Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 won't work on OS X El Capitan

Mine are similar:

Increase Volume

tell application "Finder"

set curVolume to output volume of (get volume settings)

if curVolume < 96 then

set newVolume to curVolume + 6

else

set newVolume to 100

end if

set volume output volume newVolume

beep

end tell

Decrease Volume

tell application "Finder"

set curVolume to output volume of (get volume settings)

if curVolume > 1 then

set newVolume to curVolume - 6

else

set newVolume to 0

end if

set volume output volume newVolume

beep

end tell

Mute Volume

tell application "Finder"

set curVolume to output volume of (get volume settings)

if curVolume > 1 then

set volume with output muted

end if

end tell

Final thoughts on this issue: I restarted my Mac this afternoon and all of a sudden none of the IntelliType software features worked. The only keys listed in the Preference Pane were the F1 - F15 keys—none of the media keys were listed. That was the last straw. I uninstalled IntelliType and switched to USB Overdrive, which is Sierra compatible. The only keys that don't work with USB O are the 5 "My Favorites" keys. Oddly enough, the single star button below the 5 "My Favorites" keys can be programed—just not the 5 keys themselves. But the volume keys do work just fine again. In fact, with USB O, even the Zoom toggle now works properly in Adobe InDesign, which Adobe broke (confirmed bug). All in all, I would say, move to USB O. Definitely worth the small price! (and actually, you can use it for free, although it's nag-ware).

Thanks for the tip, JMcKee! The only keys that won't work for me are the four grouped keys to the right of the 5 Favorites keys. If I leave the right one on the default to launch iTunes, it works. As soon as I change it to my preference of Eject for the optical drive, it stops responding.

I never use the Favorites keys, so I don't care about those. It doesn't look like MS is ever going to touch the Mac version of this utility anymore, even though they still sell several keyboards for the Mac that use it. Don't know what their problem is that they keep ignoring it.

I've used Logitech mice for as long as I can remember and have always preferred how the feel in my hand. But I finally had to give up on their mouse driver and use SteerMouse. Even when Logitech released what was supposed to be the El Capitan compatible version, my mouse would still randomly freeze. The Mac itself was still working, but the cursor would be permanently locked on the screen at whatever position it stopped at, and the Activity Monitor would show that the Logitech driver had stopped responding. That even on a clean install of El Capitan on an erased drive. There was no way to blame it on some other utility.

Looks like it's time to do the same with IntelliType and ditch it for something that's kept up to date.

This is all very strange. Different users getting different results with the same software. So I started over to test what happens with a default install of the official release of Sierra on an erase drive.

Right off the top, we have a "problem". None of the top row of keys on an Ergonomic 4000 should do anything without a third party driver installed. They never have before. And yet, in Sierra, the only four keys that won't work when I have IntelliType installed, do! Mute, volume decrease, volume increase and iTunes play/pause all work. None of the others respond.

That tells me there's now a conflict between the OS itself and the third party drivers. No matter which one I tried (one at time and uninstalling in between); IntelliType or USB Overdrive, those four keys stop working while all others do work. Which makes basic sense because now the OS is getting two commands to follow for the same key. It doesn't matter that they're the same command, the OS still has a conflict of which one to do, so it does neither.

Filing a bug report so we'll hopefully see a 10.12.1 bug fix.

Thank you, thank you! Works like charm.

Just got a response on the bug report. It was closed as a duplicate. So Apple is already aware of it and are, hopefully, working on a fix for 10.12.1 when that's ready.

Fixed in 10.12.1. IntelliType works again as expected. Thanks, Apple!

That MS4000 keyboard is my BFF... and I had the same problem. I found this remedy on an Apple forum.

Go to

-Apple Menu

-System Preferences

-Keyboard

-Select "Modifier Keys" in lower right corner.

In "Modifier Keys" swap/change the Option Key window to reflect "Command" and the Command Key to show "Option." (For me it meant swapping the contents of the two lower windows in the list.) When you're finished, the "Alt" keys on either side of the space bar become the "Command" keys.

I don't know if this will give you all you want, but it 'gave me back' the shortcuts for Z, X, C, V, B, N, M, A, S, F, U, Q, W, I, and P... that I know of... and that's what I really needed.

Yes, that works to switch the Command and Option keys to the Mac positions, but does nothing to activate the rest of the Ergo 4000 keys. You need to install IntelliType if you want all of the features available.

Do the number-keys 1-5 work as well for you? If so, I'm curious how you managed to do that 🙂

I use USB Overdrive in combination with IntelliType. USB Overdrive does not detect the 1-5 keys, and IntelliType only shows the F1-F15 keys.

Do the number-keys 1-5 work as well for you?

Yes.

I use USB Overdrive in combination with IntelliType.

That's probably the issue. Two different drivers trying to control the keyboard. You may only be using USB Overdrive for a mouse, but you can't really tell it not to attempt control of the keyboard.

Same problem exists for macOS Sierra users, too (I'm one now).😟

This used to be the best ergo keyboard for Macs, one of very few choices. I own 3.

As of Wednesday, November 16, 2016, there's still no sign of newer drivers from Microsoft. The best solution I've found today is to use a free app called "Karabiner-Elements" to remap the Cmd, Opt and Ctrl keys... but I lose all the assignable keys, the zoom control (och, loved that) and the back/fwd buttons (och, loved those, too).

No more custom launcher keys, no more calculator key, not even the parentheses keys on the far right. Dang, I love this keyboard. My hands are hatin' life already and I've only had Sierra for 2 days.

Read through this topic. I'm already using IntelliType in Sierra and it works fine (since the 10.12.1 Sierra update).

Karabiner is a waste of time since you can swap the Command and Option keys right in the System Preferences. Same result, no extra software needed. Remove Karabiner and restart. With no third party drivers installed, open the System Preferences and click on Keyboard. Where it says Select keyboard, there will be an option for the MS Ergo 4000. Then click the Modifier Keys button at the lower right. Change Option to Command, and Command to Option. Done. The Command keys will now be next to the space bar as you would expect on the Mac, and the Option keys will be next to those.

To use IntelliType. Disable System Integrity Protection. Install IntelliType. Re-enable SIP. Make a link for the MS Keyboard Helper in your user Login Items in the System Preferences. Follow these instructions for the last part. Getting IntelliType for Microsoft keyboards and/or mice to load at startup in Mountain Lion.

Thanks; I'm willing to try even though what I see on my screens doesn't match what's been described for that workaround. For example, others said they no longer get an option in Security & Privacy to "Allow apps downloaded from anywhere" but my system, upgraded from yosemite, still shows me that option.

I gave your steps a try, including booting to Recovery partition, but I can't access your link to "Getting IntelliType for Microsoft keyboards and/or mice to load at startup in Mountain Lion" at "https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5027397" because the website keeps telling me "Unauthorized. Access to this place or content is restricted...."

I got as far as reinstalling Intellitype, but got stopped at that point.

AH, but I found a link to your tip via web search, and I can continue.