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User profile for user: Gracepullan1
Gracepullan1 Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

My caps lock key isn't working on my MacBook Pro

My caps lock key isn't working on my MacBook Pro. I can use capital letters but only if i click the shift and thats annoying. When i click the shift the shift icon comes up in the top right corner of my screen to show its on but when i click the caps lock key nothing happens like it used to light up green when i clicked it. Before anyone says go into system preferences and go to modifier keys and restore them or make sure caps lock is on caps lock I've tried that already I've searched it up and can't find anything similar. Help as soon as possible would be appreciated because it really is annoying 🙂

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Mar 5, 2016 3:55 AM

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User profile for user: CarlAVII
CarlAVII
User level: Community Specialist

Posted on Mar 7, 2016 1:00 PM

Hello Gracepullan1,



I understand that your MacBook Pro's caps lock key isn't responding as it used to. Fortunately the steps outlined below can help restore functionality to your Mac's caps lock key.

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
  2. From the View menu, choose Speech.
  3. Click the Text to Speech tab.
  4. If "Speak selected text when the key is pressed" is enabled, the key or key combination set to speak text cannot be used for other purposes or used to type text--click Set Key and change it to a less-commonly used key combination (try to use modifier keys such as Shift, Command, Option, and Control). Or, disable the "Speak selected text when the key is pressed" option.
  5. Click the Accessibilty or Universal Access pane in System Preferences, then click the Keyboard tab.
  6. Make sure that Slow Keys is turned off. With Slow Keys on, you need to press a key for a longer period of time for it to be recognized.
  7. In the Accessibilty or Universal Access pane, click the Mouse tab, and make sure Mouse Keys is turned off. With Mouse Keys enabled, you cannot use the Numeric Keypad to enter numbers--instead the keypad moves the pointer (cursor). (There is an option to enable Mouse Keys with five presses of the Option key; you may want to turn that option off to avoid accidentally enabling it.) If Mouse Keys is enabled and you are using a keyboard with no numeric keypad or Num Lock function, see Unable to type while Mouse Keys is enabled in Mac OS X.
  8. If the function keys on the top row of the keyboard are not working as expected, see Mac OS X: How to change the behavior of function keys.
  9. If the issue persists, use Keyboard Viewer to help isolate the issue:
    1. Click the Language & Text pane (Mac OS X v10.6) or International pane (Mac OS X v10.5.8 or earlier) in System Preferences.
    2. Click the Input Sources tab (or Input Menu tab in Mac OS X 10.5.8 or earlier).
    3. Click the Keyboard & Character Viewer "On" checkbox to select it (click the Keyboard Viewer "On" checkbox in Mac OS X 10.5.8 or earlier).
    4. From the Input (flag) menu, choose Show Keyboard Viewer.
      User uploaded file
    5. If the keyboard is connected and detected by OS X, the keys you type will highlight in the Keyboard Viewer window. Open TextEdit (or any text application), and try to type something using the keys that were previously not responding to see if they highlight in Keyboard Viewer.
  10. Start from the Mac OS X Install Disc, choose Terminal from the Utilities menu and test the keys which were previously not working. If the keys work while started from the Install disc, then the keyboard itself is working correctly. Use How to troubleshoot a software issue to isolate the software issue that may be causing the keys to not respond.

One or more keys on the keyboard do not respond
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203162



Sincerely

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User profile for user: CarlAVII
CarlAVII
User level: Community Specialist

Mar 7, 2016 1:00 PM in response to Gracepullan1

Hello Gracepullan1,



I understand that your MacBook Pro's caps lock key isn't responding as it used to. Fortunately the steps outlined below can help restore functionality to your Mac's caps lock key.

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
  2. From the View menu, choose Speech.
  3. Click the Text to Speech tab.
  4. If "Speak selected text when the key is pressed" is enabled, the key or key combination set to speak text cannot be used for other purposes or used to type text--click Set Key and change it to a less-commonly used key combination (try to use modifier keys such as Shift, Command, Option, and Control). Or, disable the "Speak selected text when the key is pressed" option.
  5. Click the Accessibilty or Universal Access pane in System Preferences, then click the Keyboard tab.
  6. Make sure that Slow Keys is turned off. With Slow Keys on, you need to press a key for a longer period of time for it to be recognized.
  7. In the Accessibilty or Universal Access pane, click the Mouse tab, and make sure Mouse Keys is turned off. With Mouse Keys enabled, you cannot use the Numeric Keypad to enter numbers--instead the keypad moves the pointer (cursor). (There is an option to enable Mouse Keys with five presses of the Option key; you may want to turn that option off to avoid accidentally enabling it.) If Mouse Keys is enabled and you are using a keyboard with no numeric keypad or Num Lock function, see Unable to type while Mouse Keys is enabled in Mac OS X.
  8. If the function keys on the top row of the keyboard are not working as expected, see Mac OS X: How to change the behavior of function keys.
  9. If the issue persists, use Keyboard Viewer to help isolate the issue:
    1. Click the Language & Text pane (Mac OS X v10.6) or International pane (Mac OS X v10.5.8 or earlier) in System Preferences.
    2. Click the Input Sources tab (or Input Menu tab in Mac OS X 10.5.8 or earlier).
    3. Click the Keyboard & Character Viewer "On" checkbox to select it (click the Keyboard Viewer "On" checkbox in Mac OS X 10.5.8 or earlier).
    4. From the Input (flag) menu, choose Show Keyboard Viewer.
      User uploaded file
    5. If the keyboard is connected and detected by OS X, the keys you type will highlight in the Keyboard Viewer window. Open TextEdit (or any text application), and try to type something using the keys that were previously not responding to see if they highlight in Keyboard Viewer.
  10. Start from the Mac OS X Install Disc, choose Terminal from the Utilities menu and test the keys which were previously not working. If the keys work while started from the Install disc, then the keyboard itself is working correctly. Use How to troubleshoot a software issue to isolate the software issue that may be causing the keys to not respond.

One or more keys on the keyboard do not respond
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203162



Sincerely

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User profile for user: Gracepullan1
Gracepullan1 Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Mar 7, 2016 1:03 PM in response to CarlAVII

Thank you very much. I followed through all of the steps you listed above and have managed to get my caps lock key to work. It hasn't worked in a while and i searched every where to find an answer then i thought hopefully someone will help me on here. If you can't tell I'm not very good at actually sorting out computers or laptops but your instructions were very clear so thank you for the help.🙂

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My caps lock key isn't working on my MacBook Pro

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