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ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,109
854
My Enter key is stuck. It works, but it doesn't move and has to be pushed hard. Anything I can do myself? Of course, I can take it to Apple, but that is complicated after all. Can they replace just that key?
 

JamesGoodman

macrumors regular
Dec 3, 2015
111
96
Still under Applecare? If so, you'll have it back in three business days. They will replace the keyboard, most likely. Good luck. By the way if you mentioned which MacBook I missed it.
 

ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,109
854
Still under Applecare? If so, you'll have it back in three business days. They will replace the keyboard, most likely. Good luck. By the way if you mentioned which MacBook I missed it.
Yes, rMB 12 still under AppleCare. Wish they could quickly just replace that one key
 

JamesGoodman

macrumors regular
Dec 3, 2015
111
96
I understand. I am no expert, but from my experience last week with a stuck space key, I have a suspicion that the whole thing is one piece. I sent it in in the box they sent me on Friday morning, I had the computer back Tuesday by 10:00am. If I had sent it on a Monday or Tuesday, I probably would have had it even more quickly. I think the entire keyboard and top is one piece. My repair slip says: Top Case with Keyboard. For one stuck key. Good luck.
 

April Knight

Suspended
Jul 24, 2011
345
138
Olympia, WA
I understand. I am no expert, but from my experience last week with a stuck space key, I have a suspicion that the whole thing is one piece. I sent it in in the box they sent me on Friday morning, I had the computer back Tuesday by 10:00am. If I had sent it on a Monday or Tuesday, I probably would have had it even more quickly. I think the entire keyboard and top is one piece. My repair slip says: Top Case with Keyboard. For one stuck key. Good luck.
I had the same experience. The way it was explain dot me, they don't have a way to replace faulty keys for some reason, so they have to replace the whole keyboard. On the Retina Macbook, the keyboard is part of the top case, so then the entire top case has to be replaced. Seems kinda like an odd move to make with a new keyboard design, but I'm not upset to have a brand new top case on my Macbook!
 

Willo34

macrumors regular
Feb 5, 2015
247
42
Netherlands
They cant replace individual keys, no. I know a company that does, but it's in Holland, so useless to you. They will replace the enitire keyboard. Just do it, you have AppCare.
 

ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,109
854
So, I took it to the Apple Store. First, they wanted to send the computer to repair store. It would take a week. I cannot work without the computer, and I cannot just take a week vacation! They agreed to order the parts, and then they can fix in 3-5 days. Still bad. But I have an iMac, so I can organize my work so I can do all on the iMac.

But still my fear with this case has come true. I really fear this low movement keyboard is very weak, and it might give users a lot of problems down the road. The smallest contamination getting into the keyboard can stop it working.
 

johngordon

macrumors 68000
Apr 19, 2004
1,733
961
Ours has the same issue. The K key seems to have it to, but intermittently. Sounds like we should get it fixed while its under warranty.

What happens with something like this if a replacement keyboard develops the same issue a few months down the line?

Is the replacement keyboard covered for another 12 months, or only til the end of the original 12 months?
 

Glockworkorange

Suspended
Feb 10, 2015
2,511
4,184
Chicago, Illinois
My Enter key is stuck. It works, but it doesn't move and has to be pushed hard. Anything I can do myself? Of course, I can take it to Apple, but that is complicated after all. Can they replace just that key?
My delete key was stuck. Still under warranty. Took it in and they sent it out to replace the whole keyboard. As another poster said, three days. Also, to my surprise, my machine came back with: 1) a new display, 2) a new logic board and 3) something called an "influx device flex cable."

Problems they identified that I did not notice/know about when I brought it in? "Memory errors/Not Recognized;" "Anti-Reflective Coating Delamination and "Cable Causing Issue."

This is part of why you spend the extra money for Apple products---the service.

Edit: It's my understanding if a single key needs to be replaced, off it goes for a whole keyboard replacement.
 
