Wireless keyboard won't turn on after changing battery

Hy all.

I do think my problem is the same as the original post. ON indication (green light) even does not turn on after battery replacement.

I truly think there is a desgin/reliability concern on the spring at the bottom of the battery compartment, it means, mecahnical defect that makes the spring get 'stuck' after several months or even a year not replacing/removing batteries.

Solution: I did small aluminum paper ball of around 5-8 milimeters and place it at the battery compartment before placing the batteries.

Now kb is working again (I'm typing on it).

Hope this may help any of you.

bye

Same problem... new batteries, no light coming on, dead wireless keyboard.

This worked instantly for me. Insert the batteries, then crunch up a small piece of foil and insert between the batteries and the end screw cap (which will fit more snugly). Good as new (I'm using the offending keyboard right now).

Worked for me too. The first ball I made was too small and didn't work. It ended up being a coin shape with diameter 4mm. I made another one which was 6mm in diameter. Boom! Green light. Bad apple! Bad design, but they probably fixed it with the updated model (the one that only needs 2 AA batteries)

Here's how I got the gray plastic ring out:

Tool:

I used a piece of 1/4" diameter AllThread, which is a 1/4" rod that is threaded along it's entire length (like a very long bolt).

It comes in various lengths but the shortest is probably three feet. (Most hardware stores carry it.) Of course it only has to be the length of the batteries plus another 6" to hold on to. Note that 5/16" all thread might have worked even better because it wouldn't flex at all.

Technique:

First let me describe the gray plastic ring that I extracted.

It could be described as two shapes molded into one part.

1. a flat disc with a hole in the center. 2. a very short tube (no more than 1/8" long).

Note that the hole in the center was not used to get ahold of the plastic ring at all.

The inside face of the short tube is what I grabbed, (using the threads on the tip of the AllThread).

I tipped the keyboard so that the battery compartment opening was down. I placed the AllThread up into the battery compartment so the the tip of the AllThread was resting on the inside face of the plastic ring's short tubular surface. I then used the AllThread to press the plastic tube against the side of the battery compartment so that the threads of the tip of the rod were pressing very firmly against the inside face of the plastic tube. (To Clarify: I applied lateral pressure only.) At that point I slowly pulled the AllThread (while maintaining sideways pressure) and the ring slowly came out.

Once It was out, I set the ring on top of the positive end of a battery with the flat disc part of the ring against the battery, so I could see down into the open tube of the plastic ring as it rested on the end of the battery. With the keyboard still positioned with the opening down, I slid the battery (with plastic ring on it) up into the compartment followed carefully by two more batteries (my keyboard takes three, though some only take two). Then I just put on the battery cap and the keyboard fired right up.

No problem.

I hope this helps.

I had put my KB away some time ago - probably because I had changed the batteries and found it wouldn't work but this afternoon I got it out of the cupboard to use with my iPad and, having found this thread, tried the aluball trick and discovered that it instantly worked - but why?

I took a length of 11.5 mm dia dowel and shaved it down to about 11.1 mm dia so that it would fit tightly into the plastic cup at the base of the battery housing. I twisted the dowel carefully so that it "unscrewed" the cup from the spring over which it fits and pulled it out. It comprises a plastic cup about 5.5 mm deep below which is attached an inverted metal cup the base of which forms the battery contact and the open end of which fits over the spring.

Despite the comments on this moanboard the item is a good simple design - except for one thing. The plastic cup is about 5.5 mm deep but the +ve terminal on modern batteries is only about 1.5 mm long and the body of the battery does not fit into the cup. This results in a 4 mm gap between battery terminal and the terminal in the plastic cup. At some time in the last couple of years battery terminals seem to have got shorter but perhaps nobody told Apple. It is a shame Apple didn't tell us when it found out. All the talk on this thread about cleaning dirty contacts will not help bridge this 4 mm airgap.

