getting a momentary shock to your keyboard, etc to discharge your body charge. My other comments above, tell about how to avoid this kind of shock.
If you are getting shocks by touching two different things at once and can get a shock every time you repeat that operation then you likely have an AC power grounding problem and a significantly dangerous scenario. If your shocks are to one finger from a device and the rest of your body is not in contact with a grounded object, then that would be a static shock.
I would be interested in knowing if any of these comments apply in your case.
I looked at my hub and noted that it was powered up by a small step-down transformer without a 3 prong duplex style plug. It had only the two prongs into the 120VAC outlet. I would not be inclined to think that an isolation transformer type power supply such as this would provide any grounding improvement to a system lacking adequate grounding.
I took an AC digital voltmeter and made measurements between an iMac 24 aluminum frame, aluminum keyboard, an adjacent PowerMac G5, an adjacent display with metal screws on the back, and an iOmega 1TB backup drive with a metal case. On every measurement I got something in the fractional volt level under one volt AC. These readings could be explained by capacitance to ground and not unsatisfactory grounding. Thus I believe I have an adequately grounded set up using 3 prong plugs and nothing floating off ground with regard to the metal parts which can be touched by the hands in the process of using the equipment.
I have found in the past that when a device lacks adequate grounding that when one passes the fingers lightly over the exposed metal of the particular equipment, that a faint vibration can be noted in the fingers. This generally implies something inadequate about the grounding. AC volts readings would likely indicate something more than a volt or two between various devices under such circumstances.
If you are getting momentary zaps when you first approach and touch a device, it is most likely to be a static discharge from you to that device which does actually have an adequate ground. You have picked up a charge and lost it by getting a momentary shock to your keyboard, etc to discharge your body charge. My other comments above, tell about how to avoid this kind of shock.
If you are getting shocks by touching two different things at once and can get a shock every time you repeat that operation then you likely have an AC power grounding problem and a significantly dangerous scenario. If your shocks are to one finger from a device and the rest of your body is not in contact with a grounded object, then that would be a static shock.
I would be interested in knowing if any of these comments apply in your case.
Mouse wheel shocking
Just to let you know I'm having the same effect with the Mighty Mouse and the mini-scroll wheel. If I turn and come back to the mouse, I get a zap when I go to scroll.
I have those plastic chair/floor mats to protect the carpet and probably build a charge by turning in my chair, but man does that annoy me when I go to use the mouse!
Someone posted about getting a wireless mouse, hmm, good idea.
Oh I've replaced my aluminum keyboard with the older white board too.
Silvercase imac 24" desktop unit.
Just to let you know I'm having the same effect with the Mighty Mouse and the mini-scroll wheel. If I turn and come back to the mouse, I get a zap when I go to scroll.
I have those plastic chair/floor mats to protect the carpet and probably build a charge by turning in my chair, but man does that annoy me when I go to use the mouse!
Someone posted about getting a wireless mouse, hmm, good idea.
Oh I've replaced my aluminum keyboard with the older white board too.
Silvercase imac 24" desktop unit.
"Shocking!!!"
A have a usb cable (from my LabelWriter) that sits next to my keyboard, unplugged. U plug it in when I need it. Occasionally, I rest my hand on this cable. when I touch this as well as the keyboard, I get a shock. Also, when I slide the cable end along the keyboard, I see sparks. Quite odd, eh?
A have a usb cable (from my LabelWriter) that sits next to my keyboard, unplugged. U plug it in when I need it. Occasionally, I rest my hand on this cable. when I touch this as well as the keyboard, I get a shock. Also, when I slide the cable end along the keyboard, I see sparks. Quite odd, eh?
Shocking...
It would be interesting to see what kind of AC voltage is present between your unplugged LabelWriter and keyboard. If you borrow an AC voltmeter and measure between the objects which appear to spark when touched, you can get some idea of the voltages present. If the LabelWriter is plugged into an AC power outlet, the item may not have a proper ground or your computer may not be properly grounded. If you are using a switched outlet strip, there could be a lack of adequate ground connections somewhere in the AC power connections to the various devices at your computer set-up. You could try reversing the orientation of the AC plug on the LabelWriter if there is one and make comparative AC measurements.
Some devices use small isolation transformers without ground pins on their cords and if these devices have internal problems, they can connect AC power to the devices such that voltages may appear between certain devices. In this case, reversing the power plug may eliminate the shocking problem.
Your description sounds as if you have an AC grounding issue as opposed to a static electricity shock situation which is generally just a one time zap during cold dry winter conditions when static charges build up and do not discharge until you come in contact with a grounded surface since the air is dry and does not have sufficient moisture to drain off static charges.
I suggest that you carefully assess that all your devices are correctly grounded and that should avoid the prospect of voltage differences among these devices since all their equipment cases would be connected to the same point electrically if the grounding connections are correct.
