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Laptop specifics: Apple MacBook Pro 9,2 Core i5 2.5 13" Mid-2012 MD101LL/A A1278, 2554*
I'll provide as much detail as possible because I'm not sure what matters, so here goes.
Problem: keyboard does not function. Specifically, on boot, the keys either do not work, or don't work correctly. Mostly keys on the periphery of the keyboard do not function, but keys in the middle are not functioning correctly.
I have done quite a bit so far to troubleshoot. A USB keyboard works just fine, and I am using that as a workaround.
It is not a keyboard layout or keyboard settings error - that is all set to default.
I have also just upgraded to El Capitan - after wiping the hard drive and installing from scratch. No change.
When you access the keyboard settings in System Preferences, it does not identify the built in keyboard.
The Keyboard setup assistant comes up, and since the keys don't work, the key press sequence to ID it fail.
Using the on-screen keyboard provides some possibly useful information.
First - there is some degree of identification, because the onscreen keyboard changes from the typical default to the USB layout when a key on the usb keyboard is pressed. When a key on the laptop is pressed (a key that works anyway) it does switch back to the default onscreen keyboard layout.
Now, when I press the Fn key in the bottom left of the laptop keyboard, the fn key on the onscreen keyboard activates, but so does the control key next to it.
When I release the Fn key, the control key on the onscreen keyboard stays highlighted, indicating that it thinks it is being pressed.
In fact, it is down, because the mouse functions at this time as if it is down (right click mode). Pressing Ctrl on the USB keyboard corrects this.
This is very curious: When I press g (for example) on the laptop keyboard, the g on the onscreen keyboard activates. When I release g, it deactivates.
So I opened Notes to try typing. The USB keyboard works fine: I type g, the onscreen keyboard switches to the USB layout, and g appears in Notes. I type g on the laptop keyboard, and the onscreen keyboard switches to the default layout, g activates, but NOTHING appears in Notes. Delete works; it backspaces.
As an aside - I cannot boot into Startup Manager or anything that uses the Option Key with the USB keyboard - it does not recognize Alt as Option. It will not boot D for diagnostics, It will boot single user, and Verbose, and Recovery, but I can't reset NVRAM because of the Option key issue.
I have pried the key covers off the function and control keys on the left bottom corner - there was a tiny bit of lint. I removed it, used compressed air to clean out anything left. Replaced the keys. No change.
I have opened the case, removed, cleaned with alcohol, and reattached the laptop cable connector, as well as the back-light cable connector. No change.
The power button was not consistently working (part of the keyboard interface I know now). When I finally got it to boot, the keyboard is making the sound when a key is constantly being pressed - pressing the Delete key on the laptop keyboard stops this. In fact, booting into Single User mode, the same thing happens sort of: The period "." is pressed or activated or displayed in a long string of them, and continues until the Delete key is pressed. The laptop keyboard does not function in Single User mode; the USB keyboard does.
So, to further complicate the picture: this is my daughter's laptop. I'm pretty sure it was hacked. When she first came to me, it was not working. I didn't have time to fix it, so I just gave her one of my laptops. When I started working on the 13" discussed here, it was definitely acting strange; upon login, Steam activated (but was set to do so on login), and a script began running in Safari that involved DropBox. I shut it down and wiped the drive and re-installed and upgraded to El Capitan. I am not sure but perhaps this was one of the more recent firmware hacks. The El Capitan upgrade did flash the EFI to MBP91.00D3.B0D; and it was B0C before that. SMC was also updated to 2.2f44. Before I upgraded to El Capitan, the disk permissions were a mess and Disk Utility could not fix all the errors.
Oh yes - there's the infamous "AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::checkStatus - received Status Packet. Payload 2: device was reinitialized" in the output during single-user mode boot.
One last thing: As I am sitting here typing this on my desktop computer, I've watched the laptop screen dim as if it was about to enter sleep, but it then wakes up. This has happened several times about 5 to 10 minutes apart. Hmm.
SO: If this is a firmware hack - as described on Ars Technica and elsewhere, did the EFI update in El Capitan fix it?
If so, I need to replace the keyboard, correct?
If NO, then I need to replace the logic board.
