ELP! keyboard problem still persists....

Same things happen to me after 3 months of buying my MBP ( I bought it in July 2008). My situation is worse though.

My keyboard and trackpad randomly and occasionally started to freeze a few months ago. Only restarting or shutting down then turing back on would restore them. I usually have to do it using usb mouse and keyboard or just holding the power button.

All updates didn't help. Problems occur more and more frequently now. Sometimes multiple restarts can't restore the keyboard.

After updating to 10.5.6, another problem appears. Two finger right click occasionally get turned off 😟

Genius bar can't help or let me replace the trackpad or keyboard because I couldn't show them the problem (it happens randomly)

I really need help!! This is my only computer and it is essential for my work and classes.

I have the same issue... however, I cannot reproduce it 100% of the time. I'm running a MBP 17" (gen 3.1).

The machine had 10.5.4 when I first bought it and I didn't notice it at first. However, about 30 days in, I started to notice the issue. I'm on 10.5.6 and the problem is still here.

Now the interesting thing I have noticed is that the issue only seems to happen on Apple-based applications or in OSX-based apps (e.g., spotlight). When I use FireFox, QuickBooks Pro 2007, or any of the Msft Office applications (I'm still on the previous version), I have not noticed the skipped first key issue.

My other MBP is a gen 2.2 15" which I recently updated to Leopard (currently running 10.5.6). I have not noticed any issues there.

what does gen 2.2 and 3.1 mean?

It's the generation of that MBP. You can find this by going to "About this Mac" > "More Info." From there, you will see (under Hardware Overview) the Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1 or whatever your MBP is.

Hi,

after reading many posts related to this problem, I finally (and accidentally)found the solution: At least on my MBP the missing letter problem only occurs when a mouse is attached.

Funny enough, it makes no difference if i plug in a Microsoft USB mouse or if I use my wireless Mighty Mouse; my Mac randomly skips letters. Most of the time in text boxes like the adress bar in Safari or in web forms.

For the last months I never had the problem when using the built-in trackpad. The only explanation that I have for this behaviour is that it might be the USB port, but connecting devices other than mice don't affect my keyboard.

I hope I could help anyone of you and would like to know if this coherence between ELP problem and attached mouse exists for you as well.


Flo

Excellent! Now we have something more solid with which to file a bug report with Apple. I will try to file one, though I must admit I have been meaning to file a couple others and have yet to get around to it 🙂

I talked to Apple Care today about this problem. It's been over a year for me living with this. I gave a detailed description, told him that it's sporadic and takes time for it to show up. Sometimes only a few times a day. They're sending me a box and it's going in for repair.

I can only hope it doesn't come back with a note saying they can't reproduce the problem.

I got my MBP back today. It had a "Cable issue". It looks like they either reconnected or replaced that gold colored ribbon cable under the battery. The same cable that I've read some people have put a folded piece of paper on top of, under the battery to help with the "Unresponsive keyboard" problem.

I've always thought that was a separate issue, but I sure hope it gets rid of my "ELP" problem.

The repair did nothing. Still have the problem. Contacted Applecare and was told to just wait for a software fix.

I guess I'll just wait some more. It's only been a year and three months!!!!!!

I am also still seeing the problem and living with it. It is annoying, tho. Software fixes don't seem to apply, but it doesn't make sense that it is a hardware problem because a different key is affected each time.

I have noticed an improvement -- though I don't believe it's 100% gone -- when I change some of my keyboard settings. I reset my function keys back to the factory setting and have noticed a marked decrease in skipping. My benchmark test for key-skipping is to click on Spotlight (after I have not used the keyboard for a while) and then type a random letter. After 2-3 weeks, it has not skipped using that test. However, there have been a few times where when I begin to type on an application where I have to select that window (i.e., to activate it since it was in the background) and it has skipped. In these instances, they application was not in the forefront and I was clicking on it to select it. So I'm not sure if the "skip" was really a skip and was instead actually activating the window that was not active at the moment.

Anyway, FWIW, I had reset the function keys to have them work as standard function keys. I selected this option in System Preferences because I hated how the factory setting to F9 would control my keyboard lighting and not Expose. But now I have unchecked the function key setting so that the function keys do not behave as standard function keys and have noticed this difference. I have changed F11 now to act for Expose.

Anyway, just an additional datapoint. Oh... and I do have a Mighty Mouse.

I've also had my keyboard replaced, I still have this issue on my MacBook (yes MacBooks are affected too). Guess we'll have to wait for a software fix, if one will ever show up.

Hi,

I have pretty similar story. Also in terms of period of living with it is the same - more than year! Please give me know if any solution arrives...

J

STILL happening after 10.5.7 update! Looks like Apple is not going to address this serious fault in their keyboard hardware/firmware/software.

Too bad really, it makes me lack confidence in their laptops to the point where I don't think it's worth replacing mine with another Mac when the time comes. Their support gave me the run around, telling me to reinstall 10.5.6 which did nothing of course.

If you're having this problem it's apparently something you will need to just live with since it's been almost a year since the original post and not so much as a response saying they'll look into it.