Apple Wired Keyboard Suddenly Not Working Upon Upgrade to Sequoia 15.3.1 on Intel Mac Mini

Question

Apple Wired Keyboard Suddenly Not Working Upon Upgrade to Sequoia 15.3.1 on Intel Mac Mini

Apple wired USB-A keyboard model A1423 was working perfectly on Intel mac Mini running Sequoia 15.3.

My mac upgraded to Sequoia 15.3.1 and the Apple wired keyboard does not work. The mini automatically logged in as part of the upgrade so I knew the upgrade from 15.3 to 15.3.1 succeeded.

I switched from the USB-A port the keyboard was plugged into but the second USB-A port did not register the Apple keyboard either. So I attempted to reboot my computer.

The suddenly failed keyboard now prevented me from logging into my computer.

I have since been able to login by pairing a bluetooth keyboard while in Recovery OS in order to remove FileVault protection (as Recovery OS recommended). Upon restart, there was initially no connection to the bluetooth keyboard I had just utilized to enter my password to remove FileVault.

After about a minute of the mini not recognizing a keyboard nor mouse, the login window indicated I could pair a bluetooth keyboard. So I placed my bluetooth keyboard back in pairing mode and was once again able to pair it and I successfully logged into Sequoia 15.3.1 again.

But how could this upgrade have bricked my Apple keyboard?

I was unable to get the bricked keyboard to work on my old macbook pro (no longer upgradable beyond Big Sur). I found other posts that indicated something about firmware updates needing to be triggered or activated on other A1423 wired keyboards following earlier macOS upgrades.

Is there some way to force a firmware upgarde to this Apple wired USB-A keyboard model A1423?

Mac mini (2018)

Posted on Feb 17, 2025 3:07 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 19, 2025 4:44 AM in response to i.just.want.some.help

I came across a USB A to USB C adapter and used it to connect the keyboard to a USB C port on the mini. My keyboard works perfectly again.

Thanks. Bye now!

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Answer 2

dialabrain

Level 10

136,385 points

Feb 17, 2025 3:41 AM in response to i.just.want.some.help

i.just.want.some.help wrote:

But how could this upgrade have bricked my Apple keyboard?

Just to add, the 15.3.1 update couldn't have bricked the keyboard. Since it's not working with your older Mac either, it's possible it just died, or its cable did. It is a rather old keyboard.

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Answer 3

dialabrain

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136,385 points

Feb 17, 2025 4:14 AM in response to i.just.want.some.help

Last but not least, I just dug through my keyboard graveyard box and found an Apple A1243 Extended Keyboard, plugged it into my M3 iMac running sequoia 15.3.1 and it works fine. Typing with it now.

Try booting into Safe Mode then restart normally. Sometimes that will fix anomalies.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

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Answer 4

Mar 3, 2025 9:40 AM in response to dialabrain

Funny thing is that after connecting with the USB-A to USB-C adapter the keyboard miraculously began working again as quickly as it stopped working when the system upgraded to Sequoia 15.3.1.

And for the life of me I can't understand why now the keyboard continues to work properly when I removed the adapter and plugged the keyboard directly back into the mac mini as it was previously connected (into a USB-A port).

I have wiggled and jiggled the cord and connection between the keyboard and the USB-A port on the mini multiple times and with enough force/strain to be confident that if there was some sort of short in the wire or connection it has also been miraculously healed.

In the words of the master intellect of Homer Simpson, "Praise, Jebus"!

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Answer 5

Mar 3, 2025 11:51 AM in response to dialabrain

Update: all of @dialabrain's responses keep looking more and more correct to me. After recently unplugging my replacement A1243 (the one that worked after the other one stopped working) then plugging it back in, it didn't work. It still didn't after restarting, so I plugged that first one back in (the one that stopped working initially) and it worked fine! So I've had two different A1243's stop working after two different types of events (upgrade, unplug). The first one worked fine again after the second one failed, so this is clearly some compatibility/age issue with the keyboard rather than an OS upgrade issue. However, it seems possible that this Sequoia version is more incompatible with the A1243 than any previous Mac OS versions were, but that's not saying much because incompatibility gets more and more likely the further into the future you go.

