Anyone else having Bluetooth keyboard problems with new mini?

One week ago today, my wireless/bluetooth combo card (P/N 661-4970) was replaced under warranty. I have had no wireless keyboard or mouse problems since.

I just got off the phone with AppleCare.

The AppleCare rep told me that the issue has been recognized by Apple and that a software update will be coming soon.

Same problem, unpairing Apple Aluminium wireless keyboard

I use Microsoft Arc Mouse (2.4GHz band, no BT)

APPLE, WE WANT MORE PROBLEMS!!

note: Apple has included a new round of "Bluetooth compatibility and stability fixes" *in the latest beta*, labeled *Mac OS X 10.5.7 build 9J56*

I had my Mac Mini exchanged - they didn't charge a re-stocking fee but said the tax had increased in the few weeks since purchase. Between that and parking fees, I'm down about $50, not to mention many lost hours.

I should say the main reason for my return was a problem with video (running a 30" Cinema Display). The replacement Mini, so far, has effectively cured that problem.

But my secondary issue was bluetooth mouse and keyboard taking frequent naps, AWOLs - same as others posting here.

Bluetooth crap-outs are still happening - and extremely annoying.

The Genius Bar offered to replace my bluetooth card, but they want to keep my Mini for 3-days in the shop. I don't have time for that.

To add to the annoyance, the Genuises (Genneii?), claim total ignorance of any bluetooth issues with the new Mac Mini.

***?

Ok, Apple service centre sorted the issue out. It went in to an outfit call Regenersis who had the machine for about 5 days. They rang me to say it was sorted. Suspecting a replacement Mini that wasn't going to work I was extremely pleased to be informed that the unit was the same one and they had replaced the BT card. (I was hoping they would do this since reading a forum posting where the guy had watched them remove the BT card at a Genius Bar and had actually seen some pins were "missing". Maybe a batch of Minis has gone out with the wrong BT cards!!) They had then tested the pairing of two BT devices and observed they were stable. Having got it home all I can say is so far it's great. Regenersis have done a great job and BT now appears totally fixed. All the other issues that came in with 10.5 and have never been addressed are still there! but this show stopper has been fixed.

My advice would be to ask your Genius Bar or service centre to just replace the BT card. Apple are aware of this issue, how could they not be, and can obviously supply BT cards that work!

And add one more to the list.

March 2009 Mini, 4GB, 2.26, and a Solidata SSD.

The wireless aluminum keyboard has been flaky since the first week, with failures at random intervals from 3x per day to once a week. It just stops working, with no Lost Connection message, and About this Mac showing Connected.

Power button on the keyboard usually gets it back, but this is very annoying. I opened an applecare incident, and was told to take it in to a genius bar so they can diagnose it, and might replace the keyboard.

09 mini w/ bluetooth apple slim keyboard and usb logitech wireless mouse, bluetooth keyboard also works perfectly for me in XP w/o any Apple bluetooth drivers installed. Even though I experience the "connection lost" keyboard graphic from time to time, it doesn't really bother me since it doesn't seem to affect keyboard input, if I hit the space bar the message goes away. I also have it sitting about 5' off the ground and just figured the messages appeared when the keyboard was placed further away causing weak signals, but I've gotten accustomed to the messages now that I just tune them out while watching a movie or online video.

I have this exact issue as well - having to reconnect after a cold boot. Once connected, it works fine, doesn't drop out. This issue started when I upgraded from Tiger to Leopard, but not sure which iteration of 10.5 caused it to break (running 10.5.6).

My setup is: 1.83HHz mini 2GB RAM + DiNovo Edge keyboard (non-Mac version). I use it as a HTPC, on a wired network so I can't speak to the possible wireless LAN connection to BT theory.

But this is why I believe this issue is a combination of software AND hardware problems, which as any IT pro knows is exponentially more difficult to troubleshoot:

1. My ("older") Mini works fine, once the keyboard is connected (via the BT setup utility that launches on every cold boot. So the hardware is working perfectly, just the firmware needs to be tweaked so it doesn't forget the connection on restart.

2. On the newer minis it seems obvious SOMETHING is up with a batch of BT hardware. So for you unlucky folks that would be the first thing to get diagnosed. Sketchy connections with a device close to the mini, especially after reinstalling the OS, point firmly at hardware.

Someone earlier wrote something that I think is a clue to the firmware problem: it only seems to want to connect with one device at a time. So for a combo keyboard/trackpad device like the Edge, no problem (once it's connected). This would also perhaps be why, on restart, it has to connect again since it thinks there is already a device connected. Just grasping at straws.

Anyway...at least I know it isn't just my imagination that it USED to restart without having to reconnect every time. It's not a deal-breaker for me since the HTPC is hardly ever shut down, but the OS revisions that break functionality are a real PITA.

