ELP! keyboard problem still persists....

Running without the battery is about the only thing I didn't try.

It looks like you will take a performance hit based on this article though. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2332

Just curious, is your MBP running a 2.2 or 2.4ghz processor? Those seemed like the most likely to have this problem.

I had two 2.4ghz MBP's that had it. The first I only had a couple weeks had the elp problem, but was replaced because of lots of kernal panics. The one they replaced it with had it also and I lived with it for over a year and a half. They couldn't ever fix it. Applecare replaced it finally last June.

I know how frustrating it is.
Good luck to you.

I've got a 2.4 GHz processor.
My plan with running the computer minus the battery is to see if the missing keystroke problem returns. Hasn't so far. I'm using this to try and narrow down what might be causing the problem.

My suspects are (1) heat or (2) pressure on the thin connecter ribbons to the keyboard or a combination of both.

Glad to hear you got a replacement

Well, I just got my MBP back from AppleCare repair and they said that the problem had something to do with the 1GB memory stick (I have one 2GB and one 1GB). All they really said was that without the 1GB stick installed, it "passes testing" whatever that means, and that when it's installed that that's when I'm "having the issues". But when I went to pick it up, the guy at the Genius Bar wasn't able to give me any details.

I'm going to run my MBP with just the 2GB memory stick for a while, see what happens. If this does indeed solve the issue then it looks like the ELP! issue is a combination hardware/software issue. I say this because everyone who has had this issue and runs Windows in Boot Camp say that the issue does not occur when running under Windows. Moreover, newer MBP models do not exhibit this behaviour either.

memory is not the culprit for my missed keystrokes.
I had the problem when I had 2X 1Gb memory chips and still have the problem after replacing them with 2X 2Gb memory chips.

Observations:
Problem goes away with battery out, comes back with battery in
Don't seem to get many missed keystrokes when the USB mouse is removed
Don't get any missed keystrokes in Windows running under VMFusion, but do on the OSX side at the same time.
Firmware fix only lasted a few months
Snow Leopard did not cure it

Ryan Homer wrote:
without the 1GB stick installed, it "passes testing" whatever that means, and that when it's installed that that's when I'm "having the issues".

Ummm, isn't that the same as saying the 1GB module is the source of the issue????

MarkH356 wrote:
I had the problem when I had 2X 1Gb memory chips and still have the problem after replacing them with 2X 2Gb memory chips.

Same brand? Same issues? Hmmmm (or not?)

Observations:
Problem goes away with battery out, comes back with battery in
Don't seem to get many missed keystrokes when the USB mouse is removed

Have you tried insulating the cable between the battery and MBP housing?

Observations:
Problem goes away with battery out, comes back with battery in
Don't seem to get many missed keystrokes when the USB mouse is removed

Have you tried insulating the cable between the battery and MBP housing?

How does one insulate this cable?

Yeah, I didn't think it would be the memory. The issue is still with me; it happened about 3 times the day I got it back.

Thanks for the tidbit that it doesn't happen with the battery out. Perhaps I'll do some testing on that and update my case with AppleCare.

John Wallace3 wrote:

Have you tried insulating the cable between the battery and MBP housing?

How does one insulate this cable?

Some people simply use a post-it note or tape.

Ok - I was pretty sceptical about the Post-It note suggestion.
However, I'm desperate so I thought anything is worth a shot and what harm could it do.

Took the battery out and stuck a Post-It note over the ribbon connector for the keyboard (actually the note covers everything else aswell). Put the battery back in and booted up.

Well I'll be a monkey's armpit ..... It's now 5 hours later and I haven't noticed a dropped keystroke !
Going to see how long this fix keeps up before declaring you an inspired genius

MarkH356 wrote:
Ok - I was pretty sceptical about the Post-It note suggestion.
However, I'm desperate so I thought anything is worth a shot and what harm could it do.

I think that's the usual reaction.

Took the battery out and stuck a Post-It note over the ribbon connector for the keyboard (actually the note covers everything else aswell). Put the battery back in and booted up.

Well I'll be a monkey's armpit ..... It's now 5 hours later and I haven't noticed a dropped keystroke !

That's how it "works" for some people, albeit not how it's supposed to work. There have actually been several of these backyard fixes on different models over the years. Reminds me of my first car and some of the things I rigged up.

Going to see how long this fix keeps up before declaring you an inspired genius

For some people it's only a few hours/days, but for others, it's actually worked out to be an apparently long-term fix. Guess it depends on the degree of damage to the cable. And before you start calling me names, I got the info from someone else who got the info from someone else who got it from . . . you get the picture. That's the beauty of these forums, ideas spread to those who'll remember 'em, and those who need 'em right now.

I think I'll give that a try. Just so I'm clear, the post-it is between the ribbon connector and the battery?

Yep -

Take the battery out and flip your MBP over

I then put the sticky end of the Post-It note directly on top of the thin ribbon cable where it emerges from the body of the MBP. When the battrey is back in, the note sits between the ribbon cable and the battery.

I used one of the 75mm x 75mm notes so that it also covers the small printed circuit board that is visible underneath where the battery sits.

Okay... I'll give it a whirl. Now I'm just hoping I have the correct color sticky note. 🙂

Sadly, still ELPing with the sticky. 😟