Random Keys Working Sporadically

I had a problem as noted above with a single "s" key. It would fire untouched repeatedly and also keep firing after being pressed. Like ssssssssss. Took the keyboard membranes apart and found this:

There is an identical pad on the front trace and when the membrane is pressed the key activates. Not sure if it's resistive or capacitive but see that tiny hair in the lower right? That's what was causing the problem. Replaced the flex keyboard and the problem went away. 2nd time I'd done that but the first time I used a used keyboard but never again. It seems like a tiny hair that found it's way between the keyboard membranes.

Try this, i think it will fix it 🙂

And here’s the fix that worked for me:

1. Go to System Preferences (you can get there from Mission Control, or the top left Apple icon on your screen, and then click System Preferences.
2. Go to Keyboard.
3. Go to the Input Sources tab.
4. Click the + button (bottom left of window).
5. Add a new keyboard (preferably of a similar language). We had British running originally, so we added U.S. below it (i.e. you should now have 2 keyboards in the list).
6. Your “broken” keys should now be working again (try with glee in an open text edit window, or similar).
7. Feel free to remove your newly added keyboard (i.e. you should just be left with your original keyboard), as the fix should still work. You can do this by selecting the newly added keyboard and clicking the – button to remove.

That was a short lived solution for me. I also found that deleting and replicating a US or British keyboard slowly degraded the temporary fix.

I've decided to get the "top case replacement" done because I can't get anything done without plugging in an external keyboard. That's shown some issues too. Now that I've had this monstrosity sitting on top of my laptop for a few day, I've experienced a number of "disconnects"'. The solution has been to disconnect the keyboard and either quit and restart the browser or do a full restart.

I'll post an update after I get it back. Wish me luck, because based on all of the posts, nothing's guaranteed.

Sorry to see that this problem is continuing for you.

"I can't get anything done without plugging in an external keyboard. That's shown some issues too. "

So that's problematic in that it points to another problem that's not hardware related.

It might help to know the exact model, year and OS you're running.

"I've decided to get the "top case replacement" done"

Not so sure I'd do that before exhausting all other possibilities. How long ago did this problem appear?

Re top case replacement..

Be prepared to wait.

When I dropped off my computer on the 7th, I was told there was a new top case in stock and the wait would be 3 to 5 days. After 5 days with no word I got online to check the repair status. Progressing or something like that. Not too long after I checked I got a phone call from the Apple Store lettinig me know the in stock top case was defective, incorrectly machined or something to that effect, and did not fit. Another one was ordered.

I just checked today and the repair is still progressing...

Tokay makes it 11 days since I dropped the unit off. I'm a bit disppointed at the time this is taking.

The issues started showing up about 18 months ago (give or take). At first it was a rare and transitional issue, then got progressively worse over time. I can't pinpoint the "start" date for sure, but after reading all of the posts correlating OS updates to the issues, it remains plausible. Per another of my posts after installing the most recent OS update, the keyboard tanked. T,Y,U,I and O (Try typing any sentence that does not use those letters and you'll quickly understand what level of frustration I faced).

One of the software related things that recently caught my attention was a discussion regarding potential cycling of the processors to keep temps down and fan noise to a minimum, that has now supposedly been integrated within the OS and regulated by the computer "profile" commands. T or F, I have no real evidence. I believe the newest processors do incorporate a Boost Cycle (2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor w/Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz). Just another plausible hunch.

Wonder if IAmNotaMachince can advise on the Apple quoted cost to replace the upper case, regardless of the wait time.

I was quoted $174 and change to replace the upper case. I do not have a break down for labor vs. parts costs. I have not paid anything yet as the Apple Store does not require a pre-payment. Of course, it has the machine and I won't get that back untili I pay, I'm sure.

Hi everyone!

My husband has the Macbook Air a late 2010. Yesterday his keyboard from letter Q to O stopped working. And as a lot of you says, we needed to plugin an external keyboard to even get in to the computer. Has anyone get their computer back after having it on service?

Thanks!

Thank goodness I took out applecare. My 2013 Macbook Pro 15 had all this done at the apple store to get the "r" button working..

