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Q: USB Keyboard Plugged into Monitor Often Doesn't Work

Very often the USB keyboard plugged into the 27" Thuderbolt Display will not be recognized. It can be worked around by plugging the  USB keyboard cable directly into MacBook Pro (which always works) but the whole point is to leave the office desktop peripherals connected to the monitor when the laptop is taken away. The keyboard is a new Apple full size USB US keyboard with integral numeric pad.

 

17" MacBook Pro late 2011, Lion (now 10.7.3)  always up to date with all Apple software and Firmware, including all the Thunderbolt Firmware updates. The problem has been occuring since 10.7.1 or 10.7.2 (sorry, can't remember exactly what we started with but it definitely predates 10.7.3).

 

A temporary fix can be achieved by performing an SMC reset but the problem recurs afterwards episodically upon a subsequent instance of the computer being detached from the monitor and then reconnected.

 

Attachment/detachment (computer to monitor) can be either while machine is off, on, or asleep and the behaviour is the same.

 

Everything, all powered devices, are conencted to a new UPS with AVR and active power factor correction CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD and no events are being logged (that is, logging is active but nothing has occurred).

 

Thoughts, suggestions, other data about set up that I ought include?

 

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

Thunderbolt 27" Display, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 4:33 AM

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Q: USB Keyboard Plugged into Monitor Often Doesn't Work

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  • by Userland,

    Userland Userland Nov 25, 2015 2:19 PM in response to chain86
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    Nov 25, 2015 2:19 PM in response to chain86

    Yep, thanks, Dell Monitor with the extension cables makes keyboard work!

  • by shesmalls,

    shesmalls shesmalls Dec 17, 2015 6:47 PM in response to Neoxine
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 17, 2015 6:47 PM in response to Neoxine

    Thank you, this post/advise totally restored my usb ports on my Apple display monitor

  • by andrew h brown,

    andrew h brown andrew h brown Mar 12, 2016 7:40 PM in response to Prag mac´ tic
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    Mar 12, 2016 7:40 PM in response to Prag mac´ tic

    I have found that the only time my Apple Extended Keyboard won't work properly when plugged into any Mac running any OS is when "Mouse Keys" are enabled. The Mouse Keys (accessibility feature) effectively hijack the 10-key keypad to turn the keys into pointer direction points. It's mighty handy in certain circumstances but I find myself going to the keypad way too often in the normal course of business to allow Mouse Keys to have full reign. SO, if you extended keyboard isn't working properly (you can't use the 10-key pad, chiefly), go to System Preferences/Accessibility/Mouse & Trackpad and make sure "Enable Mouse Keys" is unchecked. Then click the Keyboard button just above Mouse & Trackpad and click Open Keyboard Preferences. Select "Change Keyboard Type" in lower left corner and follow the prompts. With your keyboard plugged into a USB port on any Mac (desktop or portable), any OS. I've been working on Mac for 28 years and have ALWAYS upgraded to the extended keyboard; I've never had issues with it working or not, until someone turned on Mouse Keys.     Hope that helps and that it's not too ridiculously late.

  • by techwob,

    techwob techwob Mar 18, 2016 2:02 AM in response to Userland
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    Mar 18, 2016 2:02 AM in response to Userland

    This worked for me too

  • by jguffey95,

    jguffey95 jguffey95 Apr 1, 2016 12:32 PM in response to Prag mac´ tic
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 1, 2016 12:32 PM in response to Prag mac´ tic

    +1 happens to me as well. Minor bug but consistent annoyance.

  • by Thomas_Clark,

    Thomas_Clark Thomas_Clark Apr 11, 2016 6:19 AM in response to Prag mac´ tic
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 11, 2016 6:19 AM in response to Prag mac´ tic

    Had this problem too, all Apple hardware (brand new MacBook Pro Retina 15-inch Mid 2015; brand new 27-inch thunderbolt, new apple keyboard, Magic Mouse over bluetooth).

     

    Using the keyboard extension cable solved the problem for me.

  • by jantony_pdx,

    jantony_pdx jantony_pdx Apr 12, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Thomas_Clark
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 12, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Thomas_Clark

    I fought this issue for many months (Mac Book Pro, Retina 15; Thunderbolt 27"). I was constantly unplugging and replugging my keyboard from my Thunderbolt monitor in order to get it to recognize the keyboard.

     

    One day, I picked up an Anker 4 port USB hub (Amazon item# B00IJ331WY). I plugged that into my Thunderbolt USB port and my keyboard into the Anker USB hub. From then on, no more keyboard connection issues.

     

    So, I'm sure this is similar to the USB extension fix others have mentioned. (Note that I did have a really short USB extender that came with the keyboard, but it did not fix the problem.)

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