how do i turn off my keyboard on my macbook pro?

KeyboardCleanTool is a free app you can download from: https://www.boastr.net/downloads/

It disables the keyboard with 1 click, and reenables it with 1 click. It does not work for disabling your MacBookPro keyboard so that you can use a Bluetooth keyboard instead (both the built-in keyboard and the BlueTooth keyboard get disabled simultaneously).

I want to be able to disable my broken keys laptop keyboard so that I can sit my Bluetooth keyboard on top of it without accidentally pressing buttons, but this won't help me. I tried F1, F6, and F7 to no success. I'd rather not type commands into the Terminal. So far, I haven't found an answer for my situation.

Breaking News: Neutral suggestions do not contribute to the solution.

I don't get it (not that I'm expecting an answer in a necro-thread), why do people state the obvious when they have nothing to build on it? like if you have foundation for the solution to an unsolved problem, great, we're all on the same page then. Didn't have to announce it though, you being here was enough thanks.

I get that somethings people don't see the obvious from their perspective. But give them the benefit of the doubt or at at the same time that what you're stating is for a case of brain fart rather than a round about way of saying I don' know"

I would just like to thank you for restoring my sanity.

My backup macbook has a similar problem, and my main machine is out for repair, and I was going nuts trying to work around the constant phantom button presses. You are my hero today!

People log onto these boards looking for answers to their problems, not reasons why their problems are actually unobjectionable. I can't even imagine being so completely personally identified with a brand that I would tell a person something like this. Your response is essentially pro-Apple propaganda, aimed at a person already using an Apple product and having problems with it that they are coming to you seeking help with. As such, your response is actually worse than useless.

At the time I posted this rather aggressive response, my keyboard had been damaged in such a way that the computer behaved as if the Command key were constantly being pressed down. Thus trying to type the letter "p" would attempt to print something. It was easier to use the virtual keyboard or connect a keyboard via USB, but they would behave the same way unless the internal keyboard was turned off.

For the record, what I wound up doing was cutting and pasting the following into the terminal (with my admin password):

sudo kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTCKeyb oard.kext/

To turn it back on, I did this:

sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTCKeyb oard.kext/

To HELP, or not To HELP? That's the question!

Having to explain WHY I'm asking a question, seems like an impediment (I'n my humble opinion). I know I could be wrong! Obviously there are exceptions. So please forgive me if I'm way off.

dominic23>"There is no preference setting to turn off keyboard"

dominic23>"Third party applications and terminal method will produce unexpected problems."

[You are obviously knowledgable and trying to help. Great info, thanks!]

dominic23>"Keyboard plays a very important part in troubleshooting."

[Do you think? If they don't know this already, they probably have no clue what troubleshooting is anyway. If you don't understand how important your keyboard is, then maybe you need to learn, by troubleshooting the full extent of their own id10t error capability. Am I wrong?]

Most of the posts I go to for help are riddled with questions like "why would you want to do that?" This always irritates me personally. I'm kind-of venting at all the posts I've ever read. So, no hard feelings, nothing personal.

Regards,

Sr Developer

There is no preference setting to turn off keyboard.

Third party applications and terminal method will produce unexpected problems.

Keyboard plays a very important part in troubleshooting.

Best.

Just for some clarification what does that gain you, to turn off the built in keyboard?

Maybe you can give some more idea what are your objectives.

error in 10.10.3 (14D136)

Can't create /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTCKeyb .

Can't open CFBundle for /Users/av/oard.kext.

Can't create oard.kext.

you have an error in the string: "sudo kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTCKeyb oard.kext/"

should be "sudo kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTCKeyb oard.kext/" [no space between Keyb .. and .. ord].

the corrected string brings back this error:

(kernel) Can't unload kext com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard; classes have instances:

(kernel) Kext com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard class AppleUSBTCKeyboard has 1 instance.

Failed to unload com.apple.driver.AppleUSBTCKeyboard - (libkern/kext) kext is in use or retained (cannot unload).

Please advise.

I know this is an old thread, but i just discovered by accident a way to disable the keys running Yosemite. All i did was press the option key 5 times in a row and all of the keys do not work until i press it 5 times again. When i first did it by accident i thought my keyboard was broken but when i restarted the computer it was back to normal. I don't really know why this happens, but it does.

Sorry, I hadn't seen this before. When I came back just now, it told me I had a draft to recover, and this draft contained that code, but without the spaces. I don't know how they got there. I hope they didn't give you trouble.

My laptop was running Mavericks at the time I posted this. I'm glad you found something that worked for Yosemite.

Fyi, 2 reasons I'm aware of: 1) You want to clean your keyboard without having to shut down first. This obviously requires putting pressure on the keys. 2) You have a pet (i.e. cat) and don't want 25+ different actions being triggered b/c they walked on or sat on the keyboard. 🙂

Yay, I found an app that works!

Karabiner is a free app that allows you to disable your Mac's keyboard when an external keyboard is connected: https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/

It can also do a ton of other things to customize your keyboard, which I have not explored.

A big thank you to this "Cat-proofing a MacBook keyboard" article: http://www.mackungfu.org/cat-proofing-a-macbook-keyboard

This is actually quite easy, I can't believe I had to google so much to find the answer and almost paid 10 bucks for a program to do it!! http://www.mackungfu.org/cat-proofing-a-macbook-keyboard

1.

Open System Preferences, then click the Accessibility icon.

2.

Click the Mouse & Trackpad icon in the list at the left.

3.

At the top right, click the Options button alongside the Enable Mouse Keys checkbox.

4.

Put a check in Ignore Built-In Trackpad When Mouse Keys is On, and click OK.

5.

Close System Preferences, then in future when the MacBook keyboard is sat upon by a cat, tap Option (Alt) five times.

Unfortunately these steps do not disable keyboard input when using OS High Sierra. Instead, this simply turns on Mouse Keys while the rest of the keyboard still functions normally: http://ca.mag.cm/1W3C183v1D1m 😟