Remote stops working - needs reboot

[jmargolis]

I am learning Spanish with mp3s I listen to on iTunes. And this requires hitting pause frequently to "think" before answering. When I do this with the apple remote it works fine for awhile. But after 15 minutes or so (or after hitting pause and play maybe 20 times), the remote stops working and I need to use the mouse or keyboard instead. Restarting iTunes doesn't help, but rebooting my Mac does.

Question: Is there a way to "restart" just the remote sensor?
Question: Anyone else ever get this? Any recommendations?

I have 27in iMac i5.

 

[waw74]

sometimes as batteries get old, they'll work for a while, then run down, but after they sit, they'll build up enough charge to work for a while again.

When the remote stops working, aim the remote into any camera (cell phone or isight on the mac will work) and see if you see a blue-ish white light coming out of the remote. You'll have to have the remote and camera pointed directly at each other.

 

[jmargolis]

Yes I see the blue-ish white light. Also, the remote works fine with my Apple TV. So I think the remote is good. For some reason iTunes stops responding to the remote after awhile (and then it's fine again after reboot).

 

[tonyburkhart]

Is your remote paired with the iMac?

Have you paired it with your iMac?

Sounds like it is default to control all devices and times-out.

Check out this pairing article : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1619

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Also, I don't know your exact setup... but could you just listen to the mp3's on the Apple TV, since it works all the time?

 

[jmargolis]

I figured out how to fix it. In System Preferences -> Security -> Disable remote control infrared receiver. By disabling it and the re-enabling it, it works again. This also enabled me to pair the remote.

 

[waw74]

Sounds like it is default to control all devices and times-out.

pairing does nothing to the remote.
there are 256 different remote IDs. if you have a remote with an id of 67, it will send "play-67."
All pairing does is tell the mac to only listen to 67.