Looking for "Change Keyboard Type"-Button

Question

Level 1

16 points

Looking for "Change Keyboard Type"-Button

Hi. After installing Snow Leopard my Keyboard (from Cherry) works a bit wrong (some keys have wrong characters). I think there is something wrong with identification of the keyboard and wand to change it's type. "Help" ( http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/8962.html) says:

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Keyboard.
2. Click Change Keyboard Type.

The problem is, that there is no such Button "Change Keyboard Type" in Keyboard Prefs!
So where can I change the type?

Thanks,
JB

iMac 24" aluminium, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 7:16 PM

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Answer 1

K T

Level 7

23,883 points

Nov 10, 2009 7:44 PM in response to burkanov

System Preferences/Language & Text/Input Sources...

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Answer 2

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,322 points

Nov 11, 2009 5:27 AM in response to burkanov

I think there is something wrong with identification of the keyboard and wand to change it's type.

Normally "wrong characters" does not mean you need to change its "type". It is possible you just have the wrong layout active in system prefs/language & text/input sources.

But there are cases where keyboards get switched from US to Japanese and a different fix is needed. If you will give us examples of which keys have what wrong characters, then we could help further.

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Answer 3

burkanov Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 5, 2009 4:20 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hallo Tom,

the differences actually are on one button only, the one right to the left "Shift" - but it's very important for me, because I'm coder and I use very very oft. So, after installing Snow Leopard my keyboard shows "^" and "°" at the places, where I expect "<"^"-Button, it shows then the brakes.

Is there a way to fight it? In "Leopard" there was some kind of button in "Keyboard", that let you re-activate (or re-recognize?) a non-mac keyboard. In 10.6 this button is no more there.

Thank you for answering.

Jurij Burkanov

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Answer 4

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,322 points

Dec 5, 2009 4:30 PM in response to burkanov

the differences actually are on one button only, the one right to the left "Shift" - but it's very important for me, because I'm coder and I use very very oft. So, after installing Snow Leopard my keyboard shows "^" and "°" at the places, where I expect "<"^"-Button, it shows then the brakes.</div>

I think you need a modified layout rather than the "type" button. Could you tell me what layout you are using now -- what box you have checked in system prefs/language & text/input sources? Is it German or something else? I may be able to send you an alternative layout or it is easy to make one with

http://scripts.sil.org/ukelele

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Answer 5

burkanov Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 8, 2009 3:59 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello Tom,

I'm using two layouts - one is German and one is Russian-PC (Russian layouts are a little different for PCs and Macs). I don't know if it matters, but the system is running in English.

I still believe, that the problem is in keyboard configuration. As I was installing 10.6, system asked me to "Press a button next to the left Shift" to identify, which type of keyboard I use. I didn't understand what the system wants from me and pressed a wrong key (I believe, I tried to press "Escape" but instead pressed the "^" key).

Exactly the same thing happend to me a couple of times as I was installing 10.5.x - this message for Keyboard config is some kind of, I dunno, magic for me (or some poor interface design) - I always miss the point, and I've always pressed the wrong key. But in 10.5. there was a possibility to run keyboard identification once again from "Keyboard" menu (and so says "Help", too). But there is no more this button and I don't know if there were any other way to run identification again. (I've tried to plug-out and plug-in again, but it didn't help).

Thanks for your help, I look forward to try to change layouts.

Jurij

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Answer 6

burkanov Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 8, 2009 4:21 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello again,

I'm glad to say, that I've found a way to fix my problem.

In Library -> Preferences I've found a file "com.apple.keyboardtype.plist". I removed this file, unplugged my keyboard and rebooted. After that the Keyboard Setup Assistant started automatically and I finally pressed the right key 🙂

Anyway, thanks again for help!

Best regards,
Jurij

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Answer 7

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,322 points

Dec 8, 2009 4:27 PM in response to burkanov

In Library -> Preferences I've found a file "com.apple.keyboardtype.plist". I removed this file, unplugged my keyboard and rebooted. After that the Keyboard Setup Assistant started automatically and I finally pressed the right key 🙂

Thanks for that info! I think you are correct, the Mac thought you were using an ANSI keyboard, which interchanges those keys. If you look at the German layout with Ukelele, the ISO version has them where you want them. I was also going to suggest the .plist fix, which has been reported elswhere:

http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/general-mac-os-x-discussion/3425-keyboard-setup- question.html

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Answer 8

Jan 1, 2010 6:04 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

What is this "different fix" you speak of? I have a brand new aluminum keyboard (model MB110LL/A) which my Mac Mini running 10.6.2 seems to think is a japanese keyboard- to the point that the "Keyboard Viewer" widget shows extra keys with japanese labels on either end of the space bar.

http://www.jms1.net/keyboard/normal.png
http://www.jms1.net/keyboard/shifted.png

I've tried removing /Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboardtype.plist and re-inserting the keyboard, it doesn't run the keyboard detection routine and it doesn't create this file (as it does with a PC keyboard.)

My guess is that somewhere in the OS, it "knows" that VID/PID 05ac/0222 (which is this keyboard) as a japanese keyboard, and this needs to be fixed so it points to a US keyboard. Either that, or there's a batch of keyboards out there which have the wrong identifiers in them.

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Answer 9

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,322 points

Jan 1, 2010 6:48 PM in response to John Simpson

What is this "different fix" you speak of?

It is the PMU Resetting listed toward the bottom of this note:

http://m10lmac.blogspot.com/2009/12/fixing-keyboard-type-problems.html

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Answer 10

Jan 1, 2010 10:15 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Both of my macs are Intel-based. Tried the SMC reset procedures on both machines, no difference- both machines still think it's a japanese keyboard.

I have opened an AppleCare ticket about this. If they're able to provide a solution I'll let everybody here know, but for now I'm stuck using an ancient PC keyboard (grrrrrr....)

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Answer 11

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,322 points

Jan 2, 2010 6:31 AM in response to John Simpson

If they're able to provide a solution I'll let everybody here know,

Thanks -- I've not heard of another case of this so hard to fix.

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Answer 12

Jan 3, 2010 11:17 AM in response to John Simpson

AppleCare called me back today. They had me try the same "Change Keyboard Type" procedure listed above, and then wanted to cross-ship me a new keyboard. I asked if it would be easier to just go to a retail store, they said "sure, if you don't mind doing it." The store is only about four miles away, so I exchanged it for another one, and tried it in the store on two different machines (one running 10.6.1, one running 10.6.2) before coming home. The new one seems to be working correctly.

My guess was something wrong in the OS, but it looks like this was a hardware issue. My first piece of less-than-perfect Apple hardware, hrmmmm...

Thanks for your help, Tom.

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Answer 13

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,322 points

Jan 3, 2010 11:30 AM in response to John Simpson

it looks like this was a hardware issue.

I think that is really a first -- a normal keyboard that identifies itself as JIS. Very strange.

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