Why might my keyboard backlight be uneven on my laptop?

Question

Why might my keyboard backlight be uneven on my laptop?

Recently Ive noticed that the keyboard backlight on my computer is uneven. All of the keys are still illuminated, its just that some are dim, and one is really bright. On my computer, the N key is so much brighter its a distraction, and the I, O, K, L, colon, apostrophe, comma, period, and question mark keys are all significantly dimmer. Its really annoying.

So far Ive cleaned the undersides of the affected keys, but that didn't do anything because they were already very clean. Ive also reset the SMC, but I dint think that would do much though. Other than that I have not done anything to this computer recently besides use it for 15 minutes in class.

Thank you for any feedback you might post.

MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.2), 2010, 13 inch

Posted on Jan 8, 2018 10:00 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Jay-Ray

Level 4

3,738 points

Jan 8, 2018 10:11 PM in response to TheMasterOfApple2334

That's almost certainly a failure since the SMC had no effect. You will want to get it serviced if you are still in warranty. if you aren't in warranty, it might not be worth the cost, but wouldn't hurt to get a quote. You can Contact Apple Support for mail in service or find a authorized service location: Apple - Find Locations - Country Selector

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Answer 2

Jay-Ray

Level 4

3,738 points

Jan 8, 2018 10:16 PM in response to TheMasterOfApple2334

If it's been opened by someone other than Apple, they may not. They will check that if you go in and tell you if it's serviceable or not. If it's not serviceable due to third party parts, they will just return it back to you and send you on your way. At that point, you'd just have to take it to a third party repair place or do it yourself. The Apple Authorized Service Providers (non-Apple Stores) may offer to repair it for you, but it probably wouldn't;t be covered by the warranty since someone other than Apple touched it, so it's worth trying there instead of a Genius Bar.

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Answer 3

Jan 8, 2018 10:14 PM in response to Jay-Ray

Will the Genius Bar still service the computer if it has after market parts installed? Dual SSD’s and an after market battery is what’s under the hood at the moment.

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