David1219

Q: Microsoft Designer Keyboard and Mouse

So, brand new Mac mini running El Capitan 10.11.2, i am trying to connect via bluetooth the Microsoft Designer Keyboard and mouse...

 

https://www.microsoft.com/accessories/en-us/products/keyboards/designer-bluetoot h-desktop/7n9-00001

 

Mouse is good to go, but when trying to connect the keyboard, i am asked to enter the 6 digit code on the keyboard to complete pairing. I have tried on the top set of number keys, as well with the right keypad keys, prior to pressing num lock or after pressing num lock... NOTHING IS WORKING... i can't connect the keyboard and it eventually goes out of pairing mode. The keyboard works fine as i have connected via bluetooth to a windows 10 PC and a Surface Pro 2. I know it will have limited functionality on the mac, but i have seen reviews on youtube that people have reviewed the keyboard on their mac... I am a recent convert from PC so am i doing something wrong, or maybe just not compatible with 10.11.2...?

 

Any help would be AWESOME!!!

 

Thanks

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Dec 14, 2015 4:06 PM

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Q: Microsoft Designer Keyboard and Mouse

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  • by thesugger,

    thesugger thesugger Jan 1, 2016 10:28 AM in response to David1219
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 10:28 AM in response to David1219

    I finally got mine to pair, but had the same issues as you did for days. Then I tried the steps below and it paired. Truthfully, I don't know the exact steps, but I think this is right, since I don't want to disconnect it to try and pair it again, because it took me a few days to connect it this time.

     

    I have a MacBook Air running El Capitan - 10.11.2

     

    But try these steps below. Start with the keyboard off, then hold down the bluetooth button on the keyboard and do not let it go, then while continuing to hold it down, then click the numbers as requested and I think I clicked enter when I was done entering in the numbers, then the numbers window disappeared and then it went back to the bluetooth preferences window and then connected immediately. Regardless, the key is to hold down the connect button and not let go, or hold it down for the first through entering in the numbers, and then after you enter in the numbers hold the button down again, but regardless it has to do with holding the button down, since basically the keyboard has the ability to try and connect at the first, and then once you click pair, then it loses its ability to connect to the computer, so you have to hold it down and do the steps VERY QUICKLY while the connection process is still active. I hope this helps.

  • by JonnoW,

    JonnoW JonnoW Jan 2, 2016 2:41 AM in response to David1219
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 2, 2016 2:41 AM in response to David1219

    I've been having the same issues on a 2013 Mac Book Pro Retina. I tried thesugger's suggestion but it didn't work, I tried restarting and nothing. In the end I unpaired everything (the keyboard and my magic mouse), turned bluetooth off on the computer and switched the mouse off, took the batteries out of the keyboard and restarted. When it came back on I turned the keyboard on, turned Bluetooth on and it paired straight away. Then I paired the mouse.

     

    I've had this problem in the past and I'm not sure what causes it but taking the mouse out of the list seemed to do the trick!

  • by edmundzor,

    edmundzor edmundzor Jan 8, 2016 4:58 AM in response to JonnoW
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 8, 2016 4:58 AM in response to JonnoW

    Hey Jon,

     

    I'm currently still experiencing the exact problems as stated above. Tried both your methods and Snug's but nothing seem to be working. Any more tip you have? Really grateful!

  • by JonnoW,

    JonnoW JonnoW Jan 8, 2016 5:54 AM in response to edmundzor
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 8, 2016 5:54 AM in response to edmundzor

    I've just had the problem again. Got back from lunch and the keyboard had removed from the Bluetooth list. I did the steps as I stated above and it didn't work either. A bit of digging suggested that it could be a power issue, despite the batteries being fairly new. So I've bought a new set of rechargeable batteries and it connected straight away.

     

    The mouse was also being spotty so I'll put some brand new batteries in too.

     

    Try that, let me know if you have any joy!

     

    Jonno

  • by JonnoW,

    JonnoW JonnoW Jan 12, 2016 1:15 PM in response to JonnoW
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 12, 2016 1:15 PM in response to JonnoW

    I'm totally stumped. It's still not connecting. I just booted up my Windows laptop and it connected no problem (although not when I used the numeric keypad I had to use the top row of buttons). I tried on my iPhone but it had the same problem. I'm going to borrow a bluetooth usb receiver tomorrow and see if that will work. I'm losing way too much time trying to get this thing to work with my Mac though!

  • by JonnoW,

    JonnoW JonnoW Jan 14, 2016 5:31 AM in response to edmundzor
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 14, 2016 5:31 AM in response to edmundzor

    I think I've found the answer to the problem: El Capitan.

     

    I tested the keyboard on 2 macs running on El Capitan - a 2015 Mac Pro and a 2013 Mac Book Pro Retina - nothing. Says it's connecting, then the keyboard turns off.

