TechSupportFilter: Keyboard is behaving a little strangely.

March 20, 2015 9:08 AM

We've got a mac running OS 10.9.5, with a wireless keyboard. Every time we hit the n key OR the command key, it acts as if we've hit command-n. There is not a shortcut set up, I've already checked the system preferences. This behavior happens in every application. What on earth is going on?
posted by BuddhaInABucket to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

Troubleshooting step 1: Try fresh batteries in the keyboard.

Troubleshooting step 2: Try a different keyboard and see if the problem persists. If you don't have access to any other wired or wireless keyboards you can borrow for a few minutes, you could also try screen-sharing in from another machine or an iOS device to see if the behavior is the same. If it is, keep investigating the OS. If it isn't, get a new keyboard.
posted by contraption at 9:23 AM on March 20, 2015

Does it happen with the same keyboard on another computer?
posted by Sophont at 9:24 AM on March 20, 2015

Is it possible something got spilled on they keyboard? You might try blowing air under they keys, or removing both keys, and seeing if something is wrong.
posted by nickggully at 9:38 AM on March 20, 2015

Response by poster: I paired the keyboard to another computer and the same issue happens, so it's specific to that keyboard. I unpaired the malfunctioning keyboard, replaced the batteries, blew air at the keys, re-paired it to its original computer, restored every setting to default... and it's still doing it.

Every other aspect of the keyboard works- and it reproduces the error every time 'n' or 'command' is pressed, so those keys are working consistently. I just don't like the behavior it's causing!!
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:20 AM on March 20, 2015

Hardware problem. If it's under warranty, take it back to an Apple store. Otherwise buy a new one. Either way you're going to the Apple store.
posted by w0mbat at 10:36 AM on March 20, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks w0mbat- to the Apple store it goes.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:40 AM on March 20, 2015

Response by poster: Uh, to piggyback onto myself-- the administrator password on that computer has an 'n' in it, and when it went to screensaver it won't let me back in because I can't enter the password. So I, uh, have no idea what I'm supposed to do now, because I can't pair any new devices from the screensaver. I've tried pairing that computer to the one I'm on now via bluetooth but the pairing fails.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:50 AM on March 20, 2015

$10 USB keyboard from Best Buy? I keep a cheapie around for just such an reason. A USB keyboard will install automagically.
posted by bonehead at 10:55 AM on March 20, 2015

Response by poster: I've got a USB keyboard we were using on a different computer until today when we set up the new stuff, but it's never been paired to the current setup before. The currently-functioning computer isn't even seeing it, let alone the one I'm stuck on.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:01 AM on March 20, 2015

USB keyboard shouldn't require pairing. Macs do like to ask you to hit some buttons when they see a new keyboard, in order to narrow down the field of possible language-specific keyboard layouts, but the USB keyboard will be supported nonetheless. Plug it in, wait 30 seconds for recognition, to be on the safe side, then try it out.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:00 PM on March 20, 2015 [1 favorite]