I notice that when I try to measure the resistance from one point to another on my Apple aluminum keyboard that the surface coating which looks like metal is actually non-conductive. The annodized coating looks like metal but is not conductive even if the base metal is aluminum. In such cases, one can get a shock due to the capacitance connection between your skin and the metal substrate even though the keyboard has a non-conductive surface. This makes voltage measurement with a meter between the keyboard surface to some other device more complicated. In order to get good AC readings you might have to put the meter probes between the USB outer sleeve connections to one another between the various devices since the outer sleeves of the USB connectors should be at ground potential if their respective grounding systems are in proper order.
It would be interesting to see what kind of AC voltage is present between your unplugged LabelWriter and keyboard. If you borrow an AC voltmeter and measure between the objects which appear to spark when touched, you can get some idea of the voltages present. If the LabelWriter is plugged into an AC power outlet, the item may not have a proper ground or your computer may not be properly grounded. If you are using a switched outlet strip, there could be a lack of adequate ground connections somewhere in the AC power connections to the various devices at your computer set-up. You could try reversing the orientation of the AC plug on the LabelWriter if there is one and make comparative AC measurements.
Some devices use small isolation transformers without ground pins on their cords and if these devices have internal problems, they can connect AC power to the devices such that voltages may appear between certain devices. In this case, reversing the power plug may eliminate the shocking problem.
Your description sounds as if you have an AC grounding issue as opposed to a static electricity shock situation which is generally just a one time zap during cold dry winter conditions when static charges build up and do not discharge until you come in contact with a grounded surface since the air is dry and does not have sufficient moisture to drain off static charges.
I suggest that you carefully assess that all your devices are correctly grounded and that should avoid the prospect of voltage differences among these devices since all their equipment cases would be connected to the same point electrically if the grounding connections are correct.
I notice that when I try to measure the resistance from one point to another on my Apple aluminum keyboard that the surface coating which looks like metal is actually non-conductive. The annodized coating looks like metal but is not conductive even if the base metal is aluminum. In such cases, one can get a shock due to the capacitance connection between your skin and the metal substrate even though the keyboard has a non-conductive surface. This makes voltage measurement with a meter between the keyboard surface to some other device more complicated. In order to get good AC readings you might have to put the meter probes between the USB outer sleeve connections to one another between the various devices since the outer sleeves of the USB connectors should be at ground potential if their respective grounding systems are in proper order.
Not so funny...
I have a new MacBookPro, the keyboard shocks me lightly (tingling) all the time when I am plugged in (i.e. when its charging) - very annoying. So I did a few tests -
a. the MacBookPro charger only has two prongs - so its not grounded. This makes nonsense of posts related to grounding for this computer (and I assume all Apple notebooks).
b. to make double sure, I tested the notebook charger in several outlets - same problem.
Thus, its not an AC earthing/wiring problem.
c. when the charger is pulled out and it runs on batteries its fine. Immediately.
Thus, its seemingly not a static electricity issue per se.
When the notebook is earthed and linking in a voltmeter the charge is +.15 to +3.5V DC...(i.e. earth is one terminal and the keypad the other).
So somewhere there's a leak between the charger/batteries and the body...
Any ideas what that may be?
I have a new MacBookPro, the keyboard shocks me lightly (tingling) all the time when I am plugged in (i.e. when its charging) - very annoying. So I did a few tests -
a. the MacBookPro charger only has two prongs - so its not grounded. This makes nonsense of posts related to grounding for this computer (and I assume all Apple notebooks).
b. to make double sure, I tested the notebook charger in several outlets - same problem.
Thus, its not an AC earthing/wiring problem.
c. when the charger is pulled out and it runs on batteries its fine. Immediately.
Thus, its seemingly not a static electricity issue per se.
When the notebook is earthed and linking in a voltmeter the charge is +.15 to +3.5V DC...(i.e. earth is one terminal and the keypad the other).
So somewhere there's a leak between the charger/batteries and the body...
Any ideas what that may be?
Interesting. I have a 2010 27" iMac and get a constant shock, if you will, when I keep my hand on the aluminum case or the (tethered) keyboard that I don't get off other electrical appliances, though those electrical appliances don't have exposed areas of metal. I don't get the same sensation off any of the appliances in the house.
What can I do to earth the iMac if the house wiring is old, say? Perhaps I can trail a wire from a cold water pipe or from the iron railings outside the house, or, short of getting the electrics rewired (a lot of old houses where I live) can anyone suggest a more practical solution? I should say there's nothing subtle about the feeling.
What can I do to earth the iMac if the house wiring is old, say? Perhaps I can trail a wire from a cold water pipe or from the iron railings outside the house, or, short of getting the electrics rewired (a lot of old houses where I live) can anyone suggest a more practical solution? I should say there's nothing subtle about the feeling.
Keyboard shocks/sensations...
