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Steve Eugene Author

Level 1

11 points

Unresponsive Keyboard and Trackpad problem FIXED/RESOLVED

I've been dealing with this issue since early December myself.
I purchased the MBP in November and had nearly a month with out any issues.

I spent nearly two hours on the phone with Apple Care via a specialist trying to diagnose the problem yesterday.
He did mention that they believe neither the 10.5.1 update or the MBP 1.1 update were to blame for occurrence of this issue. (I remain slightly skeptical)

Let me give you a short rundown of my problems and what I've done to help resolve the issue. Hopefully it'll help some of you.. or help me (with some of everyone else insight) if it happens again.

The symptoms:
keyboard and trackpad become unresponsive.
The problem is intermittent but often is completely unresponsive at start up.
USB mouse and keyboards have full functionality.

Kernel panics often occur as well. Usually this occurs just after the keyboard and track pad experience extreme intermittent "on and off" periods.
The only option is to do a hard-restart which my or may not resolve the unresponsiveness.

Things I've addressed in my particular case:

1. The battery recall issue - my battery (6N745288YFTA) is OK.
2. Resetting the PMU - no change.
3. Re-installing both the 10.5.1 and MBP 1.1 updates - no effect.
4. pressing the Function + S key at start up and running /sbin/fsck -fy The HD is said to be OK
5. I just finished an Archive and reinstall of Leopard = this seems to have fixed the issue for the moment. I have not run the Updater to bring the OS back to it's fully updated form yet.

The Archive and Re-install DID NOT WORK.
Even upon downloading and installing the 10.5.1 and 1.1 update, I'm still back at square one.

I've also been experiencing these phantom keystrokes to the eject key and backlight myself lately.

I've resolved to wait for the 10.5.2 official release to see of that helps... If not then I'll break down and send my machine in for service.

_____________________________________
Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B05
SMC Version: 1.16f10
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled

THE SOLUTION:

This is a HARDWARE problem!

After playing around with removing the battery and noticing that this often returned functionality to the keyboard I surmised that this had some sort of physical aspect.
Sure enough, there is a section of copper colored tape/wiring exposed in the batter slot that is slightly bowed where it's smallest.
When I depressed this with my finger tip on this portion to basically flatten it out flush against the housing; I found that all functionality was restored!

You can see the portion in the picture below.

I haven’t had any problems AT ALL since I took a piece of napkin and taped it down to sustain pressure on this portion of bowed tape/wiring.

I have yet to call AppleCare to see what they suggest I do.
I will post a reply here when I hear their suggestion.

Mac Book Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.1), 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB 667 MHz SDRAM

Posted on Jan 27, 2008 3:18 PM

Top-ranking reply

metaweb

Level 1

40 points

Posted on Apr 14, 2017 8:01 AM

Same problem here. It's a design issue. My keyboard and trackpad also stopped responding, couldn't get past login ... The problem is that Apple ran the trackpad cable over the top of the battery. And as Macbooks get thinner and thinner, component are snugger and snugger. So, when the battery heats up, and it will when watching YouTube videos or running video editing programs as many of us do, the trackpad cable gets unseated from the connected to the trackpad board. I have an Early 2015 Macbook Pro, and this problem surfaced just after the 1-year warranty period expired. If I turn my Macbook Pro over and firmly press in an up and down motion over the bottom case (under where the trackpad, trackpad cable and battery are all 3 aligned, then turn on my laptop, I once again have a working keyboard and trackpad and can login as normal. This is not what one would expect from such an expensive laptop. As these things get thinner and thinner ... problems will crop up more and more.

Apple Support will tell you to reset your NVRAM and SMC ... but that is the canned reply. Resetting those do fix other problems: keyboard backlights and other wonky issues ... but it will not reconnect an unseated trackpad ribbon. And if you are out of warranty ... just purchase a replacement ribbon on ebay and install it yourself. Taking it to an authorized Apple Repair Center will cost you an arm and a leg, especially outside of the USA where there's no price regulation.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/821-00184-A-Touchpad-Trackpad-Cable-for-Apple-MacBook-Pr o-Retina-13-A1502-2015-/111975916834?hash=item1a1248e522

The link above is only for the Early 2015 (March) MacBook Pro ... you will need to research your models ribbon for replacement.

