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I have changed batteries in my wireless keyboard and when I wanted to turn on keyboard it couldn't be turned on? It was working fine before that. Made sure batteries are installed properly, still it can not be turned on! Help, please. Thank you!
I found the solution on the apple forum:
Take all Batteries Out.
Roll up a small piece of Tin Foil about the size of a Pea.
Drop the Tin Foil Ball down the Battery Compartment.
Put your Batteries Back In.
You should have a Working Keyboard.
This worked for several people on here including me.
I'm still running 2 months later with my rolled up piece of Tin Foil in my Battery Compartment.
I know it sounds Crazy. That's what I first thought.
Apparently Apple did not make the + Terminal Inside the Keyboard correctly.
Try it. What have you got to lose?
Comments:
thaaaaanks... it works!!!!!
by heiko
Yes, yes, yes thank you Jensekin it worked for me too!!!
I'm so glad that i didn't trow it away :-)
by Dutchie
I had a keyboard that went bad because of a bleeding battery. I cleaned it up and tried to fire it up to no avail. I was real unhappy because I couldn't take it apart to get in do do more. I couldn't believe that the foil trick would work, but it did1 Your advice and an insignificant piece of foil and I have my expensive keyboard back. Wow! Thank you muchos!
Thank you soo much! Worked perfectly! :D
by Jonas K
Just worked fore me too I had already replaced one keyboard! This was the first battery change on the new keyboard and it would not power up with the new batteries. I pea sized piece of foil.Instant result!thanks
by martinweir
Oh my god, I had the same problem and I tried the tin foil thing and it worked!!
I just tried the pea foil trick and it totally worked. Just adding further proof that this method works. Thank you!!
by Julio Aragon
works for me thank you
by bekalu
thank you works perfact
by bekalu
Just tried it! I can't believe it but it fired up instantly and this is the first thing I used it for! Thanks very much. BTW when I first encountered the trouble it had switched off and I dropped the batteries out followed by a light grey plastic ring.Unfortunately I put that back in and realised once it was too late and stuck at the bottom that it was preventing connection between the battery and the positive connection. I therefore strongly recommend to anyone that if this falls out, DO NOT put it back in, instead gently slide the batteries down the tube by holding the keyboard at a slight angle and I fully expect contact will be perfect. Then just remember to be careful when exchanging batteries as that plastic bit is clearly there to stabilise the contact. Thank you so much once again, saved me the cost of a keyboard for just a bit of kitchen tin foil!
by Charles
How GREAT is this ! Thank you so very Much!!
it's a perfect 1 minute solution :-)) Verry Happy
by Dominique
Thank you so much for this tip! My keyboard died while I was working on a deadline. This saved my @%^!
Unbelievable! I thought I had to switch back to my wired keyboard for good. Made my day!
by suncharm244
This trick does not work to my keyboard ....
Does anybody know anything different please.
My problam was exactly exactly the same.. but still know luck.
thanks
by Parthipan
Worked, thanks
by Rick
Awesome, works ! Thanks Jensekin & iFixit
by jens
Wow, it really does work. I believe that if a bad battery fuses to the bottom there, it causes the spring to breakdown....just a theory.
by jaymueller
It works ! how amazing ~~~
Thanks ~
by Evan Wang
yes yes yes!!! i too had the same issue and had this piece of advice not worked, it would've gone into the trash. my keyboard worked after battery leak. So so happy, thank you!!!
01-31-2012 from sunny LA, CA :) GO LAKERS!!!
by roro
WOW.. found this answer via Google
thank you...it is 10/4/12 and the keyboard di not work after battery change
I tried the pea size aluminum foil and it worked perfectly. Thank you so much for posting this
by michaelgor
It worked perfectly. I'm using the keyboard to type this thank you note.
by Joan S
I was convinced mine had crapped the bed, but the tin foil trick worked like a charm! Try it - what've you got to lose! Thanks!
by Zephyr
Jenskine, thanks a lot for the info. Mine worked perfectly after following your advice.
by azurite
That's crazy! You just make my day with my wireless keyboard which works again!! Thank you, it's brillant!
awesome. Thanks for the simple but effecitve advice. It worked.
by reptmek
Worked great for mine too. Like magic!
