Aluminum Keyboard

jearnest · May 17, 2008

Hi all,

I'm still a relative newbie but getting to know and enjoying this system. I can't get the brightness controls on my keyboard to work even though I've downloaded the most recent updates. Any clues?

Kash · May 17, 2008

Are any of the other buttons working, like the Expose, Dashboard, and volume keys?

If not, then you may have disabled the function keys. Go to System Preferences and click on Keyboard & Mouse. Under the keyboard tab, check to see whether the "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" option is enabled.

jearnest · May 17, 2008

Kash said:
Are any of the other buttons working, like the Expose, Dashboard, and volume keys?

If not, then you may have disabled the function keys. Go to System Preferences and click on Keyboard & Mouse. Under the keyboard tab, check to see whether the "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" option is enabled.

The volume and expose keys were working before I enabled the feature; now they're not working at all.

NPuter · May 18, 2008

jearnest said:
The volume and expose keys were working before I enabled the feature; now they're not working at all.

make sure you have the option that Kash was talking about Check Marked... (enabled)

also, for you keyboard backlight problem - the ambient light has to be pretty low for the keyboard backlight to be activated... If it is bright out, the keyboard backlight brightness buttons on your keyboard will not work.

jearnest · May 18, 2008

I still haven't been able to enable the keys but have figured out an alternative.I press Fn and the desired function key at the same time and that works.
Thanks.

NPuter said:
make sure you have the option that Kash was talking about Check Marked... (enabled)

also, for you keyboard backlight problem - the ambient light has to be pretty low for the keyboard backlight to be activated... If it is bright out, the keyboard backlight brightness buttons on your keyboard will not work.

ogacon · May 18, 2008

That is how that works. If the box is checked, you need to press fn to use the secondary functions. if the box isn't checked, you need to press fn to use the function keys as f1, f2, etc...

dtravis7 · May 18, 2008

ogacon said:
That is how that works. If the box is checked, you need to press fn to use the secondary functions. if the box isn't checked, you need to press fn to use the function keys as f1, f2, etc...

Totally correct.

Running the Aluminum keyboard here on iMac G5 iSight. That is exactly how it works depending on how that box is checked.

jearnest · May 18, 2008

Thanks very much! this has been the most helpful post yet. But the brightness keys still don't work. I'll swallow my pride and (gulp) call a tech.

dtravis7 said:
Totally correct.

Running the Aluminum keyboard here on iMac G5 iSight. That is exactly how it works depending on how that box is checked.

dtravis7 · May 18, 2008

What Mac do you have that keyboard plugged into?

If I missed it, sorry.

jearnest · May 19, 2008

Mac OS 10.5.2

dtravis7 said:
What Mac do you have that keyboard plugged into?

If I missed it, sorry.

dtravis7 · May 19, 2008

That is the OS. What Computer Model is it? Like iMac? Power Mac? What CPU?

The reason I am asking is not all Macs support Brightness up and down from the keyboard.

Aptmunich · May 19, 2008

It also depends on the monitor:

If you're using a Mac mini and a Samsung monitor, the brightness keys won't work. If it's a Mac mini and an Apple cinema display, they will work.

jearnest · May 19, 2008

I did consider the fact that there might be incompatibility issues between the monitor, (Envision), and the Mac, a mini. Thanks again.

Aptmunich said:
It also depends on the monitor:

If you're using a Mac mini and a Samsung monitor, the brightness keys won't work. If it's a Mac mini and an Apple cinema display, they will work.