10-21-2008, 01:22 PM

Im having a major problem with my mac book pro lately. it seems that the keyboard and mouse both chose to stop responding randomly and it does not fix even on a reboot. It is currently working right now (i left it on the login screen turned on for like 20 min and then it unlocked itself) but this happened before and then as soon as i closed the laptop and opened it again it started up again.

does anyone know what is going on or what i should do about this? i tried to do that ram reset thing where u hold option+apple key+r+p but it doesnt work because the keyboard isnt responding during the bootup.

10-21-2008, 02:21 PM

since you say keyboard and mouse... are you talking bluetooth or the built in keyboard and touchpad?

10-21-2008, 02:42 PM

the built in

10-21-2008, 04:24 PM

Sounds like there is "flood damage". Did you spill anything on it to your knowledge?

10-21-2008, 08:11 PM

never, and ironically enough i have not had a problem since i made this post.. the computer unlocked the mouse and keyboard after about an hour this morning, then i made this thread and since then not a problem, but its happened a couple times now.

10-21-2008, 09:38 PM

Same thing here. I actually came here to find a fix. One little difference in mine is that on occasion, the cd rom eject will randomly show up on the screen even when I don't touch it. I haven't done the option apple r p, but I did take out the battery and hold the power button down for five seconds. Thought it had fixed it, but it just happen again about 10 mins go.

Just to add a bit more.. I didn't have to leave it idle for any amount of time or press anything a certain way. I thought maybe a button was getting stuck, but that doesn't seem to be it either. Only way I can get mine to turn back on is to turn it off and pull the battery. Even then, I have to do it twice sometimes.

Just looking for a bit of help on this one. I'm out of warranty, but this is the only problem I've had with my computer since I purchased.

Thanks.

10-23-2008, 01:50 PM

Nothing eh?

10-24-2008, 11:43 AM

Sounds possible that the ribbon cable from the mouse/touchpad combo might be coming loose from the motherboard. On the ibooks (my only experience) you can get to the cable by removing the keyboard, the Airport card and another little cover. Check on ifixit.com for instructions; it's probably fairly easy.

10-26-2008, 10:58 AM

it started up again; keyboard and mouse havent worked for about 12 hrs now.

external keyboard and mouse are working though.. so i guess im running the ship this way until friday after my big exam.. i cant afford to send my laptop out before that unfortunately.

11-25-2008, 11:35 PM

*exact* same problem here. The keyboard and trackpad will occasionally stop working. Frequently after waking from sleep. I've noticed that the eject icon will appear on the screen occasionally, and I know for sure I haven't touched the key.

Power cycling the machine can bring them back, but not always. I don't like to do this due to the possibility of data loss. I just recently tried mashing on the keyboard a bit, and that did seem to bring it back.

It's not clear at this point if it may be a loose cable or something, or if the keyboard needs to be replaced. Since it's an intermittent problem, it may be tricky to troubleshoot.

03-08-2009, 08:37 AM

I have the exact same problem - keyboard and touch pad stop working, then start again, and the superdrive ejects at random.

The problems with my keyboard and touch pad seem to have gone away, now that I've set the brightness of my screen to less than half (in my hopes of running the computer cooler).

I still get the random eject though.

Did anyone resolve this issue yet?

The fact that my precious laptop isn't acting normal anymore is really beginning to bother me, considering I use it on stage.

Its out of warranty, and its not like I can afford to not have my laptop for even a few days, as I use it for all of my work.

Regards,

DJ Franco de Leon
www.FRANCODELEON.com

09-17-2009, 09:12 PM

I have a MacBook that is now out of warranty, and is having similar problems. It started with the delete button not working, followed that evening by the machine making strange noises when not in use (sounded like it was constantly trying to eject a CD-there was not one in it.) That finally stopped and now the entire left-hand side of my keyboard does not work, and the delete button on the right side.

Did anybody ever find a resolution to this problem or should I junk it and go back to my-more-reliable-it-seems PC?

Thanks!

09-18-2009, 12:33 AM

Hey MadAtMyMac, I never really found a true solution, as I still suffer from the keyboard and mouse going out at strange times. The thing that really minimized the problem was keeping the computer cool, and I noticed that the drop out happens at high temps.

I use SMCFanControl, and basically always keep my fans on high. Whenever I can, I try to keep the back of the computer elevated, to allow airflow under the computer.

Also, keeping about 20% of my internal hard drive has seemed to minimize the new problem of my keyboard and mouse not working for a couple minutes at start up....

Hope that helps some.

I love the Mac OS, but the hardware they paired with it is pretty crappy, or the software they're writing to run the hardware is super crappy.

BTW - my superdrive no longer works, as well. I think the scenario you've experienced is very common. Can anyone say Class-Action Law Suit?

10-26-2009, 03:27 PM

I replaced the top case and everything is back as good as new. Now I'm just waiting for something else to break.. My girlfriend dropped my MBP off the bed the other night, and now the top case is kinda loose. Only time will tell.