Many of the comments I have read here remind me of something referred to as "electrovibration". I have personally experienced it with alternating current powered devices which have exposed metal parts or metal parts with nonconductive coatings. The sensation is one of vibration or tingling when one moves the fingertips across such a surface.
I have set out to discover its cause with various of my home appliances and never discovered any specific dangerous wiring problem which I could eliminate to get rid of it. The vibratory continuous sensation according to technical literature results from low current insufficient to be dangerous to humans. Ones body capacitance to ground can be sufficient to experience the problem. Some devices have even been designed to employ the effect for tactile feedback purposes:
http://www.chrisharrison.net/projects/teslatouch/teslatouchUIST2010.pdf
This sustained "electrovibration" is distinctly different from the distinct one time static shocks which one receives when touching grounded objects after shuffling across the carpet or actual electrical shocks from improperly grounded or defective AC equipment where considerable voltage can be measured between the offending object and a ground point.
I can not offer a better explanation of what "electrovibration" is besides reference to this site:
http://www.fys.uio.no/elg/bioimp/pdf/vibration.pdf
Bonding the offending surface to ground would likely eliminate the problem but depending upon the particular device might harm the device itself depending upon its design. If the device is isolated from ground intentionally and has no grounding prong such as a computer battery charger, etc, grounding the object might not be either desirable or practical.
Many of the comments I have read here remind me of something referred to as "electrovibration". I have personally experienced it with alternating current powered devices which have exposed metal parts or metal parts with nonconductive coatings. The sensation is one of vibration or tingling when one moves the fingertips across such a surface.
I have set out to discover its cause with various of my home appliances and never discovered any specific dangerous wiring problem which I could eliminate to get rid of it. The vibratory continuous sensation according to technical literature results from low current insufficient to be dangerous to humans. Ones body capacitance to ground can be sufficient to experience the problem. Some devices have even been designed to employ the effect for tactile feedback purposes:
http://www.chrisharrison.net/projects/teslatouch/teslatouchUIST2010.pdf
This sustained "electrovibration" is distinctly different from the distinct one time static shocks which one receives when touching grounded objects after shuffling across the carpet or actual electrical shocks from improperly grounded or defective AC equipment where considerable voltage can be measured between the offending object and a ground point.
I can not offer a better explanation of what "electrovibration" is besides reference to this site:
http://www.fys.uio.no/elg/bioimp/pdf/vibration.pdf
Bonding the offending surface to ground would likely eliminate the problem but depending upon the particular device might harm the device itself depending upon its design. If the device is isolated from ground intentionally and has no grounding prong such as a computer battery charger, etc, grounding the object might not be either desirable or practical.
Thanks for all the discussion here
I just wanted to drop in to say that I've been experiencing the exact same symptoms. I have that nice looking USB keyboard with an aluminum body, and I get zapped every now and then. I have the 2011 i5 Mac Mini.
I've noticed sweat at my fingertips makes this more probable, which is not surprising as it makes my fingertips more conductive. Anyway, its an annoying problem and I'm surprised if Apple isn't aware of it.
Some of Apple's design these days is starting to feel like its for looking at, not for using... although the keyboard has a good touch to it. But take their mouse for example... I hate it. I have a nice and simple white Logitech mouse to go with my keyboard.
Maybe I'll consider grounding my keyboard. I'm sure its not supposed to be harmful to my computer.
I just wanted to drop in to say that I've been experiencing the exact same symptoms. I have that nice looking USB keyboard with an aluminum body, and I get zapped every now and then. I have the 2011 i5 Mac Mini.
I've noticed sweat at my fingertips makes this more probable, which is not surprising as it makes my fingertips more conductive. Anyway, its an annoying problem and I'm surprised if Apple isn't aware of it.
Some of Apple's design these days is starting to feel like its for looking at, not for using... although the keyboard has a good touch to it. But take their mouse for example... I hate it. I have a nice and simple white Logitech mouse to go with my keyboard.
Maybe I'll consider grounding my keyboard. I'm sure its not supposed to be harmful to my computer.
I am using a mac mini with the wired USB Mac Keyboard. I am getting occasional electrical shocks, quite mild but quite frequent. It feels sort of like a joy-buzzer or something similar. It doesn't hurt, but is quite disconcerting at times. It seems to happen when I'm typing (obviously) but by that i mean when i press down on akey and my finger touches the metal between the keys it happens.
On a similar subject when charging my iPod touch 4th generation, I have picked it up while its charging and got quite a zap, ie a genuine, albeit minor electric shock. This has happened a few times and caused me to abandon my charging cable (authentic apple) for an cheap aftermarket one.
I had the same issue. Every time I'm at my computer without shoes I get shocked through the keyboard, strangely when i plug my iPhone in to get charge it gets even worse. When I put some rubber shoes on the the shocking stops. It might be a earthing issue like one of the users above mentioned.