one row of letters on keyboard not responding

Hi, exactly the same problem has happened to my keyboard, letters A to L just stopped working. Would be great to hear if you managed to fixt it.
Thanks

Maybe it is as easy to solve as a loose internal keyboard cable... you may check out the DIY guides at sites like http://www.ifixit.com to see how to remove the keyboard and give it a try.

All other keys are working reliably ? Keyboard backlight as well ?

Well, at least it is worth a try... but sounds like magic, I don't think that this works for your problem.

Have you tried to execute the Apple hardware tests ? They should be on one of the CDs/DVDs you got with the computer. Maybe they bring some more light into this issue.

I have exactly the same problem with my PowerBook G4 17". Tried to reconnect the keyboard connector, it solved my problem, but not for a long time, now the same problem again.. Don't know what to do 😟

Hi lex.lin.
Sorry to hear youve got same problem. Very strange isn't it - one second fine just typing away then the next the whole rows stops working. Mine's the PB 17" too. I thought about reconnecting the keyboard - shame it didn't fix it for you- was it a big job?

No, it was not really hard to do.
You can find a detailed guide at www.ifixit.com. You just need to reconnect your keyboard ribbon "correctly", and that is the only hard thing to do.

Direct link to the guide: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/PowerBook-G4-Al-17-Inch/Keyboard-1-1-5-GHz/55/4/ Page-3/Upper-Case The very first picture is what we all need to fix.

I've figured out the reason of my problem with my old PowerBook G4. The problem was caused by the second RAM slot with 512 MB installed. After removing 512 MB everything is alright, no keyboard problems.
PS: I forgot the password for my account and now I'm forced to use the new one, but it's still me 🙂

You are completely right!

I swapped the two 512MB blocks in my PB G4 and the problem turned from keys 1-0 to keys z-.
I then removed the second RAM block from the computer, and here I am typing everything!!!

Solution is: Remove pure/cheap third party RAM from your Apple.

Best regards
Jann

Just wanted to say a big thank you for the tip, as the bottom row of my venerable PB17 G4 stopped working this week (keys Z-to-?) and removing the additional Crucial 512Mb stick and rebooting solved the problem. I was just about to open everything up and check the cable and then would obviously have found nothing wrong, and would have had to send the computer in for an expensive tech repair. Now all's I need is a new RAM stick. Thanks again!

It is the ram and maybe the slot too. I had the same problem. Lost the use of the "Q-P" row. I took the non-Apple 512 ram out and the keyboard worked fine again. So before going out to replace the ram stick, I tried an old trick. Get a pencil that has one of those soft rubber erasers on the end. You know the kind the leaves eraser shavings on the paper after you erase a word. Start by rubbing the eraser on a pice of paper, all around on ALL sides so you see a clean new surface on the eraser. Now take the ram stick and "rub" the eraser on the gold fingers, both sides and the end. Blow the ram stick w/ compressed air, and then stick it back in the slot, then take it out, back in, etc. Do this about 4- 5 times. Now the memory works again and all the keys are working fine.

If you found a solution, do you mind to post it here ? I would be interested in to know what the reason finally was.

Thanks, that was a great help and has fixed it for now 🙂 but sounds like it's going to happen again though 😟

You are welcome, ricmacc!
I've fixed it again, btw. The same method.