It really works, thanks for the tip!!!
incredible, working tks guys. How can this design be so bad.
by reimankoenig
OMG YOU SAVED MY LIFE ! Thanks!
by pamsoh
It really works. Some guy at Apple suggested me today to buy a new one :-)
Thank you so much.
by Mihai Stoica
Thanks heaps : )
Amazing, thanks for the tip.
by rob11551
Worked like a charm. I have very little patience with technical problems,major or minor but this solution kept me on an even keel.
A thousand thanks
by ralphthorpe1
amazing! i spilled the keyboard with beer. :D took out the batteries, clean it, dry it, but nothing. than i tried the magical foil trick and voilá! How the !&&* did you found this out?
by spin2live
Thank you so much it really worked
by neilenekg
Holy crap! Thank you! it worked!
by countz3r0
I feel like an idiot because I tried this and not only did it not work but now I have a piece of foil stuck in my battery compartment.
by sumstine
Worked like a charm. My husband was on his way out the door to get the keyboard repaired or replaced. Thank you, and Merry Christmas to me.
it works for me too! Thanks a lot.
by wattanabhol
Yes, worked. So sad Apple can't fix this.
by linminche
Was shopping for a new keyboard, saw this post, tried it and it worked. Thanks.
by ferdyam49
Works for me!!!! thanks!!!
by Gaetan Blais
Well it wasn't working even with trying multiple batteries and now with foil inside it works! thanks for sharing!
by Celina Ernst
Dont forget to turn the keyboard on with the button on the right side in comparable area to battery compartment from left
by lis cox
I cannot believe that something so simple provided such an elegant answer!
WOW! You are truly a "LIFESAVER!" It worked for me too! The green light still worked prior to removing the batteries, but once I tried to replace with new batteries, it stopped working. Such an ingenious solution - thought I'd have to buy a new keyboard...
05/09/16 by "More than 'GRATEFUL'!"
by Aloha Keiler
Worked for me too. Thank you.
by Tim Moseley
Worked for me too.
by daveymwavey
Unbelievable !! It totally works! Awesome. Thanks so much! California
by moonkerson
10/2016 -- Still works! Awesome. My birthday is, literally, days away, and I thought I was going to have to spend my little stash of birthday cash buying a new keyboard. What a gift! Thank you!!!
yep. can't believe it but it works :) well done!
I was skeptical... but !&&* yes! Thank you
by Mmadurooo
yes it worked thanks i fixed it yayayyayayyayayayaayayayayayayyayayayayyayayayayayyayayayayayay
by chew
top tip - had same issue and this worked ! thanks H
by mckeonhenry
It works! My keyboard stopped working after a battery corroded. I was about to buy a new one but I tried this trick first. Now my keyboard is working perfectly again! Thank you!
Thanks it worked for me also!!!!
10ks it works =)
by jgmm867
Jensekin is a genius! I, too, had left batteries in too long and those came out a bit corroded. Ball of aluminum foil, and voila - joy! Thank you, of wise one.
This solution may sound ludicrous, by dang it sure as heck did work... Still laughing over it...
Oh my God, It worked for me for 2 keyboards!!! It looks like it's a very common construction bug for the 1st series magic keyboards (3-battery-model)
Thank you! It solved my weeks of frustration.
by Banzai Squid
This isn't working for me, can someone please give me other ideas!!
by Marie Fig
WORKED!! beautiful.
simple is always best! the tinfoil worked like pure magic!
I had the bleeding battery problem and this solved it once i got it out
Thank you
...and this worked for me too!
tin foil treatment is not working for me. Any other ideas folks ?
by hjiffry
Hi guys
I didnt have any difficulties in removing the corroded batteries (maybe I was lucky) they just came off like normal batteries although they were corroded.. I have cleaned the battery compartment and put in new batteries. Now my keyboard will not turn on. Does this mean that all the acid from the old batteries have messed up the power section. would cleaning with WD 40 do the job.
