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TM100 Author

Level 1

32 points

Wireless keyboard won't connect

Apple wireless keyboard (2009)

Mac Pro 5,1

Lion 10.7.5

Apple wireless keyboard won't connect after changing batteries. It is listed as a paired device under Bluetooth preferences but using the 'Connect' option fails. The keyboard does not go to discovery mode.

I'm answering my own question because there seems to be a lot of voodoo around the problem. The following worked for me after trying a lot of different stuff.

Go to System Preferences -> Bluetooth. Delete the keyboard from the list of devices by pressing the '-' button.
Alternatively you can delete the plist file but it shouldn't be necessary if the keyboard is the only problem. Deleting this file means restarting all other bluetooth devices to force them to reconnect. The plist file is in /Library/Preferences and is called com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.
Take the batteries out of the keyboard and reinsert them - don't power on the keyboard yet. This puts the keyboard in discovery mode the next time it's switched on.
In Bluetooth Preferences press the '+' button to add a new device.
When the Bluetooth Setup Assistant is displayed hold down the power button on the keyboard and don't release it! The keyboard should now appear in the list of devices.
Press 'Continue' - remember to keep pressing the keyboard power button while hitting 'Continue'. You should get an 8 digit passcode from the setup assistant.
Now release the keyboard power button and enter the passcode.
Press return - the keyboard is now paired.
Go to back to Bluetooth preferences and select the keyboard in the device list.
Press the gear icon and select 'Update Services'. Without this last step you may have to reconnect the keyboard from the Bluetooth menu after every startup.

Hope that helps.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5), Apple Wireless Keyboard (2009)

Posted on May 27, 2013 2:53 PM

Top-ranking reply

Treymona

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Oct 15, 2017 8:04 AM

This didn’t work for me cause I have a password, so when I restart my system it shows me the password space for me to type in my password.

Without the keyboard how do I do that?

Please I need help with this ASAP, anyone please.

Thank you.

View in context

156 replies

Jul 6, 2014 9:49 AM in response to TM100

I had this problem back in April, 2014 and it worked like a charm, now it's happened again and it won't work. Actually both the keyboard and trackpad were down but I got the trackpad paired.

This morning the bluetooth icon wasnt even in System Preferences nor in the Library, I restarted my iMac and ok it shows now and I made it discoverable but it still won't pair, I tried your instructions over and over, no good.

In Library/Preferences it shows as com.apple.BluetoothFileExchange.plist, and that's the only one, is that the correct plist?

Any suggestions, it's now afternoon and still trying 😟

Jul 22, 2014 8:30 AM in response to jmariem

The only thing that worked!

Oct 6, 2014 6:20 PM in response to TM100

genius! thanks

Oct 12, 2014 9:48 AM in response to TM100

I would just like to add that I was having a problem pairing my apple bluetooth keyboard to my macbook pro and I tried this solution but it didn't work for me. I later realized that the problem was that I also had my keyboard paired with my iPhone so whenever i turned my keyboard on to pair it with my laptop it was only discoverable for about 1-2 seconds then it would connect to my phone. I turned my phone's bluetooth off and I was able to pair the keyboard with no problems.

Oct 22, 2014 1:10 PM in response to TM100

Amazing! This worked, thank you!

nitaboo

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2014 2:20 PM in response to TM100

THANK YOU!!!!!

😉

Dec 29, 2014 4:41 PM in response to TM100

Thank you so much for this post! Worked after I had tried everything else!!

loviexox

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2015 6:40 AM in response to TM100

None of these will work for me. 😟 My keyboard somehow seems to disconnect when we have power outages here. I also do not have the "+" sign, which I did not realize until after I already deleted the Apple keyboard from my Bluetooth "Devices" list. How did you all without the "+" sign get your keyboard to connect again??

I have my iPad & iPhone Bluetooth turned off and I even powered both of them off as well. I just put new batteries in the keyboard so that does not seem to be the issue. Can anyone please help me? This is driving me nuts!

I am using an iMac desktop version 10.9.5.

Thank you!

Jan 6, 2015 1:39 AM in response to loviexox

Mine does not have the '+' sign on bluetooth either - I went on to the bluetooth page, then took batteries out, replaced them and held down the power button continuously whilst the keyboard appeared as a device on the list (I did not need to add a device) - and then as TM100 said, do this all whilst holding down the power button, pressing 'pair' when it pops up- it will then give you a code which you can type (releasing the power button).

Hopefully this helps!

loviexox

Level 1

0 points

Jan 6, 2015 7:25 AM in response to ApplePiePumpkinPie

OMG thank you SO much ApplePiePumpkinPie--- your advice worked! I am soooo happy to finally have my keyboard back in working condition! Thank you a ton! 🙂

hsandick

Level 1

15 points

Jan 13, 2015 6:31 AM in response to TM100

worked! thanks.

hal

Mar 24, 2015 6:03 AM in response to hsandick

This solution works great to re-pair my keyboard and trackpad, but I have to do it every morning when I come into the office, which is a huge pain. Has anyone had the issue of a keyboard and trackpad needing to be reset on a near daily basis after taking your laptop out of the building? I'm at my wits' end.

Mar 26, 2015 5:18 AM in response to TM100

The answer is easy - Log into the guest account and put new keyboard in discovery mode. Enter number that is shown once discovered and hey presto wireless key board paired.

Apr 21, 2015 6:24 AM in response to shoulihan

It has taken nearly a whole day to resolve the issue I had with my Bluetooth keyboard failing to reconnect with my Macbook Pro. Although the Mac could see the keyboard it resolutely refused to pair with it. Eventually I turned everything in the house off, the wifi network and all other devices including my Magic Mouse that might be filling it with spurious radio waves and hey presto it connected first time.

I figure it is all down to interference and lack of signal strength.

Glenn112

Level 1

0 points

May 11, 2015 5:52 AM in response to jmariem

Thanks TM! Worked perfectly...

Wireless keyboard won't connect