Apple Bluetooth mouse battery replacement

Hi, Max —

What's your BT setup — hardware, firmware, software?

i.e. — D-Link USB Adapter (revision B2 or later) or Apple internal Bluetooth modules + Apple or other keyboard & mouse, etc. Firmware and software versions?

I'm not just being loquacious — your statements about " need[ing] to shut down the computer.. [and]If I try to flip the mouse over to replace the batteries while the computer is still on the mouse will not re-connect to the computer" are not consistent with my personal experience — or with my understanding of Apple's guidance in KnowledgeBase Article #86472: "Apple Wireless Mouse: How to Install or Replace Batteries."
If appropriate, you may also want to take a lok at Article #86496: "Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse: Troubleshooting Connection Issues."
Others may have differing experiences... sometimes I wonder whether Bluetooth and WiFi have a little of the "divine" involved — in the "water-witching" sense of the word!
Regards,
Dean

Hi again, Max!

I heartily apologize — on two fronts:

• I neglected to voice a warm welcome to Apple Discussions!

• Absolutely no apologies are required on your part. My mistake in assuming; I'm happy to explain what I know.

To find out about your Bluetooth Firmware — and lots more! Go to the blue Apple menu and select the first choice, "About This Mac." Exciting, huh? Then click on "More Info." This will open a very useful application called "System Profiler." (Fyi, the application is actually located inside the Utilities folder in the Applications folder on your HD.)

With Profiler open, look at the left-hand part of the pane. Click (if necessary) to turn the gray triangle beside "Hardware" so its point is pointing down instead of to the right. Select Bluetooth from the list thus uncovered, and you'll see a lot of data on the right-hand side. (This procedure also holds for a lot of other data that may be viewed via the System Profiler. Relevant parts of this info may be helpful to know and convey when you ask for help here or from a technician.)

Now, this may be a little confusing... Your iMac G5's Firmware version is shown within the Bluetooth data we've just found. Yours probably reads "3.1xxx" (xxx perhaps being 965, but I'm not sure). Anyway, you may want to download and run Bluetooth Firmware Updater 1.2 as a check that your firmware is up to date. More in a minute on this.

But for some reason, the Bluetooth software version isn't clearly shown here. (I guess because it's the "Hardware" part of the profile — Duh — but still.) Since we're here, move down within System Preferences to Software. There are quite a few Bluetooth-related software components — let's just check one or two: e.g., under "Applications," you'll see "Bluetooth Explorer" and under "Extensions," you'll see "IOBluetoothFamily" among others. I believe the current versions for these apps 1.6 (it is for my eMac).

Fyi, the current Bluetooth software download page is here. You can check for future updates via the main Bluetooth Support page.

Back to Firmware Updating for a moment. Fwiw, I had an interesting experience running the Firmware Updater myself recently — some of the minutae may help explain the process if and when you decide to try this or future updaters. You can read about it here.

I hope this makes sense, and adds more clarity than confusion. Ask away as needed,

Sincerely,
Dean

Aside:

Barry Hemphill, if you happen upon this thread — any comments, modifications, or corrections?

Thanks,
Dean

Hello Max: (Dean, you are very complete as usual)

The knowledge base article (linked below) describes replacing Bluetooth mouse batteries. I have followed it and had no problem having the mouse reacquire the BT module.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86472

Edit: And if I had read Dean's post more carefully, I would have seen that he has already recommended the knowledge base article.

Barry

Hi again, Max, et.al.—

That's great news! I'm glad you got it working — and thanks for posting back to keep us apprised.

I've had similar experience with what I expected to be the "automatic" nature of the Bluetooth Setup Assistant (BSA) not being so automatic when it seems you need it most. I'm not sure this is buggy, however, as I'll explain in a moment.

I recently lost connection entirely and — despite the best efforts of mouse [Apple Wireless] and man [me] — and Apple tech., too — had to bring my eMac and devices into the shop. Part of the /diagnostic/troubleshooting process I went through on the phone with an excellent AppleCare technician involved turning off and unplugging my eMac, waiting 2 minutes, then restarting and launching the BSA from System Preferences»»Keyboard & Mouse»»Bluetooth. Before beginning the "Select Device Type" step of the "Setup New Device" process, he had me turn off (i.e., cover the LED) of my keyboard; then turn it on after selecting it and before moving forward. The same would be true if you were resetting a mouse or other device.

I've described all the steps we went through here:

Dean Pahl, "No connection BT mouse and keyboard" #1, 05:52pm Jun 29, 2005 CDT

If you haven't, you may want to look through that post in case you have problems again. I tried to describe the whole thing in excruciating detail because I assumed others would be asked to do the same steps when calling AppleCare with similar symptoms.

And — according to the Preference pane — neither my mouse or keyboard ever "officially" lost "pairing" with my eMac — even though they eventually gave me a new keyboard and somehow found a way to "reconnect" my mouse... So perhaps the "automatic BSA" was never summoned, needed or not!

Best wishes to you!

Dean

p.s. Yeah, I noticed that my acronym version of Bluetooth Setup Assistant is probably a
™ infringement.

One more thing, Max—

I was surprised that you reported 2.1538 as your Bluetooth Firmware version, on an iMac G5.