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Answer 6

Owl-53

Level 10

104,353 points

Feb 17, 2025 4:30 AM in response to i.just.want.some.help

OP wrote " But how could this upgrade have bricked my Apple keyboard? "

This is the very reason I keep a trusty $15 MacAlly USB-A windows-like keyboard at the ready

It works just fine on a M2 Mac Mini and also on a M4 Mac Mini each running Sequoia 15.3.1

Do not believe the real issue is Sequoia but rather elsewhere ( Keyboard )

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Answer 7

dialabrain

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136,385 points

Feb 17, 2025 3:23 AM in response to i.just.want.some.help

FWIW, using the extension cable that came with the A1423 works for some.

See: M1 iMac not detecting USB keyboard A1243

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Answer 8

Old Toad

Level 10

216,388 points

Feb 18, 2025 3:45 PM in response to i.just.want.some.help

I have an A 1423 wired keyboard that I'm using with the Mac Mini M4 to type this reply. I agree with dialabrain that the keyboard died or, more likely, the cable gave out.

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Answer 9

Mar 17, 2025 10:33 AM in response to dialabrain

I have the same problem with using my old USB apple keyboard on my brand new MacBook Pro M4 with Sequoia 15.3.1. The keyboard works fine on my old MacBook Air vintage 2013. I use a USB-C to USB adapter. The keyboard worked intermittently for a few days and startups, but has stopped altogether. I believe this to be a software problem and nothing more.

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Answer 10

Owl-53

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104,353 points

Feb 17, 2025 3:13 AM in response to i.just.want.some.help

There was a Firmware update for Apple Bluetooth Keyboard back on June 24, 2024

About the security content of Magic Keyboard Firmware Update 2.0.6

But for the Wired Apple Keyboard ?

Not that I am aware of

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Answer 11

Feb 17, 2025 7:35 PM in response to dialabrain

OP has the A1243 (not A1423). Same thing happened with my Macbook Pro 16" just now. Haven't tried testing the keyboard on an older Mac. Highly doubt the thing got "bricked" (seems possible but extremely unlikely). I use a couple of external monitors and put the laptop to the left of the keyboard to access the touchpad. My keyboard collection is pretty old now; the wired A1243 is the best one I have so I hope there's a fix.

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Answer 12

dialabrain

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136,385 points

Feb 17, 2025 7:47 PM in response to mathematrucker

mathematrucker wrote:

@dialabrain quite frankly IW zippo unless that 2021 post was about the keyboard failing immediately after an OS upgrade (didn't bother to check...saw the date then closed the tab).

Then that's your loss.

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Answer 13

Feb 17, 2025 7:53 PM in response to dialabrain

Anyway I wasn't correcting you specifically on the model number - the main reason I replied to you was to disagree with your suggestion that anything other than the upgrade might have caused the problem. The odds of that are super low for one user alone without any Googling and finding out that the same thing happened to other users. Ruling in sheer coincidence doesn't look like a very useful way to troubleshoot this.

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Answer 14

dialabrain

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136,385 points

Feb 17, 2025 7:59 PM in response to mathematrucker

If you have something constructive or helpful to say feel free. As I already mentioned, I have an A1243 keyboard which works perfectly well with Sequoia 15.3.1. The link I posted mentioned some users had luck using the extension cable that came with the keyboard in question. In any case, it has nothing to do with Sequoia 15.3.1.

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Answer 15

dialabrain

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136,385 points

Feb 17, 2025 8:22 PM in response to mathematrucker

mathematrucker wrote:

A1243 compatibility with 15.3.1 is what mainly seems to be lost here, but if I have to use a different keyboard, fine, it's not that big a deal.

As I've explained twice already, the A1243 keyboard works fine on my Macs running Sequoia 15.3.1. This is the third and last time.

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