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ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,109
854
So, I got it back from repair. Took two days, which fortunately coincided with my vacation. And yes, they replaced the whole "top cover" for the partially stuck enter key.
 

sasha.danielle

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2015
218
18
I had two keyboard replacements on my machine. Both times I had to drive in to the nearest city (two hours away) twice (once to drop off and once to pick up). I was not impressed. I had the same problem with keys. More often they were at the bottom of the keyboard (i.e. the spacebar) or the left or right side (return, shift, etc.) We determined it's actually not a mechanical problem per se but actually very small debris which gets under there. I was skeptical when they told me this, but it's true. Since taking precautions I haven't had an issue I couldn't remedy.

1) I always blow debris off the top of the keyboard before wiping. Wiping can force debris into the key holes. This is a good practice for any keyboard, but especially here.
2) Be careful. Don't eat around the machine. In general I think this is a good idea too. People who eat around their machines often have gross machines. Also, on a more health related note, I feel it's just good practice to be more mindful when eating anyway. When I eat a meal, I try to only be doing that. Scarfing down food while plowing through youtube vids isn't good for you. We should be more conscious of when and how we eat. [End rant]
3) If a key does stick, flip the machine over and flick the key a bunch of times with your finger. Since I realized I could do this I have not had a key that cannot be fully remedied--though I assume too, if you let it get bad enough, perhaps it could become too far gone.

I flat out love this keyboard, but it's not perfect. I hope Apple improves it in subsequent generations. This keyboard problem seems too common.
 

ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,109
854
Well, now on the new keyboard Apple installed, the space key doesn't really work! When I press it with the right thumb, it often misses it. I guess I press it on the very edge, but it worked with my previous keyboard. Now I often miss spaces.
 

sasha.danielle

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2015
218
18
There's stuff under the key. I guarantee it.
[doublepost=1459298023][/doublepost]Flip the machine upside down and flick the key a bunch.
 
Last edited:

No-Me

macrumors 6502a
Jul 3, 2011
574
31
Rotterdam
Well, now on the new keyboard Apple installed, the space key doesn't really work! When I press it with the right thumb, it often misses it. I guess I press it on the very edge, but it worked with my previous keyboard. Now I often miss spaces.
I had the same when I got my MacBook last year, Apple replaced the entire MacBook 7 times, and only the 8th one had a faultless keyboard, but it's a matter of time until this one also starts to act up. I hope that in the next generation they will find a way to put the same keyboardmechanism in the macbook as they have in the Magic Keyboard. That's a lot better.
 

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,732
6,095
So, I took it to the Apple Store. First, they wanted to send the computer to repair store. It would take a week. I cannot work without the computer, and I cannot just take a week vacation! They agreed to order the parts, and then they can fix in 3-5 days. Still bad. But I have an iMac, so I can organize my work so I can do all on the iMac.

But still my fear with this case has come true. I really fear this low movement keyboard is very weak, and it might give users a lot of problems down the road. The smallest contamination getting into the keyboard can stop it working.

I know each store is different, but they just gave me a new computer when I had a stuck delete key. I was in the same situation as you. It is my work computer.
 

Wowereit

macrumors 6502a
Feb 1, 2016
964
1,485
Germany
sent it out to replace the whole keyboard. As another poster said, three days. Also, to my surprise, my machine came back with: 1) a new display, 2) a new logic board and 3) something called an "influx device flex cable."

Display, logic board, upper half of the case (keyboard) and a cable.
So the only thing left from your Macbook are SSD, battery and the bottom plate?
 

ahostmadsen

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
1,109
854
Well, now on the new keyboard Apple installed, the space key doesn't really work! When I press it with the right thumb, it often misses it. I guess I press it on the very edge, but it worked with my previous keyboard. Now I often miss spaces.
Now the space key seems to work better. Perhaps it needed some work out to get rid of some stiffness? Or perhaps I got used to hitting the space key in a different manner.

But I still fear that the keyboard is a weak link in the MacBook that will give a lot of problems to a lot of users a few years out.
 
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