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the volume and brightness keys not working?

on my built in keyboard but the function commands on the same keys don't have a problem

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Jan 30, 2014 11:38 AM

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Posted on Aug 10, 2017 1:58 PM

For MAC - Fix this problem easily in just 2 steps! Click the apple icon (top left corner) and select system preferences. Click on the keyboard ICON. Step 1: select the "keyboard" tab. Un-check/remove check on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys and standard function keys." Step 2: select the "shortcuts" tab. In the first column select "mission control". In the second column make sure "show desktop" and "show dashboard" are unchecked/not checked, allowing the F11 and F12 function keys to control what they are supposed to, the volume. Close system preferences. That's it! You're done!

Have a great day!

Fjax

12 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Aug 10, 2017 1:58 PM in response to ChefManuel

For MAC - Fix this problem easily in just 2 steps! Click the apple icon (top left corner) and select system preferences. Click on the keyboard ICON. Step 1: select the "keyboard" tab. Un-check/remove check on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys and standard function keys." Step 2: select the "shortcuts" tab. In the first column select "mission control". In the second column make sure "show desktop" and "show dashboard" are unchecked/not checked, allowing the F11 and F12 function keys to control what they are supposed to, the volume. Close system preferences. That's it! You're done!

Have a great day!

Fjax

Nov 2, 2017 11:06 PM in response to sanjampet

Sanjampet, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! You gave the simplest tip and it is the PERFECT answer! It solved my issue. I had been trying to figure out why my brightness, rewind, play, pause, skip keys were not working ever since I did the Sierra Update and I had not been able to find a solution anywhere until I found you and your helpful tip 🙂


Again, thank you so very much! All I did is uncheck the "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as a standard function keys..." and now all my keys are working perfectly fine!

Jan 30, 2014 12:35 PM in response to ChefManuel

Try a SMC reset:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964


pram reset:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379


You can try a safe mode boot, sometmes it will fix glitchy things:


Power holding the shift key, continue to hod the shift key till you see the progress BAR then release and allow to finish booting (note this will take longer than usual, as will the shut down)

After it boots it should say safe mode in red on the screen, log in, log out and shut down. Restart normally.


All the best

May 5, 2016 11:48 AM in response to ChefManuel

I know this is a super late reply, but I came across this post looking for answers and I hope this answer helps someone else that may have this problem. Like the above person said, I went to my keyboard preferences and made sure that the "use all F1, F2 etc. keys as standard function keys" checkbox wasn't checked, and it wasn't. But I realized I had the checkbox below it checked that says "adjust keyboard brightness in low light." When I pressed the backlight adjusting keys, it would come up like it usually does when it adjusts brightness, but instead of the brightness level it showed a circle with a line through it. When I unchecked that box it worked fine. Just in case someone else accidentally checked that box and their keys wouldn't adjust brightness anymore, here's how I fixed it!

the volume and brightness keys not working?

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