Apple Bluetooth Keyboard Dead !

[Dino1956]

Last week whenever I booted up the Mini, it would report No Keyboard Found. Then I'd go through the typical in System Preferences & that would get me back & running until the next reboot. So this morning, now I get nothing out of the Keyboard. No Green Power Light. Changed Batteries. Pressed Off & On 100 times & nothing. So I'm thinking my Apple Bluetooth Keyboard is Fried. How could this be ? I did all the typical troubleshooting measures. Trashed the old bluetooth.plist file & all. Thanks in advance.
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
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[Bandit Bill]

I bet it's not dead. You likely have a USB device messing you up. Unplug or reset the power to your USB devices.

Same thing happened to me.

I did all the hard stuff first too

I never thought a USB device would be the issue because everything had worked fine for years and the symptoms seem very strange. It ended up being my Sony external USB DVD writer that was the culprit. All I had to do was turn the power to the USB drive on and off.

[Dino1956]

Yea but I don't get ANY green light on Keyboard. No matter if I'm in another room. The KB green light should come on when you press the Power switch on the side, no matter what. Correct ? It always use to come on. Again, fresh batteries. I'll give what you said a try though. Thanks, BanditBill.
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

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[Dino1956]

I tried your suggestion but it did not work. I think the problem lies in the Keyboard itself. It'l like th batteries are not making connection with the plus & minus contact inside the KB. Again, that's why I'm saying it's Dead. Tried 2 different types of batteries as well.
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

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[Bandit Bill]

Too bad.

I was getting the same thing Dino. I would keep on messing around until I magically got it to work. It would work until a reboot.

My green light wasn't coming on either, or I would just see it turn on for 1/2 a second, after messing with the batteries. I tried a few sets of batteries etc. I could not believe that my issue wasn't in the keyboard itself. As you say the green light should just come on, on its own. I really can't explain other than to speculate that it may have had something to do with previously being paired. A new keyboard out of the box will light up green when first turned on.

I reset the PMU. I tried loading the OS off of another drive, I tried different user accounts etc.

Are you getting an indication that "Bluetooth is not dicoverable"? Or is your bluetooth working at all times. I was getting Bluetooth not discoverable. The Bluetooth symbol on the menu bar had a squiggle through it.

[Dino1956]

Well my Bluetooth Mighty Mouse is working fine. So Bluetooth is always on & it's set for Discoverable. When I go into Bluetooth Setup Asst., it never finds the KB. The Mouse is there. I believe what you said about the Green Light. Even though the Light is not On, it could be a problem talking to the Bluetooth on the Mac & not a hardware issue. I wish I had another Mac with Bluetooth to test it. But I don't. I'm not going to wipe my drive just for this. Just tried "Browse Device" with no result. This is kinda of making me a little mad, to tell you the truth. Isn't it just suppose to work ? Another thing, I went to put the S/N in the Apple "Online Service Assistant". And it claims it's not the right S/N. The S/N is so small I had to take a Macro Photo of it, in order to read it. I'm typing in the number that is there.

This was all working perfectly for the last 3 months. It all started when it would lose KB Bluetooth Connection on Restart. But at least then I could Manually Connect it. Now I can't do nothing. Why won't my Green Light come on ? Jeez. I knew I always loved Wired Hardware with good reason.
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=Dino1956

[Bandit Bill]

You've been having some bad luck lately.

Is your keyboard still under warranty? I think they have a 1 year warranty.
Perhaps is is hooped. Maybe you can bring it to an Apple store and try to pair it up there.

As discussed in another thread, bluetooth runs in the 2.4GHz range. If you have a 2.4GHz router, phone, microwave or anything like, that make sure they are off. Hopefully your neighbors aren't broadcasting 2.4GHz.

Make sure all of your USB/firewire devices are unplugged.

I would even try using a wired mouse to make sure the Bluetooth mouse you are using isn't causing issues.

