MacBook Pro: Keyboard problems (keys not recognized); Uneven display illumination; more
MacBook Pro: Keyboard problems (keys not recognized); Uneven display illumination; more
Keyboard problems (keys not recognized) We previously reported on an issue where (for a small number of users) the MacBook Pro's shift key is unresponsive. In most cases, users experiencing this problem need to have their keyboards (or entire units) replaced by Apple. The Keyboard Update for Intel-based Macs does not seem to have resolved the problem.
Users are now reporting other issues with the MacBook Pro keyboard -- specifically with other keys not triggering input. So far, most of the reports pertain to 17" MacBook Pros.
MacFixIt reader Dave writes:
"I've now had two 17" MacBook Pros with keyboard troubles. I returned my first MacBook Pro after 4 days because the comma key did not work consistently. They replaced that unit, and I have been working with the replacement for about one month. Initially, the replacement unit seemed to require hard key taps on the 'i' and 't' keys to insure response. Now, I'm finding flakiness on other keys. I can't tell whether is a heat-related problem -- though, as I type this message, my MacBook Pro is hot and I'm finding that many of my keys are not responding well.
MacFixIt reader Len Williams adds:
"I just discovered a very strange anomaly with my new MacBook Pro 17" that is less than a week old. In the Finder, my Mac won't let me type a lower case 'w' for any file name of a folder or file. Pressing the w key produces no effect. I can type shift-W and get a capital W just fine, but absolutely no joy on being able to type a lower case w. I just noticed this glitch yesterday."
If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know.
Uneven display illumination A few MacBook Pro 17" owners are also reporting uneven lighting of the display.
MacFixIt reader Bruce Stevens writes:
"The lighting of my brand new MacBook Pro screen is very uneven. I took some pictures.
"This uneven lighting is really bad, making it difficult to make good color choices when retouching or color correcting images. It remains uneven all the time, even after being booted for several hours.
"The placement of the uneven lighting looks like pressure points on the screen itself."
If you've noticed similar illumination issues, please drop us a line at late-breakers@macfixit.com.
Battery swelling Meanwhile, we continue to report on swelling and eventual failure of MacBook Pro batteries (for background information, see this report).
As has been the trend, most users are receiving swift replacements from Apple.
One reader writes:
"My battery looked exactly the same as yours - swelling at the same corner. I have a 1st week Macbook Pro. I took pictures, but my hard drive crashed in the same macbook about a week later and I lost them.
"Anyways - I took it in to the apple store and they quickly took the battery. They didn't have any of the "warranty-battery stock" to give me so the manager insisted that they take a brand new battery off the shelf and give it to me.
"My battery had about 40 cycles on it."
We are still attempting to determine whether or not any replacement batteries (one of which our in-house MacBook Pro is using) suffer from repeat-failure.
Wake-from-sleep issues Users continue to report wake-from sleep issues exhibited by the MacBook Pro.
MacFixIt reader Steve writes:
"I'd like to post an issue with a Macbook Pro that I purchased for my daughter to take to college. I bought the unit May 29th at an Apple Store. All is working fine except for one annoying problem. Sometimes when you close the lid and thus put the laptop to sleep, when you later open it the unit either flashes the desktop for a second and then shuts down or exhibits another issue where upon opening the lid you get a Kernal Panic and have to restart. I've wondered if Bluetooth could be involved as my daughter keeps her bluetooth mouse turned on at all times."
As noted in our MacBook Pro special report, some users report that turning off safe sleep, via the following terminal command:
- sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
resolves the issue.
Other readers have reported success with some of the workarounds listed in our tutorial, "Dealing with Wake-from-sleep issues." Among them:
- Do not connect, disconnect external devices during sleep
- Terminate network activity before sleep
Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.
For further coverage, see our MacBook Pro special report.
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