View in context

382 replies

Oct 23, 2010 8:56 PM in response to Steve Eugene

I had fixed this issue with the paper and tape, but it suddenly came back after I installed the SMC firmware update 1.4

Oct 24, 2010 2:04 PM in response to Jeffrey Dobisch

Jeffrey Dobisch wrote:
I had fixed this issue with the paper and tape, but it suddenly came back after I installed the SMC firmware update 1.4

I think it's probably coincidental. I've had to add more paper to mine because paper compresses. I finally put in a bit of tie-wrap (plastic) and it's holding steady.

Sandra

Oct 26, 2010 10:52 AM in response to Steve Eugene

I have a 2008 MBP and started having the same problem you describe in yours. I went to our local Mac Store and showed the repair tech your photograph. She said she had never heard of this problem before, but seemed to know exactly where the problem was in my battery. I asked if I should just tape the copper wire down, and she replied that it should be with special anti-magnetic tape. She had a roll of this tape right on her counter and proceeded to tape down the wire in my battery.

So far, so good. It's been more than 24 hours now with no shutting down of the keyboard or track pad.

Thanks.

Oct 28, 2010 9:24 AM in response to Steve Eugene

I had the same problem w/ my Macbook pro. However, I noticed that it occurred after Apple firmware updates. The latest occurred 10/15/2010 after the MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.4.

Apple claimed this was not a cause of the update but recommended I zap the PRAM and reset the SMC.

Solution (which has worked thus far):

- logged in as another admin user on the computer and could not repeat the keyboard/trackpad issue
- zapped the PRAM (restart holding CMD-OPT-P-R)
- reset the SMC (shut system down, removed battery and power, held power button down for 5+ seconds, reassembled)

No problems since I have done this. Hopefully it will remain working as I don't see any evidence of hardware failure in my system regarding the ribbon cable, etc.

Good luck,

Shunil

Nov 1, 2010 9:32 AM in response to tjk

I agree. I found the cable on powerbookmedic.com. It cost about $25.00 plus shipping. Took me about an hour to replace it on my 2006 15" Macbook Pro. I have been living with the non-responsive keyboard and trackpad for about a year now. Didn't find out that the cable was a replaceable part until about a month ago. The SKU on their site was 17466 Top Case Flex Cable for model A1226. Ifixit has a tear down, but I didn't really need it.

tjk

Level 9

51,142 points

Nov 1, 2010 7:43 PM in response to electrogruve

Hi e,

electrogruve wrote:
I agree. I found the cable on powerbookmedic.com. It cost about $25.00 plus shipping. Took me about an hour to replace it on my 2006 15" Macbook Pro. I have been living with the non-responsive keyboard and trackpad for about a year now. Didn't find out that the cable was a replaceable part until about a month ago. The SKU on their site was 17466 Top Case Flex Cable for model A1226. Ifixit has a tear down, but I didn't really need it.

Thanks for sharing that. It's good to know when it works (and when it doesn't 😉 ).

Nov 2, 2010 1:12 PM in response to tjk

I am always happy to share the knowledge. I just hope some of the posters in this thread make it back to read what we have learned since they've been gone and manage to get their computers working again. It was such an easy fix. I had actually purchased a new unibody MacBook after my MacBook Pro's keyboard stopped working. The Pro had been sitting on a shelf looking very lonely all this time. Just knowing that the only thing wrong with it was the keyboard/trackpad issue was very frustrating. Other than that issue, it was a perfectly functional computer, just not very mobile 😟 I had it in the back of my mind to keep researching until I found a fix, and found one I did. You have got to love forums.

Nov 2, 2010 1:41 PM in response to electrogruve

(Replying to myself since there doesn't appear to be an edit button on this post anymore)

Anyway, I forgot to mention that replacing the flex cable worked perfectly (I don't think I was clear about it when I posted earlier). If you can change the RAM in a computer, then you are more than capable of this fix. Lots of screws, but everything just plugs back in. You will need a hex and Phillips head screwdriver. Those are the only tools you need. The cable only goes in one way, so there is no way you could screw it up. Just make note of where the screws go because there are like 4 or 5 different kinds to keep track of. Taking pictures as you go helps for those who are a bit squeamish about taking electronics apart 😉

Good Luck.

