MAC a1297 Keyboard #5 Key does not work

[Abet Computers]

I do not do to much mac work, so it may be common or something of a quick fix but who knows, I received a macbook in last week with a broken screen ( closed something shut on it and cracked it) so it was replaced the next day after pick up I receive a call from the customer saying the number 5 key is not working on the keyboard keep in mind that the customer did not have the money for the screen and it was sitting for a few months before they finally brought it to me.


So there is the background story.

I take a look at the laptop today and find that yes the #5 key is not working, so i go into the onscreen keyboard and try pressing it and no it does not register there either???? so I then take a Logitech USB wireless keyboard and try it with that and ..... you guessed it all the keys work EXCEPT the #5 key.

so i take it apart look at the board and the keyboard itself ( its quite dirty ) but everything is in place and should work, i had a spare keyboard sitting around so i connected it and ....... the #5 does not work on it either.


I checked a bunch of settings changed everythnig back to default, ran malware scans everything came back clear.



So when is it that only the #5 key is not working on this Mac???????????????????????

 

[trevm999]

Boot to another OS and see if the key works. I always use Parted Magic as my go to, although in this case I would probably start by booting to another copy of OSX, but I assume you don't have that. You could also test and see if it works in single user mode.

 

[Abet Computers]

just tried it in SUM and 5 works

 

[Markverhyden]

That is bizarre. Did you try a new user profile? OS X can have the same user profile corruption issues that M$ OS's have.

 

[trevm999]

Yeah, I can't say I have ever seen this either. @anonymous Mac Tech ?

I agree on trying a new profile. Safe Boot also works wonders. I wouldn't spend too much time on it before I would go for a reload.

The next question is, at what point do you tell the customer you will have to charge him more in order to fix a software issue when he only paid you for a hardware issue?

 

[altrenda]

I would try disconnecting the internal keyboard and then trying the external again.
Closing the lid and cracking the screen may have also jammed or shorted the #5 key.

 

[Abet Computers]

Yeah, I can't say I have ever seen this either. @anonymous Mac Tech ?

I agree on trying a new profile. Safe Boot also works wonders. I wouldn't spend too much time on it before I would go for a reload.

The next question is, at what point do you tell the customer you will have to charge him more in order to fix a software issue when he only paid you for a hardware issue?

instantly, when they called

 

[Abet Computers]

That is bizarre. Did you try a new user profile? OS X can have the same user profile corruption issues that M$ OS's have.

New profile and now the 5 works!!!

Thank you

 

[Abet Computers]

Well fixed one issue, and it got a new one, the cursor just stopped working ( it will not click) I am able to move the cursor, but I am unable to select anything


haha this one is a trip


nothing changed or moved from the time of creating the new user profile

at this point I will take it apart again and check the spring brackets, but i do not feel anything wrong at this point

 

[nlinecomputers]

Why are you taking apart a PC with obvious software problems (confirmed by the fact that a booted OS worked fine)? Nuke and pave already. And by cursor do you mean trackpad? If you plug in a mouse what happens?

 

[trevm999]

Will it not physically click? You should get a nice sharp click sound when you click using the trackpad. Usually you just have to adjust the trackpad screw. But sometimes you have to replace the screw, or it can be caused by a swollen battery.

 

[Abet Computers]

Will it not physically click? You should get a nice sharp click sound when you click using the trackpad. Usually you just have to adjust the trackpad screw. But sometimes you have to replace the screw, or it can be caused by a swollen battery.

it physically clicks with no problem, i checked the screws and spring everything is in place and working as need be ( works VIA USB mouse )

I did a NP and still same issue the 5 works but no trackpad

 

[Krynn72]

Try SMC and pram resets maybe? It's fixed oddball issues like this for me before.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2881177/how-to-reset-your-macs-nvram-pram-and-smc.html

 

[Markverhyden]

it physically clicks with no problem, i checked the screws and spring everything is in place and working as need be ( works VIA USB mouse )

I did a NP and still same issue the 5 works but no trackpad

Those microswitches do fail on occasion on all kinds of machines.