Volume Control Via F10 F11 F12 Keys

My volume used to be able to be controlled using the F10 Key to toggle it on or off (Mute) and the F11 F12 keys to turn it up or down.

When I got home today and fired up my MBP I couldn't hear any sound. The usual way to adjust the volume using those keys would not work. So I went to System Preferences and turned up the volume via that method. The volume works fine it's just that I can no longer adjust it using those keys.

The only thing I have done lately is to install ClamZav. I wouldn't think that would have anything to do with it but I have heard stranger things.

Does anyone have any ideas how to get volume control back through those 3 keyboard keys? I have been looking and can't seem to solve this. (I'm not even sure I did anything to cause this or if I did I don't know it.)

Regards,

Pat

edit: I just also noticed that the F keys used to dim or brighten the screen now no longer work as well. Strange. Now it looks like I have a couple of issues. Same as above. Any clue how to correct these problems?

Sounds like the function keys have been turned off (or reassigned). Check under the "keyboard" section of System Preferences that "use as regular function keys is UNchecked. If it's not that, I have to suspect that ClamAV is causing a conflict.

Thanks for the reply. I checked the box and it is un-checked. I also checked everything else I could think of and even hit the restore defaults button just for good measure. I haven't made any changes in any of these areas since I've had this system. Too new. Just trying to understand it all before I go messing with anything.

Very strange. i guess I could live without that capability but I'm not sure that I want to.

Thanks for the idea. I suppose the next step is to remove the AV and see if that does the trick.

Regards,

Pat

Ok, so I removed ClamXavv and still have the same issue. What is the next step? Is there some process that I can use, maybe with the install disks that will "Fix" this issue while still leaving all of my data intact?

Regards,

Pat

I have seen this happen when someone hooked a none Apple keyboard up to a MacBook this is what we did to get it back not sure it will work for you but it may be
worth a try go to System preferences >Keyboard > check the box show keyboard in menu bar > now click the icon in the menu bar (U.S. Flag) the drop down menu will appear toggle to international or one of the other two there are three by selecting open language & text >input source.I can't remember if we had to reboot afterwards.

I don't get those options that you describe. Only Character viewer and Keyboard viewer. I am using the internal keyboard on my MBP. The other keyboard that I use is a Mac keyboard. I don't think this will work. Good try though.

I hate to trash my computer because of this. Seems petty but I do use those functions and now i cannot adjust my screen brightness either which is a real pain in the neck. So unless someone can come up with some more choices I may not have any choice but to do that.

The latest in the volume saga. This morning I booted into Super Dooper and everything works perfectly normal. Volume up/down and mute using the F keys. I had just updated Super Duper prior to adding the AV software. The screen dimming function works as well using the F keys.

So it seems to me the best course of action is to do a Time Machine back up and then restore the whole drive from my Super Dooper back up. Does this make sense?

And of prime importance can someone walk me through the correct procedure for restoring from a Super Dooper backup using an external firewire drive? That would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Pat

Final Chapter to this saga.
I can express the need to have a good solid backup routine. I dug out the Super Duper paperwork that I had previously printed and looked up how to do a complete restore. Very simple by the way. I did the complete restore using the smart update feature and now my computer is back to normal. All functions work as they were designed to do. All F keys work like they are supposed to. I lost zero data through this trial.

Lessons learned:

1. I will always use the Sandbox that I created when making any changes to my system. I got lazy and decided it was not worth the effort. Guess what everyone it is. Had I used the Sandbox and tested all of the functionality of my system chances are I would have discovered the problem/s.

2. I don't think backing up Super Duper once per week is enough, at least in my case. I use this as a business and pleasure system so frequent backup is a necessity. I try to backup at least several times per week and always when a software update is received. I will back up ever more now. To Super Duper plus the normal Time Machine back up.

3. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I didn't need to mess with the Antivirus software. I have it installed, Norton, and it works just fine with minimal overhead. The new stuff is pretty awesome. It's not like the old bloatware with huge overhead. But alas I was trying to reduce it. The cause of the problem was deleting Norton, (I think I did it correctly.) and adding ClamXav. I'm leaving it like it is. So if it works don't mess with it. I'm not certain which operation caused the problem. The removal of Norton or the installation of the other.

Thanks to those that tried to help me on this. I appreciate it. It may seem like a petty thing but when your system does not work as it's designed, no matter how insignificant, it's something you just have to fix.

Sorry for the long winded post. We can consider this issue closed.

Regards,

Pat

Thanks for the report, but I wish you had mentioned that you had Norton earlier. Uninstalling it is VERY tricky and you were probably unsuccessful in fully uninstalling it, meaning ClamAV would conflict (since they are trying to do the same thing). That was almost certainly the root of the issue.

You do not need either of those programs, and Norton would *certainly* be the first of the two I would uninstall.

Further Update

Thanks for the words chas_m.

I have a further update. I decided to take out Norton and a couple other programs. I used the "Sandbox" to remove the Norton antivirus. I was able to do so successfully. All functions of the computer work as they are supposed to. At the same time I uninstalled Log-Me-In which I do not use enough to justify being in the laptop. I also uninstalled Evernote which again due to lack of use did not justify being loaded. Log me in was a bit of a trick and took some trial and error to find the uninstall routine that is available in the program. But I did all this in the Sandbox and was able to "figure" it all out before going to my main system.

I then when to my main system and uninstalled Norton and the others the same way I did in the Sandbox with complete success. All functions work in the way Apple intended. I am very pleased with the results. I have noticed a distinct speed gain with these products removed.

I still use Norton on the Windows side of my setup. It would be foolish to be without AV on the windows side. But since I use Gmail and am pretty well versed in email safety I feel confident that my system will be secure.

Anyway that's the latest.

Regards,

Pat

Cheers! Thanks so much for the follow up!

Same problem different solution

I had this same problem and it was because I used headphones that have a volume control on em. I plugged em back in adjusted the volume up n down then unplugged em and it worked fine again

Same problem even more different solution

Okay so the functions on the F keys weren't working either, but only for the volume. I went into System Preferences<Keyboard and the standard function keys option was unchecked like it's supposed to. Then I went into System Preferences<Sound<Output but nothing I did there seemed to make it work. I then went to the other tab under Sound called Sound Effects and started adjusting and readjusting the output volume. I used the volume keys and then it worked again. Hope this reply and this whole thread is helpful to anyone who reads this!

If your function keys aren't doing what you expect, try using them in combination with the Fn key. If they have stopped working as a result of a change to keyboard settings, this might work.