Powerbook G4 Keyboard problem

Hey

Yeah, this is indeed an odd and well discussed topic, of which i'm also affected. I have a 1.5 15" PB with 1Gb RAM and have had this problem for a long time - i just haven't cared enough to investigate or speaking to Apple. However, now's the time as i need it now.

A little of my history:

* In the beginning, all worked well (for a year or so after purchase), with options available in the control panel to enable & disable backlight support and functioning F8 to F10 keys
* Then, for the next year or so, the keyboard keys F8 to F10 did display onscreen messages on selecting them, but the onscreen graphic displayed a cross through it, suggesting that the backlit keyboard wasn't available. For this time, the options remained in the control panel to control the backlit keyboard.
* Now, the F8 to F10 keys do not display anything onscreen - they are basically dead. Also, the option in the control panel has gone to enable / disable the backlit keyboard AND so has the option in the 'Display' control panel to enable / disable varied brightness based on room ambient light. Plus, i just tried the 'Lab Tick' app and it confirms that i don't have a backlit keyboard.

How very odd! I have to speak to Apple about this very odd situation.

Please let me know if you find a resolution I'll do the same

Andy

 

GOT IT FIXED!

I followed the following advice to reset the PRAM and it worked

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238

I simply:
* Switched off the mac
* Held down the Command, Option, P and R keys and pressed and held the power key. The mac started and i kept all buttons held until i heard the chime. I then released them all and on booting of OS X, it worked as it did before!

I'll see how long it lasts.

Hope it works for you too.

 

A note about the PRAM-reset procedure

Hello all,

I, too, got my keyboard problem fixed, and, indeed, resetting the PRAM did the trick. However, I would like to note that it is necessary to hold down the "power on" button along with the other 4 keys until after the regular "boot up" chime sounds. This regular 'boot up" chime follows another "tone" that I had never heard before and presumably is part of the PRAM reset sequence.

I was perplexed by the PRAM-reset instructions, which mentioned that the keys had to be held down until after the 2nd chime. The first time I tried this, I heard no 2nd chime. Where was the 2nd chime, I mused? When the problem was not solved, I went searching again, and, thanks to goundry, I realized that you have to hold down the power-on button, too. Doing so, then I heard the fan, the tone, and then the regular chime.

I will just mention, for what it's worth, that my crazy-keyboard problem has cropped up irregularly for years. In the past, I unplugged the computer, removed the battery, and this action always solved the problem. However, today, I repeated that sequence multiple times to no avail. Now I believe I have the "real" method for solving this keyboard problem.

The problem is solved, and I thank you all.
Regards,
Marty