    However, I tried on a colleague's iMac running Yosemite and it connected straight away. I tried on a Windows 10 laptop, it connected straight away.


    I think there could be a bug in El Capitan, from what I've read others have been experiencing issues with Logitech mice, sounds very similar.

     

    As to the fix...I was going to try a Bluetooth USB but I don't know that it will work if the problem is at an OS level. I would recommend getting onto Microsoft and hopefully they will release a patch at some point.

  • by PhantomSoul,

    PhantomSoul PhantomSoul Jan 17, 2016 8:37 PM in response to David1219
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jan 17, 2016 8:37 PM in response to David1219

    There definitely appear to be some bugs in OS X El Capitan as of Version 10.11.2 that cause generic (read: non-Apple) Bluetooth devices, like the Microsoft Designer Keyboard and Mouse, to not connect as expected when the Mac awakes from sleep. Restarts and SMC resets do not appear to help at all; Bluetooth devices will reconnect upon startup from the restart, but continue to fail to connect when the Mac is awoken from sleep. It doesn't even seem to matter how it is awoken.

     

    The only known workaround that I've found is to use the trackpad (for notebooks) or a USB keyboard or mouse (for notebooks or desktops) to bounce the Mac's Bluetooth services (turn Bluetooth off and then back on again) after waking the Mac, and your generic Bluetooth devices should connect, until you let the computer go idle again for long enough to go to sleep. The you will need to repeat. Alternatively, you can just use a USB keyboard and USB mouse in the meantime until Apple distributes a patch to correct this behavior.

  • by JLCC88,

    JLCC88 JLCC88 Feb 10, 2016 3:11 PM in response to David1219
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 10, 2016 3:11 PM in response to David1219

    hey not sure if you are still having this problem but i just managed to connect it after about 20 minutes of struggling..

     

    this is what i did - after multiple times of trying i just took the batteries out and put them back in. instead of trying to connect it to my iMac (10.11.3) i connected it to my iPad air 2 (don't know what iOS it is off the top of my head). it prompted me for the password and i typed it in and waited for a bit. it connected to the iPad. i than turned my iPads blue tooth off and unplugged the batteries of the keyboard. pressed the button again and it showed up, typed in the password and hit the enter key (using the num pad) and than i hit the enter key on my apple keyboard. it for some reason connected after that process. its weird the microsfot key is acting as the command key as well but i read online that it isn't supposed to. so not really sure but i think it thinks the keyboard is my apple keyboard or something. It is great but it does just stop working for a couple of seconds when you top typing not sure why.

     

     

    hope this helps

  • by ThatAnalog,

    ThatAnalog ThatAnalog Mar 14, 2016 7:06 PM in response to David1219
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 14, 2016 7:06 PM in response to David1219

    I think I figured this out- when the dialogue pops up with the code, click on "Pair" and THEN type in the code. Worked for me after yelling at my computer for a good 15 mins

  • by Adim E,

    Adim E Adim E Apr 27, 2016 10:59 AM in response to thesugger
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Peripherals
    Apr 27, 2016 10:59 AM in response to thesugger

    Thank you!

  • by kadargo24,

    kadargo24 kadargo24 May 2, 2016 10:30 PM in response to David1219
    Level 1 (4 points)
    May 2, 2016 10:30 PM in response to David1219

    I had this same issue, but none of the above seemed to work.  I even tried clearing PRAM.

     

    Note that I didn't get the prompt to type in the digits until I unchecked all options in the Advanced Bluetooth menu...so that might have been a prerequisite for my issue, or just a fluke!

     

    Tried numerous times to pair...new batteries, powering down..etc.  I was plugging in the prompted numbers from the 2nd row to no avail.  I then decided to try to enter with numpad instead.  I toggled bluetooth off then on to force new digits.  I used the numpad followed by the Enter key.  Voila...it paired.

     

    Coincidence?  Maybe?  But thought I'd put it here just in case.

  • by peelpel,

    peelpel peelpel Jun 21, 2016 11:57 AM in response to ThatAnalog
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jun 21, 2016 11:57 AM in response to ThatAnalog

    Where am i getting this CODE???

    PLEASE HELP!!

  • by Arl_ln,

    Arl_ln Arl_ln Jun 22, 2016 4:20 PM in response to ThatAnalog
    Level 1 (34 points)
    Jun 22, 2016 4:20 PM in response to ThatAnalog

    Thanks David. Typing it out on El Capitan following your suggestion. I got it to link following a slight modification of your method.

     

    What I did was restart my mac > Under system preferences > Bluetooth, I clicked paired once the keyboard showed up. Then I used the number pad on the right of the keyboard to input the keys that were prompted and hit enter. As as last step, I click Pair on the key prompt.

     

    Hope it helps.