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Half of iMac keyboard not working

Revomonster

Revomonster

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 10, 2010
127
0
I have a late 2010 21.5 in iMac with OS X 10.7.5. It has been just fine, but just today a slight problem has developed that I have never has before. I always use an apple wireless keyboard, and today for some reason, I was working on typing up a paper and all of the sudden most of the keyboard went unresponsive. All of the letters went unresponsive, but yet the space bar, esc, control, alt, command, and the arrow keys still work. I thought it might be the keyboard, but it is not. I know it is not the keyboard because I tried connecting my other apple wireless keyboard, and it still had the same problem. The only way I was able to resolve it was to restart my computer. But then, less than an hour later, the exact same thing happened again. Any ideas? Thanks for the help,
:apple: Ruled
 
Revomonster said:
I have a late 2010 21.5 in iMac with OS X 10.7.5. It has been just fine, but just today a slight problem has developed that I have never has before. I always use an apple wireless keyboard, and today for some reason, I was working on typing up a paper and all of the sudden most of the keyboard went unresponsive. All of the letters went unresponsive, but yet the space bar, esc, control, alt, command, and the arrow keys still work. I thought it might be the keyboard, but it is not. I know it is not the keyboard because I tried connecting my other apple wireless keyboard, and it still had the same problem. The only way I was able to resolve it was to restart my computer. But then, less than an hour later, the exact same thing happened again. Any ideas? Thanks for the help,
:apple: Ruled
Click to expand...

The wireless keyboard is really the only Apple product that has greatly disappointed me. Mine see heavy use about six hours a day. Been through three in less than two years due to various keys just not working. The first time it was funny...just the "i" key quit! Third time about a fourth of the keys on the left side stopped after I cleaned it using the same methods I've used for decades. I made sure no liquid got through the cracks, or at least I thought so.
 
Have you tried either keyboard with another bluetooth capable device? Based on what you've said, it sounds like the iMac may not be responding to the keyboards if more than one of them are malfunctioning in the same way. But to be sure, it would be nice to hook them up to another computer, iPad, etc to see if they function elsewhere. If so, it may be the iMac...
 
I am writing this response with the same keyboard that the problems presented with on my iPad, and it is working just fine, obviously. I have tried multiple wireless keyboards on my mac, and both of them have the same problem. Come to think of it. I updated my mac, and did not use it for a few days after the update, until this last week. SO maybe that is the problem. It can't be the bluetooth with my mac because I when the problem occures, half of the keyboard still works. Also, my wireless trackpad works and connects just fine. So it is obviously still transmitting. The keyboard has fresh batteries and everything. But the problem still occures a couple of times every day. I will be using it one min, and the next min, all of the letters stop working. But as soon as I restart the computer, and it works just fine, for a few hours until the problem occures the next time. I am guessing that it must be a software problem. Any other ideas or ways to fix it? Thanks
 
Here is an interesting development. I tried my wired compact apple keyboard, and it was reacting exactly like my wireless keyboard was, but when I plugged in my full size(with numeric pad) keyboard, it did not have any problems at all. There has to be a software bug in the most recent version of OS X Lion that is causing my Mac to not see or support the compact size of keyboard, even though it is all genuine apple equipment. Any ideas are still welcome. This is becoming a more and more annoying problem. Thanks,
 
Revomonster said:
Here is an interesting development. I tried my wired compact apple keyboard, and it was reacting exactly like my wireless keyboard was, but when I plugged in my full size(with numeric pad) keyboard, it did not have any problems at all. There has to be a software bug in the most recent version of OS X Lion that is causing my Mac to not see or support the compact size of keyboard, even though it is all genuine apple equipment. Any ideas are still welcome. This is becoming a more and more annoying problem. Thanks,
Click to expand...

When I got my 2011 refurb it was doing same thing. Not a fun way to start from windows to Mac entering all ur passwords wrong going crazy. Called apple and was a system refresh thing he walked me through call them up sure they will help cant remember how to do it but it worked and been fine since
 
Ak907Freerider said:
When I got my 2011 refurb it was doing same thing. Not a fun way to start from windows to Mac entering all ur passwords wrong going crazy. Called apple and was a system refresh thing he walked me through call them up sure they will help cant remember how to do it but it worked and been fine since
Click to expand...

Was it by chance to reset PRAM or reset SMC? I think one of those I/O processors does control the keyboard input. That is usually the first troubleshooting steps that Apple Care has given me for any problems I have had in the past. Easy to do ... and doesn't hurt to try it. :)
 
Mine was the same, mouse cursor keeps disappearing and most of the keys not working, this in Adobe Photoshop and Google, word, Pages etc. Cannot do a Pram reset as the keys don't work, reset SMC by unplugging the mains lead for 30 seconds, plug back in, wait for 10 seconds, turn on. Booted into OSX Utility ! did a disk check and disk repair, check permissions etc to no avail.
Fortunately I had run a time machine back up last week, so did an install from that... OMG is it quick again, don't know what the problem was but it boots up like a new one, programs load in the blink of an eye ! Now I would of thought that the restore would rebuild as was last week, all programs and all files are as they were, but it's lightning fast again. Going to do that more often when it runs slowly.
So far all keys on keyboard are working and the mouse is behaving as well... Result
 
normski4ash said:
Mine was the same, mouse cursor keeps disappearing and most of the keys not working, this in Adobe Photoshop and Google, word, Pages etc. Cannot do a Pram reset as the keys don't work, reset SMC by unplugging the mains lead for 30 seconds, plug back in, wait for 10 seconds, turn on. Booted into OSX Utility ! did a disk check and disk repair, check permissions etc to no avail.
Fortunately I had run a time machine back up last week, so did an install from that... OMG is it quick again, don't know what the problem was but it boots up like a new one, programs load in the blink of an eye ! Now I would of thought that the restore would rebuild as was last week, all programs and all files are as they were, but it's lightning fast again. Going to do that more often when it runs slowly.
So far all keys on keyboard are working and the mouse is behaving as well... Result
Click to expand...
 
Oh Dear... half my keys stopped working again tonight, rebooted and it is as slow as ever, 5 minutes to boot, click on photoshop and it bounces in the task bar for ever before loading... That was a very short lived fix. Turned it off for the night ! Anyone want to buy a wonky imac ?
 
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