JasonBChen

Q: Wireless keyboard won't turn on after changing battery

This is what happened:

I got a message yesterday telling me that the battery for my wireless keyboard was low and I should replace them. This morning, before I switched on my Mac, I put in new battery for the wireless keyboard. Then I switched on my Mac. And I got a message on the screen saying that There's no keyboard connected and couldn't find any keyboards. I thought that maybe I need to turn on the keyboard to make it work. So I pressed the power button and noticed that the green light doesn't even come up..

What's going on? Is my wireless keyboard already dead??

Any advice would be appreciate it. Thanks.

G5, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Jun 26, 2008 12:48 PM

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Q: Wireless keyboard won't turn on after changing battery

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  • by girlr,

    girlr girlr Dec 2, 2010 9:50 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 2, 2010 9:50 AM in response to JasonBChen
    I found this: http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1575092&start=30&tstart=0

    About adding "a small ball of aluminum foil".

    I also got my power light back by handing it to another person and having them put the batteries in.

    This is beyond silly.

    Good luck if you have this problem!

    Vicky
  • by albeys,

    albeys albeys Dec 7, 2010 4:08 PM in response to girlr
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 7, 2010 4:08 PM in response to girlr
    Hi, girlr, thank you very much from Barcelona(Spain). I was totally desparate about this problem and now I've saved my keyboard thanks to something really simple :

    Take all Batteries Out.
    Roll up a small piece of Tin Foil about the size of a Pea.
    Drop the Tin Foil Ball down the Battery Compartment.
    Put your Batteries Back In.It must be a little difficult to close them.
    You should have a Working Keyboard.

    And it worked for me!!! Thanks again.
  • by MoonMan2000,

    MoonMan2000 MoonMan2000 Dec 24, 2010 10:32 AM in response to albeys
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 24, 2010 10:32 AM in response to albeys
    For everyone with the dead keyboard/aluminum foil fix issue, I think I have discovered the root cause of the problem.

    The problem stems from a difference in the design of AA batteries! I don't know if this is an across the board design change for all manufacturers or if it varies. The issue is the length of the "nubbin" that protrudes on the positive end of the battery. Many have mentioned the gray plastic piece at the bottom of the battery cavity, this has a recess to accept the outer width of the battery, then a small hole for the "nubbin", it is the depth of this hole that causes the problem many are facing, the new "nubbin" is too short to make a connection at the bottom of the battery cavity.

    To test my theory, I retrieved my dead batteries out the trash and compared the length of the "nubbin" on the old batteries vs the new ones I put in, sure enough there is a difference in length, the nubbin on the old batteries was ever so slightly longer. This is why the aluminum foil ball is working for everyone, it fills the very small gap and completes the connection.

    If anyone else still has their old batteries the worked, but new ones didn't, try comparing them, you will see what I'm talking about.
  • by brockvladgogo,

    brockvladgogo brockvladgogo Dec 29, 2010 3:41 PM in response to albeys
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2010 3:41 PM in response to albeys
    this is the best solution! the aluminum foil totally works!
  • by Peter Dromgoole1,

    Peter Dromgoole1 Peter Dromgoole1 Dec 30, 2010 2:56 PM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 30, 2010 2:56 PM in response to JasonBChen
    Replace battery in keyboard - then found it did not pair again.
    Fiddled around trying to pair a bluetooth device - using Apple instructions. No success and the mouse then failed to pair!

    Spent a frustrating few hours (luckily had a USB keyboard and mouse available) trying to fix it. Both devices work - both are seen by the bluetooth both say they are connected but NOT paired. Cannot fix this even after rebooting and repairing preferences.

    Then saw the suggestion on this post that you need to shut down the computer - disconnect the power cord, have a cup of tea and return and restart.