661-8303 Board, Logic, 2.3 GHz, Discrete GPU, 16 GB £ 317.00

B661-8311 Top Case Assembly with Battery, British £ 257.50

S1490LL/A Hardware Repair Labor £ 24.00

Thanks for the repair cost details. While no expense is pleasant, under$200 sure beats the pants off other searchable estimates.

Like many here, I too had an issue with letters Q through O - but not P - which indicates that somehow those letters are linked in circuitry or whatever. After months of reading forums like this one, and using Apple support over the phone, which had me reset my System Management Controller, which I'm pretty sure has nothing to do with the keyboard, I visited my local Genius Bar. The first "genius" insisted that if I just sort of massaged the keys in question around the edges, they would probably work. Then he recommended replacing the hard top. No attempt to actually research or diagnose the issue. I spoke to a manager on the phone a few days later and he had me bring my MacBook back for a more thorough examination - and then simply had the techs replace my hard top. Cost: $130, though he eventually dropped the labor charge. What really got me was that there was no acknowledgement that this is a known issue; there must be a reason why this happens. No attempt to diagnose. "We don't do that here," I was told. "We just replace parts." It would be like an auto mechanic not simply changing the oil but just replacing the whole engine - and without diagnosing that maybe there's a leak somewhere. I just don't ge it.

The machine is fixed! I received a phone call shortly before 1pm telling me the machine is ready to pick up. I won't say I was not excited but I took the fastest of my two cars and the one with the radar detector to drive the ~10 miles to the Apple Store.

Pick up went pretty smoothly although there was a bit of a difficulty regarding the repair charge.

The repair charge was more than I was told. Seems in addition to the top case a "bracket" was found in need of replacement. I have no idea what this bracket looks like, why it required replacement. I balked as I had paperwork showing the cost to be $174.23 not including taxes.

The Apple employee excused himself and left only to return a minute or two later and said he could accept the initial charge amount, plus taxes. So I paid him.

Please understand I would paid the extra amount for the bracket. I was just caught a bit off guard since it had not been communicated to me something over and above what I was told was wrong was found wrong. I mean if the bracket is broken, or worn out, or whatever and needs to be replaced it needs to be replaced. Another $10.23 is not the end of the world.

Oh well. The Apple employee was cool, handled it calmly, very professionally. (And I was calm and cool, too.)

Here's what I was told the breakdown on the repair would have been without the bracket:

661-6595 Topcase W/Keybard, No Trackpoint, 13" MBP: $135.23

S1490LL/A Hardware Repair Labor: $39.00

Total: (Tax Not Included): $174.23.

Here is the breakdown on the repair with the bracket:

661-6595 Topcase, W/Keyaord, No Trackpoint, 13" MBP: $135.23

923-0156 Center Bracket: $10.23

S1490LL/A Hardware Repair Labor: $39.00

Total (Tax Not Included): $184.46

I just looked at the credit card slip and the $10.23 charge for the bracket was removed and tax was $12.86 (9.5% Good old Jerry Brown the governor needs the money to build his legacy "high speed" railroad. This is CA so the only thing "high" about this railboard project is going to be its cost and cost overruns!)

Where was I? Oh, yeah: Total: $187.19.

So there you go: My MBP is back and I'm using it now. Recharging the battery, it was down to 15%. I'm going to really work the unit hard to get it warm to make sure the key problem is gone.

Good for you. Funny thing about the cost. In my previous post I mentioned that they tried to charge me $130 before lopping off the labor charge. What really happened is that they quoted me $80 for the whole thing on my first visit. Upon my return, and after citing that figure to the manager without trouble on the phone, they tried to charge me $130. I said I was quoted $80 and the guy says, "We don't do anything here for $80." Fortunately, the manager was right there and took care of it, but weird. Recommendation: Always challenge the cost, because it seems they are quite, um, flexible.

Hi!

I have a MacBook Pro 15" from 2011. It has the problem of intermittent key not working. In my case it is the keys t-y-u-i-o.

I have succeeded solving the problems some times by simply pressing a number of the problematic keys down at the same time! Suddenly they startet working again.

I don't think the problem on my keyboard is a physical one. I think it is a kind of software bug.