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Helpful answers
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Mar 20, 2013 3:35 AM in response to ernesto18by Ralph Landry1,Try a PRAM Reset, sounds like the computer is confused about what equipment it is expected to see...and the PRAM reset is the same for all Mac OS X versions so don't worry about that article saying Mountain Lion.
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Mar 20, 2013 4:28 AM in response to Ralph Landry1by ernesto18,Many thanks for your prompt answer. Before I try your suggestion: In the article you direct me to, it says, amongst other things, "Resetting PRAM may change some system settings and preferences. Use System Preferences to restore your settings." Which changes might I expect? Anything I should worry about? (I am not a computer expert by any stretch of the imagination...).
And should I do the PRAM resetting with or without the USB keypad plugged into the computer?
Many thanks again
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Mar 20, 2013 4:33 AM in response to ernesto18by Ralph Landry1,The settings that are changed are those inconsistent with the hardware configuration, not your personal settings like email address, and so on. You need to do the PRAM reset with the USB keyboard attached so the Mac is seeing that hardware and will enter that info in the PRAM, a memory location that stores the information on the equipment being used at that time.
The PRAM reset is a pretty harmless thing to do and often clear up confusion the Mac may be experiencing. It sounds like your is confused as to what keyboard it is expected to use so the goal is to make it see the right keyboard and remember which is the right one.
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Mar 20, 2013 4:57 AM in response to Ralph Landry1by iravi,Hi, There
I just bought my My I mac 27" Inch (Late 2012), Instit of Blutooth Kepyboard I prefer Wire Keboard but eveytime I start the machine some noice is come, seems like ots not aceepting Keboard becuase its stop when I plug keboard wire.
I try your suggested method but it doesnt make any difrrence.
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Mar 20, 2013 5:23 AM in response to iraviby Ralph Landry1,★HelpfulSince you bought your machine in the past few months, if you ordered direct from Apple with the USB keyboard instead to the Bluetooth keyboard, it would be a good idea to take it to an Apple store genius bar and have the techs see why it is not accepting the keyboard. I bought an early/mid 2012 iMac with the USB keyboard direct from Apple and it works perfectly with that keyboard and the Magic Mouse. So you really need to get Apple to sort out why yours, if factory supplied with that configuration, is not working right.
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Mar 20, 2013 5:29 AM in response to Ralph Landry1by ernesto18,I am very sorry, but that did not solve the problem. The PRAM resetting must have worked, because the screen brightness had changed to maximum, for example, from the setting I had it on.
To do the PRAM resetting I press the necessary keys on the wireless keyboard that came with the iMac (I have no other way of doing it...), so that when the computer starts it is connected to two keyboards, one USB, one wireless. Would this be a problem? If I try to do the resetting with only the (nonfunctional) USB keyboard connected, of course no resetting occurs.
Any other ideas? If I can, I would try to avoid carrying the computer and the keyboard(s) to the Apple Shop...
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Mar 20, 2013 5:46 AM in response to ernesto18by Ralph Landry1,★HelpfulIt would be better to do the PRAM reset with the USB keyboard since that is the one you want the Mac to see as the primary keyboard. You could take the USB keyboard to the Apple store genius bar and have it tested to be sure there is nto a fault in the keyboard itself. If that checks out ok, then the Mac and keyboard to see why they are not communicating correctly.
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Mar 20, 2013 5:57 AM in response to Ralph Landry1by ernesto18,Many thanks. Yes, I think that is what I'll have to do. I doubt the keyboard is at fault, because it was working yesterday, before I shut down the computer (I shut it down occasionally). But it could be an intermittent fault.
Sorry to have taken up so much of your time, and many thanks for your suggestions.
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Mar 20, 2013 6:06 AM in response to ernesto18by Ralph Landry1,You are welcome, ernesto...just sorry to not have a solution that worked. If you have time, after visiting the geniuses please post the resolution of the problem. We are all fellow users on here and not Apple employees, so how problems get resolved is helpful to know.
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Mar 20, 2013 8:35 PM in response to ernesto18by Aarpratt,I am having a similar problem. My usb keyboard will not work with my iMac since the last time I turned it off and unplugged it. I have tried plugging other devices into the the USB ports, such as my iPhone and camera, and they work but my keyboard won't. I have also tried my keyboard on a different computer (an old Mac mini) and it worked! But after trying again on my iMac, still no luck. Anyone find a solution yet?
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Mar 21, 2013 3:47 AM in response to Ralph Landry1by ernesto18,The plot thickens (this is going to be a bit verbose, but I want to explain exactly what I did). Yesterday, after doing the PRAM reset that did not sort the problem, I unplugged the USB keyboard, and left the computer on. Coming back about 1 hour later, I noticed that, strangely, it had not gone to sleep (I have it set to go to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity). So I forced it to go to sleep. Went out, came back about four hours later. And just on a whim, I plugged the non-functional USB keyboard into the computer. Result: the USB keyboard worked. In fact both work plugged simultaneously (I could write one letter with the USB one, and another letter with the wireless one, if I so desired). Since then, the computer has gone to sleep as it should, and woken up with both keyboards working perfectly.
What is going on? I notice that Sweboss in his original message, wrote "It happened a few times recently and the solution was several restarts…". Seems to me that there are some variables here that we don't control!
So: the problem is sorted out, but I don't have an explanation, and don't know how to fix it next time it goes wrong. I won't add the phrase: "I hope this helps!"…
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Mar 21, 2013 4:09 AM in response to ernesto18by Ralph Landry1,That is definitely some strange behavior, good to finally be working, but does not explain exactly what causes the behavior. Could have something to do with the energy saver part of the operating system, or a miscommunication with the USB bus itself. With multiple USB ports it would be good to test on different ports to see if that is an issue. Anyway, it is working now and that is good.
Another I don't know why but it works: a couple months ago a user was having problems with a wireless keyboard. The keyboard-iMac communication resulted in random charaters, time lag, and other bad behavior. The user finally found by accident that turning the keyboard off, removing the batteries, and then spending about five minutes just pressing keys, placing the palm of the hand on the keyboard and pressing, just pressing and pressing, and then replacing the batteries and turning on the keyboard, it worked fine. Seems like it is necessary to just force the keyboard to discharge all of the key switches. Those keyboards use capacitance switches instead of mechanical switches. So they retain a charge.
While that was a wireless keyboard, I wonder if that was what happened in a way with your keyboard...the unplugging and leaving it for a period of time, any charge may have dissipated and it would work again. If this happens again, try the above procedure and see if it helps.
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Mar 21, 2013 9:07 AM in response to Ralph Landry1by ernesto18,I did not know that the keyboard keys used capacitance switches. Many thanks for that tip, I will certainly try it if (when...) it happens again. These capacitors some time do create problems if they are not fully discharged (I suppose that why for some procedures it is not enough to switch off the computer, but one must unplug it also from the wall).
Anyway, again many thanks for all the help.
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