Here's why:

I'd learned previously from Jim Mauro ( Jim Mauro, "Bluetooth Firmware Updater: Try It, You'll Like It!" #2, 05:08pm Jul 8, 2005 CDT) that his Firmware version on a PowerMac G4 (as updated by the Bluetooth Firmware updater 1.2) was version (v.) 3.1792.

My eMac 1.42's (updated) version is v.2.1586. (It was v.2.1241 "brand new" as of May 18th.)

In a separate thread, Shawn M. reported ( Shawn M., "What is the latest BT firmware version?" #4, 10:42am Jul 8, 2005 CDT) v.3.1965 for an iMac G5 (also as upgraded). So I was leaning toward a belief that the reported Bluetooth Firmware version varies by the type of Mac (and perhaps the specific type of Bluetooth module used?)... That sorta made sense — and that the same updater package can update each model's Apple Bluetooth module (etc.) also seemed fairly reasonable.

Your report turns that interpretation "topsy-turvy."

Thus endeth my career trying to predict the meteorology (or is it mythology?) of Firmware versions!

If some form of rhyme or reason may be correlated to this subject — I do so wish somebody would explain it to me!

Take care,
Dean

Hi, Max—

Sorry for being tardy with my reply; I've been a bit under the weather. "It's baaack!" (just when you thought it was safe to go in the water) is a quote from Jaws, right?

I can understand and appreciate your skepticism. Although I've adopted (and intend to maintain) a positive, "can-do" attitude toward Bluetooth, it can be difficult to soothe the anxiety you're experiencing.

I'll share what I do when I get the "low-battery" alert. Nothing beyond simplicity, but it works for me:

(1) I keep working for a while. There's no rush.
(2) I plug-in my USB mouse (if it's not already attached and waiting in a drawer).
(3) I replace batteries, using care with both polarity and seating. While I'm inside the mouse, I check the metal components, etc.
(4) I replace the mouse's bottom, and close the LED cover. Yes, leaving the mouse "off."
(5) I go to System Preferences via the Bluetooth menu's "Set up Bluetooth Device" (other paths are the same; this is quickest for me),
(6) I continue past the 1st screen, and select "Mouse,"
(7) While it's searching for a mouse, I open the LED cover and turn my mouse belly-up near the computer.
(8) I wait very patiently. Actually, I keep working, using the USB mouse. It usually takes a little while, and it almost always works. When it hasn't, I repeat the "find my mouse" routine and it works.

I think "off" and patience are key.

Lest anyone jump in to decry the USB backup: Article 86477: Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse: System Requirements does say,
]"To use the Apple Wireless Keyboard or Apple Wireless Mouse you will need:. . . A USB keyboard and mouse for setup."

[Not exactly in bold print on the side of the box, but...] I consider keeping them handy a "must." Irony? Not to me: my "last" Mac (a Power Mac 6500, still going strong) predated USB, so I had to add it via a PCI card; thus, I had to keep ADB mouse & keyboard handy for certain situations. I just think of this as a "sidekick of progress." Hah.

I hope this helps, even as simple as it is.

Btw, please do call AppleCare. Three reasons:

(a) They're very good. And troubleshooting Bluetooth irritations is more of an interactive process than is readily amenable to other formats

(b) It's a very good thing to have an open case number, just in case you need it later.

(c) They've told me that there are comparatively very few Bluetooth-related calls when I've remarked that quite a few folks post here about xyz. One-on-one feedback eventually filters through to the engineers.

Best of luck, Max!
Dean

Hi, Max!

Thanks for posting back with the positive results from your work with AppleCare. I'm glad you were able to work through the latest issue.

AppleCare Tech. Support had me follow a ~similar procedure (plus other steps) about 7 weeks ago (which I see now that I didn't describe adequately in the link I provided you in msg.# 1.1.1.1.1 above). For want of a better term, I'll call this a "hard reset" of both your Bluetooth module and your Bluetooth mouse (the same can be done for a keyboard). In my instance, nothing worked, and my keyboard needed to be replaced. Since then, however, I've done a "hard reset" of my mouse a couple of times but not of my eMac. I've come to consider this a reasonable (and easy) troubleshooting step the few times that I've had connection hiccups since then.

Reading back through your entire thread, I realize that I'd since understood a question we discussed in msgs.# 1.1 through 1.1.1.1.2. In case you didn't read about this in other threads (e.g., this one), your firmware is up-to-date. The reason it is v. 2.1538 (as opposed to v. 3.1965) is that you purchased your iMac G5 before the new Bluetooth 2.0+EDR chip was available. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused you in that regard.

Regards,
Dean

Best of luck with the repair. The firmware on my 20" from mid-Oct is 2.1586, if that's of any interest. That's the version after running the previously downloaded firmware updater. I don't know how the original Bluetooth firmware was numbered.

Hi,

I am glad that I found this post. I have been having the same problem with my Powerbook. With a laptop, you need to modify this procedure because when you unplug the computer, your battery keeps the computer active.

So add the following step between 1 and 2.

Remove laptop battery for 4-5 minutes.

Apple really should tell people this when they send someone a bluetooth mouse. For a long time I thought I was having mouse battery problems.