Further to my last post, I wanted to add some info that someone may find helpful, after wasting much of my afternoon troubleshooting this issue. READ ALL OF IT BEFORE TRYING ANY RESETS!

I first tried a PMU reset, as advised elsewhere, and detailed here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2183

The article is titled "Mac Mini: How to reset the PMU". HOWEVER...this caused my INTEL Mini to restart with the fan running full speed (it's never run once before, ever) and the light on the front of the case to stop working. And then on closer reading of the linked kb article, it does say under "Additional Information" that this procedure is not for an Intel Mini! And of course Google reveals that any idiot should know Intel Minis have a SMC not a PMU. (Geezus I bought a Mac so I WOULDN'T have to know crap like this!!)

DO NOT USE THE ABOVE LINKED ARTICLE IF YOU HAVE AN INTEL MINI!

(And always read the entire page before attempting a procedure. I accept responsibility for my actions but seriously, you would think this would be detailed more prominently especially when adverse effects come from a procedure inappropriate to the model...)

So now I'm Googling for a remedy for THAT issue...a non-working front light and a fan continuously running at full speed. And find the solution, the procedure for doing an SMC reset for an Intel Mini:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1543?viewlocale=en_US

(This article is entitled "Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini: How to reset the System Management Controller", hey Apple how about re-titling the other one to "PPC Mac mini: How to reset the PMU:?!?)

This corrected the fan/light issue. Whew.

I include all of this info as it may be relevant to someone trying the same thing with their own reset in an attempt to resolve the BT issue.

All of this is to say that the BT issue was not resolved by the resets. BUT...in the course of multiple restarts, I did accidentally discover something. When a USB keyboard and mouse are left plugged in between restarts, the BT keyboard DOES stay connected! (***?) So my workaround is to leave my cheapie generic USB keyboard and mouse plugged into my Mini all the time. With my HTPC setup I have a drawer dedicated to power supplies and wiring, so the perepherals just live in there now out of sight.

So now when I restart the Mini, the DiNovo Edge BT keyboard is there without having to reconnect. Inelegant and decidedly non-Mac but c'est la vie. Does anyone know a software hack to spoof the Mini into thinking there's a USB keyboard and mouse attached? I'd like the two USB ports back...Apple, just fix your frickin' drivers already.

This is getting ridiculous. I posted early on related to this issue. My new, early '09 Mac Mini continues to drop the connection to my wireless Apple mouse several times every day!

To facilitate quicker reconnections after it drops, I now have a wired mouse continually plugged in as well. When my wireless mouse disappears, I grab my wired mouse, and then right-click on the name of my mouse in the list of devices under the Bluetooth menu item. By the time the window pops up, my wireless mouse has been restored, and I can continue working.

While this is at least a quicker fix, it's still RIDICULOUS!

I hope Apple drops 10.5.7 quickly, along with the Bluetooth fixes, because I'm past annoyed. I saw some folks chose to return their machines. This is my daily business machine, and I simply can't afford to be without it for even a day.

Come on, Apple. We've come to expect higher quality than this.

Has anyone seen any improvements after you have installed 10.5.7?

I haven't had the mouse disconnections I had been having so I'm going to say its improved.

Man, I'm going to knock on wood here, but I haven't had a single dropped mouse connection in more than 24 hours of running 10.5.7.

At this point, I've even unplugged my "backup wired mouse" which had been sitting off to one side, waiting for the multiple dropped connections per day.

It looks like Apple squeezed the fix into the behemoth update.

Anyone else?

Well, I've applied 10.5.7 and appear to still be getting my keyboard disconnecting.
My mouse was never really so much of a problem.

Just for note though, I've tried booting with shift held down on advice of support and I could not recreate the keyboard disconnect.

I seem to get a guaranteed disconnect when I'm running PlexApp for about 15 minutes. I tend to now just turn off the keyboard during movie playback so that I don't keep on getting Keyboard Disconnected messages.

I returned my week 12 Mini 2.26 which had the jumping keyboard and mouse problem.

After my refund came through I ordered another one (keen for some time between Mac to see if there were some hardware improvements happening).

This new unit was Week 16 - no choppiness on mouse or keyboard at all on this one. Started to rejoice. Then just before the 14 day point both Mouse and Keyboard froze. Was able to VNC into machine, so it hadn't crashed, but Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, whilst saying connected, were not doing anything. Simply VNCing in, then disconnecting either Mouse or Keyboard would allow the other to work, then I could simply reconnect again.

That started happening more often (but happening once every 24/48 hrs - it was less disruptive than the "reception" style issue).

Updated to 10.5.7 48 hours ago and no dropouts since then. So I'm leaning towards being satisfied now!

Only now it appears that the mouse is sometimes skipping when moved across the screen, but it happens to Bluetooth and USB mice. I think it might be coinciding with high CPU loading.

Anyway - Bluetooth mouse/keyboard seem to have been resolved for me.