Apple Intelligence now features Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools enhancements, seamless support for ChatGPT, and visual intelligence.

Apple Intelligence has also begun language expansion with localized English support for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Learn more >

You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: BSchorr
BSchorr Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Can't even get started: "Identifying your Keyboard"

I just bought a brand new Mac Mini yesterday. The "Geniuses" at the Apple Store assured me that my Microsoft-branded bluetooth keyboard and mouse would work fine but when I got it home and set it up neither worked.

O.K., so maybe I need a corded one just to get started. I found a USB mouse and plugged it in; that worked fine to get me past the initial screen or two. Then it says it's "searching" for my keyboard. I press the "Connect" button on the Bluetooth keyboard and the Mac finds it! It goes thru a pairing process, has me type a code on the keyboard and says it IS paired! Great! Except then it says the keyboard isn't "identified" and asks me to press the button to the right of the SHIFT key on the left. That button happens to be "ALT" on this keyboard.

I press it and wait. Then the Mac sits there endlessly saying "Identifying your Keyboard" and never goes anywhere. I have to hard reboot the Mac to get out of that screen and go thru the setup process again. Same result every time.

So I tried a Microsoft-branded USB keyboard. Except for not needing to pair it (because it's USB) I get the exact same result. Endlessly "Identifying". So I went to WalMart (only thing open at midnight) and bought the cheapest and simplest USB keyboard I could find. Plugged it in. Same result.

So what's the deal? Do I have to drive 25 miles back to the Apple Store and plunk down $60 (or whatever it is) for an actual Apple keyboard?! How hard is it to get a silly keyboard to work? I never have this problem with any of my PCs. 🙂

This is my first Mac and I have to say...so far I'm not impressed. Please rescue my experience...

-B-

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Jul 21, 2008 10:01 AM

Reply
14 replies
User profile for user: AndyO
AndyO
User level: Level 6
17,064 points

Jul 21, 2008 10:11 AM in response to BSchorr

Welcome to Apple Discussions!

I have to say that in setting up my own minis, and those in the systems for which I'm responsible, I've not had that issue at all, regardless of the keyboards I've used. With an old (and I mean VERY old) Apple keyboard I've had the dialog asking for the key to the right of the left-hand shift, then the key to the left of the right-hand shift, after which the keyboard has been correctly identified (in as far as language and generic type), so despite trying literally dozens of keyboards from Logitech, MS, Dell, IBM and some generic unbranded ones (also from Walmart if I recall) I've not seen any system stick on the same endless 'identifying' loop you describe.

You were certainly right to try a USB wired device to get beyond the initial BT keyboard issues, but the system should not have stuck at the same point with that device.

I would try and reset the PRAM (Parameter RAM) which holds basic system configuration data. Use one or other of the USB keyboards for this. The key presses required are in the boot sequence before the keyboard is recognized (or not) within MacOS, so despite the recognition failure it should work:
-Shut down the computer.
-Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in the next step but one.
-Turn on the computer.
-Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
-Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
-Release the keys.
Reply
User profile for user: BSchorr
BSchorr Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Jul 21, 2008 10:42 AM in response to BSchorr

Nope - no joy. I've tried it a couple of times now. I hit the power button and as fast as I can press the ALT WINDOWS+PR buttons. I get them pressed before the first startup sound, but the Mac ignores it, continues to boot, never is any second startup sound.

Walks me thru the setup, tells me my keyboard isn't identified, asks me to press the key to the right of the left Shift key (which I do) then sits there forever "Identifying your keyboard" and goes no further.

-B-
Reply
User profile for user: AndyO
AndyO
User level: Level 6
17,064 points

Jul 21, 2008 10:44 AM in response to BSchorr

Timing can be very problematic, so it might take a couple of goes. Hold the keys down immediately you hear the startup chime - and yes, Alt-Windows-P-R.

At the basic level, MacOS will recognize almost any USB keyboard, so startup modifier keys such as C (to boot from the optical drive, Shift to boot into Safe Mode and T to boot into Firewire Target Disk mode) will work on almost any keyboard.
Reply
User profile for user: BSchorr
BSchorr Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Jul 21, 2008 10:57 AM in response to AndyO

Dunno what to say - this is getting VERY frustrating. I'm tempted to take the unit back to the Apple Store. If I thought it would solve the problem I'd just give up and buy the stupid Apple keyboard. I was hoping to not have to do that since I have a perfectly good Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse here that I would prefer to use. But I also don't want to spend all week just trying to get a keyboard identified.

-B-
Reply
User profile for user: AndyO
AndyO
User level: Level 6
17,064 points

Jul 21, 2008 11:08 AM in response to BSchorr

I've never had a USB keyboard of any type ignored for getting the system into safe mode, so clearly something is amiss, and it might therefore be best at this point to take the system, plus your keyboards (including the BT keyboard) to the Apple Store and suggest that if the Genius thought it would work, he might care to show you how to get it to do so!

In this situation, with an Apple keyboard to hand, I'd want to test it with that to see what happens, and if that fails, hook the system up to another Mac, put it into Firewire Target Disk Mode and (from the remote Mac) look for and remove the com.apple.keyboardtype.plist file in the HDname>Library>Preferences folder since that may well be corrupted and preventing subsequent recognition.

ON EDIT: I would not advise that you buy an Apple keyboard to try and overcome this, because the description you give sounds like that would not be likely to help.
Reply
User profile for user: BSchorr
BSchorr Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Jul 21, 2008 11:33 AM in response to AndyO

AH-HA! Actually PART of the problem was pilot-error. 🙂 I didn't pay close enough attention to the cheapo keyboard I got at WalMart. The left SHIFT key is not in the same place as it is on my other two keyboards so I was NOT pressing the correct key on that first question.

Pressing the correct key, solves that problem. Now that I can the thing started, maybe I can get it to work with my Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse after-all.

Thanks for all your help; sorry I didn't notice that sooner.

-B-
Reply
User profile for user: AndyO
AndyO
User level: Level 6
17,064 points

Jul 21, 2008 11:42 AM in response to BSchorr

Ah, well an unusual operator error to be sure - though now you're passed the point at which the system is up and running and you can get into using it, it would be wise to test out the USB keyboard to see if you can in fact get the system into safe mode (shift during boot) or to boot to the Optical drive (C during boot) or to the Startup manager screen (Alt during boot), just to make sure you've got that functionality. You don't need that often, but when you do need it, you tend to need it badly!

Also, even when you have paired your BT keyboards, you'll need to keep a USB keyboard at hand just in case, since with most BT keyboards, the system only recognizes them after startup is completed, meaning if you do need safe mode etc, you'll likely need to plug a USB keyboard in and do it with that.
Reply

Can't even get started: "Identifying your Keyboard"

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up