You may want to try taking the batteries right out of the Bluetooth keyboard for a few hours/overnight. See if the make a difference.

Good luck.

Sucks to buy "quality" hardware and have issues with it.

With the luck you've been having Dino, you might go back to Windows.

[Dino1956]

OK. Some good suggestions although there is NO Apple Store in this one horse town for 300 Miles. And with the Serial Number not going through, no one is going to help me. I bought the KB 3 months ago on Craig's List. I's a Genuine Apple KB. As far as signals go. I have a corded phone but there are other Cordless in the house but why now ? And why does the Mouse work ? I know anything is possible. I just cannot understand it for the life of me.

Yes, you know the song "Born Under a Bad Sign" ? If it wasn't for Bad Luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all. I'm still having issues with my ATV but that's another Thread. It's definitely the IDE cable. I'm going to have to spring for the one on eBay. The ONLY place that has an authentic specialized Apple TV IDE. Because it's not a Normal IDE cable.

Anyway, when I get home, I'll unplug Everything & see what happens. Wish me someone else's Good Luck.
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=Dino1956

[Dino1956]

BanditBill,

I just tried all your suggestions. First unplugging all USB & Firewire Devices from my Mini and then pulling the Plug on the 2 Cordless Phones in my home, only to find I still can't connect the Keyboard & the Green Light Never Comes on. I also removed the Bluetooth Mouse, thinking starting from scratch might do it. But it did not help. If I were to bet, I'd say it's a Hardware Issue inside the Keyboard. Thanks again. I look forward to more suggestions from everyone.

P.S. I'm NOT going back to Windows. Worse comes to worse, I'll stay Hard Wired with my Mac Mini.

Dino1956
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

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[Dino1956]

Solution: Take a small piece of aluminum foil. Roll it into a ball. Drop in down in battery compartment. Put Batteries In. It works!

After a week of going absolutely nuts, I found this fix. There are tons of people on the Apple Discussions Forums apparently that have the same problem with their KB as I did with mine. One of them was creative enough to find this fix.

Apparently on some Keyboards, the Battery Contacts are not making contact with the positive side of the first battery.

When I called Apple about this, the Tech on the phone took 20 minutes to figure out what Model KB I had. I kept telling him, your new latest & (supposedly) greatest Bluetooth KB that is all over your Website. I just cannot understand for the life of me, how a product that is faulty, can be released & sold by a company as big as Apple. Maybe more Testing is required. I know most of you are thinking, "Well I have not had any problems ever with my KB". And I'm sure that is true. But for the small 10% or so of the unlucky ones who get the Lemons, it is very disappointing.

btw, I'm typing on my Bluetooth KB now!
_________________
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=Dino1956

[Dino1956]

Oh yea, I forgot to Thank the Guy who invented Aluminum Foil. Thank you !
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=Dino1956

[TonyMontana]

Glad to hear it got going. I was just starting to think of a similar approach of polishing the contacts or bending them out to make better contact. Hooray for foil!
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MacMini 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo(HTPC)
3G iPhone iOS4 *Unlocked*
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[Dino1956]

Tony,

I tried scraping the Contacts with an Xacto Knife. Did not work. As soon as I dropped the little foil ball down the Tube & put the Batteries In, The Little Green Light Immediately started Blinking.

Dino
_________________
iMac 27" 3.06 4GB ATI 4670 1TB HD
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GB 80 GB
iBook G4 800 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
eMac G4 700 MHz. 1 GB Ram 30 GB
iMac DV G3 400 MHz.
 TV 40GB

http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=Dino1956

[Ray Finkle]

Bummer you had to rig it, but it's cool you got it to work. Mine is still working like a champ ( cross my fingers). I really am loving it. It would be even hard to go back to my trusty old keyboard. I should buy some back up batterys though.

[Bandit Bill]

That's awesome Dino!!! Good work.

Not you just have to work on the contacts. Perhaps it's oxidation or a little bit of bending is in order.

I'm sure you will figure it out.

Congrats.