So, although the aluball trick worked well, I wondered if there was a more sophisticated repair. After spending an hour on the problem I decided there wasn't. Returning to the aluball, after some experimentation I came to the conclusion that a 6 x 6 cm square of baking foil rolled into a tight ball and packed well down into the plastic cup with a piece of dowel will fit snugly without overflowing the sides and short-circuiting the batteries and it shouldn't fall out the next time the batteries are renewed. The packing-down can only be done effectively with the cup out of the battery housing.

The filled cup can then be dropped back down into the tube. It is a loose fit but it slides down controllably back onto the spring by being cushioned by the air below it.

Hello all,

After 4 years of uninterrupted service, my wireless keyboard suddenly didn't turn on.

The aluminium ball trick worked perfectly.

For those with a similar problem: take a small piece of aluminium (2cm x 2cm for example, folded over), drop it down the battery barrel, add (charged) batteries and hey presto, the keyboard works again...

interestingly enough i had the same problem, but found an easy solution. I checked the batteries in my keyboard and they were still making contact... i blew into the battery barrel a couple of times and could smell some residue in there. Once I put the batteries back in again, it started working... woot!

I have a aluminum bluetooth keyboard, it was working fine the evening before bed, i wake up the next morning and it doesnt work. Figured it'd be the batteries so I put in a brand new pair of batteries and the light doesn't turn on. Really frustrated with this not working. I've tried a new set of batteries, blowing into the battery case to get rid of any dust, even checked to see if the batteries were snug and they are.

Anyone have any idea's why the light wont turn on, and if there's a way to fix it?

thanks.

So I just got a new aluminum wireless keyboard and it doesn't seem to connect. I tried to unplug my iMac for a minute or two and restart all to no avail.

I notice too, when I turn the keyboard on the green light in the upper right hand corner only stays on for a few moments (yet the caps lock light can stay on for several minutes). Is this normal?

Sometimes if I time it "just right" my iMac can "see" the keyboard, but can't connect.

The other thing, I was able to connect to my iPad and it worked great. Could that have anything to do with the issue?

I've put brand new batteries in made sure they are in correct, etc. Still no success.

Help!

Thanks.

I had the same problem - this morning woke up and the keyboard was dead. Presumed that it needed its batteries changing, since a message had come up about it a few days ago, but despite changing them several times, the keyboard refused to turn on. Following advice on here, I coiled a paperclip around a lollipop stick to get the spiral shape, snipped off the ends (cutting my thumb on the sharp end of the paperclip in the process - be careful!) and then dropped it into the battery hole. Dropped in the batteries after it and voila! Working keyboard! 😀

Had the same problem and was able to solve it. Just make a small ball of alumnium foil and throw it down the tube before the first battery. Turned on immediatelly. Think the spring must be somehow worned out...

Hope it works ok for you.

I've been having problems with my keyboard on and off for over a year now,...

after changing the batteries my keyboard would not work.

I've discovered.... that my apple keyboard does not like DURACELL batteries

and the keyboard will only work if the first battery in has a proud tip.

Try another brand of battery and your keyboard should work.

I experienced the same problem this morning with my 4 year old wireless aluminum keyboard not turning on after two new sets of batteries. Talk about frustrated!

Luckily, I have always found answers on this forum and this was not an exception! After borrowing my daughter's iPad to research the problem, I learned about the aluminum ball... worked like a charm...a very happy Mac owner tonight who doesn't have to buy a new keyboard! Thanks to the person who posted the solution!

Thanks the Freddy BoyI actually bought new keyboard and mouse, figuring that after 4 years, it was time especially as I'd upgraded to Lion. However, I'd like to know how I can update the Bluetooth firmware (the link you gave did not work for me)...so I can use my old keyboard on my iPad...it was working with the desktop with a bit of aluminium foil so I am hoping it will still connect to the iPad long enough for me to upgrade the firmware.

Hi, I noticed the link didn't work once I sent it. It wasn't a typical copy and paste. The link does work otherwise. Try just typing it in verbatim. If that doesn't work, send me an e-mail and I will forward you the link> dhanrahanjr@aol.com