    Did all this and the computer asked me about the mouse - paired it and then the keyboard - put in the coded numbers and all working fine now!!!
  • by susapix,

    susapix susapix Jan 1, 2011 11:53 AM in response to Peter Dromgoole1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2011 11:53 AM in response to Peter Dromgoole1
    My solution was even simpler. Turns out I had the batteries in backwards. I was getting ready to drop in the aluminum foil "pea' when I noticed the icons hidden on the bottom of the keyboard (they really are quite inconspicuous). What had fooled me was that the connector at the bottom of the tube looks exactly like the nubbin on the end of a battery so I naturally assumed the flat end of the battery went in first. Pretty dumb, huh? But I bet I'm not the only one to have done this.
  • by CaseMarple,

    CaseMarple CaseMarple Feb 6, 2011 9:07 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2011 9:07 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Had the same prob and checked thru the threads. Have solved the problem at least for now. It seems that the battery contacts wear in the middle and when you put new batteries in they don't connect properly.

    Bit Heath Robinson but... get a lead pencil. Use it liberally on to the two middle contacts. As the carbon in the pencil conducts electricity a better contact is made and hey presto back and working
  • by GoldMiner,

    GoldMiner GoldMiner Mar 1, 2011 7:57 PM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 1, 2011 7:57 PM in response to JasonBChen
    After 3 yrs of working great, suddenly dead!
    Looked around for prices and then found this thread (after eBay)...
    Thanks for "sharing the little ball", it worked like a charm also here, in MD...
    ^ - ^
  • by pingguomi,

    pingguomi pingguomi Mar 11, 2011 7:45 AM in response to twophive
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 11, 2011 7:45 AM in response to twophive
    Same here! Thanks!
  • by urbsoul,

    urbsoul urbsoul Mar 12, 2011 12:02 PM in response to albeys
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 12, 2011 12:02 PM in response to albeys
    thx alot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • by Windows Penitent,

    Windows Penitent Windows Penitent Mar 16, 2011 7:21 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 16, 2011 7:21 AM in response to JasonBChen
    iPad 1 user.

    Just experienced this problem today.

    Changed batteries three times...all fresh ones.

    Tried old trick from PC Hardware days...lick both ends of the batteries (or lick your finger and rub both ends of batteries, if you're a hygienic-type person!), insert them back into the battery tube...voila! Back in business.

    The problem is definitely related to connections...they corrode after time and simply need a fresh cleaning or fresh conduit (tinfoil or saliva). Though this is not true in 100% of the cases across the board, overall it is generally the problem.
  • by vikuda,

    vikuda vikuda Mar 31, 2011 8:55 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 31, 2011 8:55 AM in response to JasonBChen
    I've never replied to a thread but for the purpose of letting anyone who's having the same problem:

    THE ALUMINUM BALL WORKS!

    and for all intends and purposes, use a 2cm x 2cm aluminum so you get a decent size, the trick won't work if the ball is too small or too big. (I've had countless attempts, so trust me on this one.)
  • by Daedalus01,

    Daedalus01 Daedalus01 Apr 5, 2011 7:57 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 5, 2011 7:57 AM in response to JasonBChen
    The Aluminum Ball trick works! Thank you to whoever discovered this little trick.
  • by trizzidy,

    trizzidy trizzidy Apr 5, 2011 10:09 PM in response to ChadSch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 5, 2011 10:09 PM in response to ChadSch
    Yup. The aluminum method works and apple sucked this design. So a 4-5 layers of aluminum foil folded up into a square shape with one face being a bit crumpled did the trick. THANKS PEOPLE!
  • by vuckovic,

    vuckovic vuckovic Apr 11, 2011 10:42 AM in response to JasonBChen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 11, 2011 10:42 AM in response to JasonBChen
    It seems like in Apple they have only 3 designers as full time employees. I cannot believe how bad can 70 Euros keyboard be. Thank YOU TIN FOIL MAN, for neatest trick in the book.
    Logitech, please accept my deepest apologies for turning my head elsewhere and buying this overpriced junk. Pretty junk, though!
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