Apple Wireless Keyboard won't power up

I have exactly the same issues you guys all have but the alu ball fix isn't working for me. My keyboard connects for a microsecond and then disconnects again. Ball or no ball, same behaviour every time...

Everything worked fine until I removed all bluetooth devices. (Had some lag on my new Magic Mouse). So frustrating!

I just tried the foil ball trick and it works! I actually shouted "woo-hoo!"

That said, I can't believe it actually works like that. What the heck kind of manufacturing flaw would require the use of candy wrapper foil to work?

Apple? You guys need to step up to the plate and answer for this...

Green light does not stay on - blinks when pairing and when first turned on, 🙂

Wow! Foil rules! My pre-2009 aluminum keyboard was not turning on this AM and found this thread ... presto, keyboard working again.

Thank you to the genius that thought of squishing foil into a ball, flattening it, and putting it into the keyboard. 🙂

Thanks for the tip. My pre-2009 wireless aluminum keyboard gave up the ghost today when I put in new batteries. No matter what I did it just would not come back to life. Then I saw this thread and tried the aluminum foil trick and it is now working perfectly. Best use of foil since roasting the Thanksgiving turkey!!

Thank you guys!
This is indeed a very funny situation (after you fix it, that is).
I got my aluminium wireless keyboard in may 2009, present from my girlfriend.

After a couple months of good use, the batteries ran out and I didn't replace them right away. So I bought some new ones. They didn't work, so I supposed they were bad. Some more time passed (I have a laptop so keyboard wasn't mandatory) and I bought another, larger set of batteries. None worked, so, again, I swore off my habit of buying dead batteries.

Now, I applied some chocolate wrapper to the keyboard and it works excellently! And on the plus side, I probably have enough batteries to last me a year or so 🙂

PS: make sure you re-synchronize-it after the procedure.

Message was edited by: MirceaBotez

Thank you so much Kerni1976 and chadhouk for your brilliant remedies to this, all too common, problem.

I tried the aluminium foil trick this morning when my keyboard died after replacing the batteries and the keyboard now works like a dream.

Genius!

I have the exact same problem. I went to the Apple Store yesterday and the guy at the genius bar just tried to switch the battery and powered it up. Of course, it didn't work. Then when he found out that it's out of warranty, he simply said nothing he can do and I have to buy a new one. I inquired about what the problem was but he said he doesn't know what caused it. So I bought a new one and ready to tear it apart to see what the problem was. Luckily, I found this thread first and problem solved now. Kudos guys!!

Today, I went back to Apple Store and returned a new keyboard I just bought (still sealed). I talked to the same Genius guy letting him know the solution and showing him this thread. He apologized and said he would spread the news about this.

Anyhow, I don't think this is the right way of fixing the problem. It looks like a flaw in design. Who knows how many people out there having the same problem but not tech savy enough. They probably just buy a new keyboard...

what a friend we have with foil!
my apple wireless keyboard has been revived

thanks fellas.

Absolutely incredible. My keyboard is fixed.

Thank you for your discovery!

The foil solution is absolute genius and worked like a charm.

For those it hasn't worked for, maybe you don't have enough foil to make the connection? Try making the ball a little bigger.

Thanks for the brilliant idea about the foil! I had a wireless keyboard that would not power up despite new batteries until I added the magical ball of aluminum foil!

THANK YOU so much, the steel wool solution was a life saver. Worked like a charm, thanks again.

Oops, the exact same problem with the plastic cupped ring. I assume it went in backwards and now is jambed in blocking the batteries from making contact. Did you ever find a way to get it out? How?
A piece of double sticky tape on the end of a straw did not work. I might try alligator forceps at my ENT doctors office. Lastly I might cut through the alu housing.

Hi, Was your original issue that the green power light would initially go on, stay on for 5 seconds, and then start blinking twice, then not, twice, then not? I tried the aluminum foil and now it's not even registering the initial green light. Any ideas?