Really frustrating "can't find wireless keyboard.

[hoody]

I've had this problem for ages now. Late 2012 imac. As some will know, I've just replaced the HDD with an SSD and upgraded the ram to 16GB. The problem has stayed with it. If I shut the computer down, when I start it again it looks for a wireless keyboard which I don't even have. I've turned off the keyboard in preferences, with no luck. The only way I've just found to make it recognise the wired keyboard is to reset the smc.
Does anyone know a way to cure this problem?

 

[chscag]

Did you try turning off "Bluetooth" from Bluetooth preferences? System Preferences -> Bluetooth. Go thru each listing in Bluetooth and highlight each entry in turn. Then click on the small "x" that appears and that will remove the device from Bluetooth. Once you remove all devices, the wireless keyboard will no longer appear.

Let us know Pete.

 

[ferrarr]

In addition to what member chscag has mentioned, also click on the Advanced button, and uncheck the keyboard option.

 

[krs]

Still weird that Pete has that problem

On the 2012 Mini running El Capitan, I have Bluetooth turned on, the Bluetooth dropdown shows ten devices that I had connected at some time or other via Bluetooth, but the only time the Mac is looking for a Bluetooth keyboard is if I forget to plug the wired USB keyboard in before starting up the Mac.

And then, as soon as I plug the USB keyboard in, the message looking for a wireless keyboard, goes away by itself.

So - all the suggestions will probably fix the symptom (which is probably fine), but they don't address the underlying problem

 

[ferrarr]

@krs, did you look in System Preferences > Bluetooth --> Advanced?

 

[krs]

@krs, did you look in System Preferences > Bluetooth --> Advanced?

All I see there are these three default settings:

 

[Rod]

I dont quite get it, did you have a Bluetooth keyboard at some time? If so it will be in your Bluetooth menu and it will look for it at startup. Usually removing it from the list of Bluetooth devices fixes this issue.

 

[krs]

I dont quite get it, did you have a Bluetooth keyboard at some time? If so it will be in your Bluetooth menu and it will look for it at startup.

Are you sure?
I had Bluetooth keyboards, Bluetooth mice, several Bluetooth speakers and also cellphones connected using Bluetooth, all these devices still show up in the Bluetooth drop down but my Mac always boots up without problems as long as I have the USB keyboard plugged in.
I think the desktop Mac, at least running El Capitan, looks for a USB keyboard first and if it doesn't see one connected, then looks for a Bluetooth one.
That at least is my experience.

 

[hoody]

Below, I've attached two screenshots. I used to have the apple bluetooth keyboard but gave it away when I got the apple usb one. If I turn off bluetooth I won't be able to use the magic mouse which I quite like.
As you can see, I've already removed the wireless keyboard, but it made no difference.

 

[chscag]

Every Bluetooth device that you may have had at one time will be listed unless you purposely remove it from System Preferences, Bluetooth devices. They don't necessarily have to be active in order to show up in that listing. The instructions I gave Pete should work for him.




This is what I currently show in my Bluetooth preferences. The only BT device I have active is my Magic Keyboard.

 

[chscag]

Pete:

You still have the check in the advanced box: "Open Bluetooth setup assistant at startup......"


You need to remove that and reboot.

 

[krs]

Pete:

You still have the check in the advanced box: "Open Bluetooth setup assistant at startup......"


You need to remove that and reboot.

I have the default check marks in all three of those options as well and don't have the problem.

But removing them should certainly be tried - could be that Apple changed that part of the software between El Capitan and Molave.

- - - Updated - - -

Pete:

You still have the check in the advanced box: "Open Bluetooth setup assistant at startup......"


You need to remove that and reboot.

I have the default check marks in all three of those options as well and don't have the problem.

But removing them should certainly be tried - could be that Apple changed that part of the software between El Capitan and Molave.

- - - Updated - - -

Pete:

You still have the check in the advanced box: "Open Bluetooth setup assistant at startup......"


You need to remove that and reboot.

I have the default check marks in all three of those options as well and don't have the problem.

But removing them should certainly be tried - could be that Apple changed that part of the software between El Capitan and Molave.

- - - Updated - - -

Good grief...what happened there?

The forum software has been behaving strangely today all day.

 

[hoody]

Connected the usb mouse so now have usb mouse and keyboard. Turned off bluetooth and now I can't get in at all. It comes up with the login screen, but I can't type my password in.
Ps: I can't even start in safe mode or do anything because the usb keyboard won't work.

 

[hoody]

pulled the keyboard and restarted, plugged in the keyboard and I was able to log in... I've just shut it down and restarted and it seems OK now. I'll just stay away from Bluetooth I think.
Thanks for all the advice. I'll be back if it plays up again.