Keyboard stops working in Snow Leopard when using Spaces

I take back my previous claim re the possibilty of Growl having something to do with this. I just got this problem back without Growl running, so I don't think there's a cause-and-effect relationship. Anyway, I have a solution: install Hyperspaces, which is free if you don't use some of its customization features, and only $10 if you do; disable the hot keys in Spaces and assign the same hot keys to Hyperspaces.

Just chiming in to say that I've the same issue. I go to change spaces, then my keyboard controls are completely lost.

Thanks very much for the workarounds guys, much appreciated!

Apparently, LOTS of people are experiencing this. Has anybody submitted it to RADAR (Apple bug list)? Does anybody have a reproducible sequence?

Urg I had this issue with old 15" mbp (2006/7) running Snow Leopard. I had hoped it was just new OS bugging against old tech but I just received my specced out 17" mbp today and low and behold it has happened 4 times today. Without external anything connected. Page 10 of this epic thread has this guy who claims a procedure to replicate 100% of time (haven't tested myself and haven't got Things installed yet):

"
You can easily reproduce the problem (also for testing if the fix works for you) by installing "Things" test version ( http://culturedcode.com/things/), launch it and do the following:
1. Open a webpage in safari
2. Press Ctrl-Alt-Space (or Ctrl-Option-Space)
3. click "cancel" in the popup
4. change to a different space using the keyboard
"

This reflects the forum post at Cultured Code about this issue:

http://culturedcode.com/forums/read.php?7,37381

Note that it is DEFINITELY not caused by Things; it is possibly a way to reliably invoke the bug though.

Pretty annoyed I still have this after 4k purchase...

You mean to say that there's a shareware fix for this buggy feature from Apple?!

:P

No, he's saying there's a reliable shareware TRIGGER for it.

I habitually switch spaces using Ctrl + Arrow keys. After the most recent OS update (10.6.4) I started having this problem, where I had never seen it before
despite switching spaces using this method tens of times per day, sometimes hundred. The symptoms are exactly as described by neu242, but I think something in the most recent update was an ingredient in seeing the problem.

bump

I've "not" researched this for so long thinking it would be a bear to figure out how to find a match for the odd scenario.. then I find this thread with 13 pages of comments?!

Maybe I missed it. Where's the RADAR link. We should all be bumping on that.

I've been using Spaces for a while since I gave up on it when I though this would never be fixed in 10.6.2. I'm in 10.6.4 and although the problems is less frequent, I just had it happen to me again, and now every time I switch to a space using a shortcut, the spaces icon is stuck and I lose all keyboard, killing the dock resolves this.

I can't believe this hasn't been fixed.

Same problem as below. Never seen before 10.6.4. Switch Spaces and keyboard vanishes. Mouse works fine. Unplugging and replugging USB does nothing. Sometimes using Spaces Preferences would correct problem, sometimes not. Hard restart always fixes. Have now turned off spaces. Reading this I will turn Spaces back on and if the keyboard freezes, see if the hard sleep (Command Option Eject) brings the keyboard back.

Better advice please?

I find that a brief pause, followed by switching off the desktop using the mouse. pausing again and switching back generally reenables the keyboard. I posted this earlier in http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11923554#11923554

http://thecocoabots.com/hyperspaces/

I use Hyperspaces and have never looked back. Clearly fixing this bug is not a high priority at Apple.

Bill

Recently started having this problem as well, but it only appears to happen with Things. Hopefully someone will get it fixed soon.

Ctrl + Shift + Eject to sleep fixes it right quick, though.

Message was edited by: grimmlock

I am having the same problem and I don't have any extra applications installed.

Using Hyperspaces is a great workaround until Apple fixes this annoying issue.

Go and report this bug at apple's feedback site.

+1

Another person having this issue, here is some additional information if a developer comes across this thread:

Mine happens always switching from space 2 to space 1. I have iTunes assigned to space 2.
I can avoid it by always switching from 2 to 3 to 4 and back to 1. Yes, it's silly.
Killing the dock process always fixes it for me.

This seems to be the site to report this feedback to Apple: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html