The former is a pain to do, and the latter more expensive, so hopefully someone can provide guidance! Thanks, J.
I'll provide as much detail as possible because I'm not sure what matters, so here goes.
Problem: keyboard does not function. Specifically, on boot, the keys either do not work, or don't work correctly. Mostly keys on the periphery of the keyboard do not function, but keys in the middle are not functioning correctly.
I have done quite a bit so far to troubleshoot. A USB keyboard works just fine, and I am using that as a workaround.
It is not a keyboard layout or keyboard settings error - that is all set to default.
I have also just upgraded to El Capitan - after wiping the hard drive and installing from scratch. No change.
When you access the keyboard settings in System Preferences, it does not identify the built in keyboard.
The Keyboard setup assistant comes up, and since the keys don't work, the key press sequence to ID it fail.
Using the on-screen keyboard provides some possibly useful information.
First - there is some degree of identification, because the onscreen keyboard changes from the typical default to the USB layout when a key on the usb keyboard is pressed. When a key on the laptop is pressed (a key that works anyway) it does switch back to the default onscreen keyboard layout.
Now, when I press the Fn key in the bottom left of the laptop keyboard, the fn key on the onscreen keyboard activates, but so does the control key next to it.
When I release the Fn key, the control key on the onscreen keyboard stays highlighted, indicating that it thinks it is being pressed.
In fact, it is down, because the mouse functions at this time as if it is down (right click mode). Pressing Ctrl on the USB keyboard corrects this.
This is very curious: When I press g (for example) on the laptop keyboard, the g on the onscreen keyboard activates. When I release g, it deactivates.
So I opened Notes to try typing. The USB keyboard works fine: I type g, the onscreen keyboard switches to the USB layout, and g appears in Notes. I type g on the laptop keyboard, and the onscreen keyboard switches to the default layout, g activates, but NOTHING appears in Notes. Delete works; it backspaces.
As an aside - I cannot boot into Startup Manager or anything that uses the Option Key with the USB keyboard - it does not recognize Alt as Option. It will not boot D for diagnostics, It will boot single user, and Verbose, and Recovery, but I can't reset NVRAM because of the Option key issue.
I have pried the key covers off the function and control keys on the left bottom corner - there was a tiny bit of lint. I removed it, used compressed air to clean out anything left. Replaced the keys. No change.
I have opened the case, removed, cleaned with alcohol, and reattached the laptop cable connector, as well as the back-light cable connector. No change.
The power button was not consistently working (part of the keyboard interface I know now). When I finally got it to boot, the keyboard is making the sound when a key is constantly being pressed - pressing the Delete key on the laptop keyboard stops this. In fact, booting into Single User mode, the same thing happens sort of: The period "." is pressed or activated or displayed in a long string of them, and continues until the Delete key is pressed. The laptop keyboard does not function in Single User mode; the USB keyboard does.
So, to further complicate the picture: this is my daughter's laptop. I'm pretty sure it was hacked. When she first came to me, it was not working. I didn't have time to fix it, so I just gave her one of my laptops. When I started working on the 13" discussed here, it was definitely acting strange; upon login, Steam activated (but was set to do so on login), and a script began running in Safari that involved DropBox. I shut it down and wiped the drive and re-installed and upgraded to El Capitan. I am not sure but perhaps this was one of the more recent firmware hacks. The El Capitan upgrade did flash the EFI to MBP91.00D3.B0D; and it was B0C before that. SMC was also updated to 2.2f44. Before I upgraded to El Capitan, the disk permissions were a mess and Disk Utility could not fix all the errors.
Oh yes - there's the infamous "AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::checkStatus - received Status Packet. Payload 2: device was reinitialized" in the output during single-user mode boot.
One last thing: As I am sitting here typing this on my desktop computer, I've watched the laptop screen dim as if it was about to enter sleep, but it then wakes up. This has happened several times about 5 to 10 minutes apart. Hmm.
SO: If this is a firmware hack - as described on Ars Technica and elsewhere, did the EFI update in El Capitan fix it?
If so, I need to replace the keyboard, correct?
If NO, then I need to replace the logic board.
The former is a pain to do, and the latter more expensive, so hopefully someone can provide guidance! Thanks, J.