TracyK

Level 1

0 points

Nov 5, 2010 8:36 PM in response to Steve Eugene

I have had this macbook for less than a year and have already had the trackpad replaced once and now have to do it again. It will suddenly become unresponsive, it will jump around. Every time i touch it to scroll it will highlight everything on the page or actually "pick up" whatever the cursor is scrolling over and then wont "put it down" again. It is very annoying. it will eventually fix itself but after some more use it will do it again. It starts out of nowhere and ends out of nowhere. From what i have been reading it seems to be a universal issue. I am tacking in the computer again for another fix tomorrow. i hope this replacement track pad will last for more than 6 months.

republik

Level 1

0 points

Nov 11, 2010 2:39 AM in response to Steve Eugene

Hey Steve, thanks for your detailed post. It completely solved my problem! You are a GENIUS.

Nov 12, 2010 3:41 PM in response to republik

I just started having this problem as well on my summer 2007 MacBook Pro. I would occasionally have trackpad problems before, but usually if the trackpad was unresponsive I would tap any key on the keyboard and everything would work. Now the keyboard and trackpad haven't worked for two days.

Tried removing battery, putting pressure on ribbon, resetting PRAM, etc; none of these solutions worked for me. Have a genius bar appointment tomorrow but not sure if it's going to help at all.

Nov 21, 2010 8:53 AM in response to Steve Eugene

Folded a 0.5"x1" piece of notepad paper a few times, put it on the ribbon, works fine now.

And to think I was about to pay $800+labour on a whole new logic board. **** mac stores...

(oh, clearly mine wasn't a software issue, built-in hardware input didn't work in fully-updated os x or windows 7, usb did for both)

dobbel

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2011 5:34 AM in response to Steve Eugene

Just want to say thank you to Steve Eugene. Somehow I just found your forum post today but it definitely solved my problem with some piece of paper tapped to the spot. I'll try to professionally fix it with a new cable. Thanks!

Jan 8, 2011 3:53 PM in response to electrogruve

Thank you, electrogruve! I ordered the ribbon cable (which I hadn't realized was available separate from a replacement topcase and keyboard) for $25, and replaced it myself pretty easily (I have absolutely no experience at all with any kind of computer repair), and I am now able to use my trackpad and keyboard for the first time in over a year. So, to recap: Apple wanted to charge me $380 (for a repair stemming from a defect, which they failed to fix when I brought it in under warranty), and I fixed it myself for $25, in less than 30 minutes. I wonder if Apple is conducting some kind of experiment, to see how badly they can treat their customers before they lose them? In my case, they reached the limit a while ago--- at this point I wouldn't buy a lightbulb from Apple.

So for anyone just tuning in:
1) the folded paper will work for a while (ten months in my case), but probably the ribbon cable will fail eventually, at which point:
2) do NOT pay Apple some outrageous amount of money to replace topcases/logic boards/etc. Just get the replacement cable from powerbookmedic. All you need is a screwdriver.

The new ribbon cable won't solve the underlying problem, which is excessive heat-- so probably I'll have to replace it again at some point, maybe in a year or so (which is why I was unwilling to pay Apple $380). But $25 is very tolerable.

ajmalton

Level 1

0 points

Feb 1, 2011 8:34 AM in response to Steve Eugene

Data point. I have had a similar problem for a couple of months, but it only affected the keys 1-9 and the control key : typical behaviour, they would apparently cease to send input, although the other keys and the trackpad were fine. This is a MacBook Pro from 2007.

At first I started keeping a keyboard viewer open to click the needed keys. Triple yuch. Then I discovered that typing lots of characters on the top line would "clear" the problem for while. Double yuch. Then I discovered that holding down the (otherwise unresponsive) ctrl key and moving the mouse with the trackpad would clear the problem more or less instantly, but only for a while. Single yuch.

I tried another user on the same machine -- same problem. I tried clearing SMC, pram, etc., and reinstalled back to 10.6.1 -- same problem, upgraded to current 10.6.6, same problem. Sigh. Was living with the single-yuch workaround.

Then I tried thanks to this forum slipping a couple of business cards over the keyboard connexion ribbons, under the battery. No problem so far.

Half yuch.

Unresponsive Keyboard and Trackpad problem FIXED/RESOLVED