PS I have tried the foil technique but no luck
by hjiffry
it worked go the tin foil
by jammoa80
Thanks very much for the info on the foil pea fix!!!
by Andres Vosu
Strangely, it worked
Worked for me after bleeding battery! Thank you!
Hey Jensikin, worked for me too! Simple fix, great idea. Thanks for sharing
by Daniel Henry
Oh my word!!!!! This crazy!!! But it works! Thanks a million!
Crazy how fast that fixed the problem. Thanks a million times. Now I feel like this keyboard I've had for almost 6 year will work for 10 more years!
I thought this was a joke, but what did I have to loose?
It actually worked! Amazing. I used aluminum foil.
by ian
Thank you so much! You may have just saved my civil.partnership. I love you. X
by Aman Onerth
Can you post with images? Becz I do not understand all process...
by John
Wow! Worked like magic! My keyboard was about 7 years old and I hadn't used it in 5 years! Thank you.
Like a charm
Yes!!!! That fixed it - unbelievable; Apple products are not what they are cracked up to be...
by Simon Rowell
Thank you for sharing !!!!! it WORK Perfectly !!!!!!
by swc83
The pea didn't work for me. New batteries installed correctly too.
by diane1701d
Didn't work for me.
by neila
didn't work for me
by neila
There's foil in my Apple keyboard, I have just hooked it up to my Huawei P20Pro and typed this! Thanks!
Long story but explains why this pea tinfoil idea works, whilst at the same time leaving a question I hope someone else can answer . . . . . .
A few months back my wireless keyboard also just packed up completely. I couldn't work out what was wrong but it did seem that when I put the batteries into the keyboard they were sticking out further than before, so it was a bit more difficult to put the battery cover cap back on. I tried a few different things unsuccessfully and then gave up and dumped it in a drawer.
I had another go this morning and had an idea - a bad one, albeit with a postive result - to try and screw or push the battery terminal inside down into the battery compartment, in case the connection had been separated. I did this by putting double-sided sticky tape onto the handle of a wooden spoon to try and push/screw it back down. My 'ingenious' idea had an unexpected outcome in that when I pulled the spoon out I also pulled out the +positive connector from inside the keyboard, leaving the spring underneath exposed.
Now the batteries are in direct contact with the spring and the keyboard works just fine.
Clearly the tinfoil idea is a far better one than my brutal approach but what I'm a bit mystified by is the +positive on the battery can not even touch the metal connector, which is set too deep inside a plastic frame that stops it from touching it. . . . so was there something else inside that has fallen out that the pea tinfoil acts as a replacement for ?. . . . answsers on a postcard please. . . .
Comments:
Now the mouse won't talk to the keyboard
by Jean Jarosch
Got one of these keyboards from recycling and the foil method worked! Thanks.
mdölweeeeeefölfkwölefmölwemföewmföewmfwmefmweömf
by gon_gonza12
I encountered the same problem. I was mislead by the "dummy battery" inside the battery compartment, think that it was positive terminal facing upwards. So naturally when inserted battery with positive terminal facing the lid, it will have wrong polarity. After I reverse the battery terminal, with positive terminal inserted facing down, keyboard works like a charm. Really a silly and misleading design. First it misled me into thinking that there is a third battery stuck inside, second it misled me into aligning the wrong polarity of the battery as I did not notice the polarity when I remove the old batteries. Hope this sharing helps!
Rep: 1
Thanks to Jensekin (and several posters at the Apple Support Communities forums), my Apple Wireless Keyboard is now working again! It was bought in April 2008 from Amazon, so is now close to four years old, but it's still in good shape, and would have been a shame to throw away.
By the way, I had already cleaned the contacts and checked for dirt inside the barrel, not speaking of testing with several sets of batteries. I can even testify that the spring inside the barrel is still working - but obviously it isn't strong enough any more, as only the aluminium foil ball brought the keyboard back to life again.
Best wishes from frosty southern Germany.
Rep: 1
I tried the pea-sized foil, several different "pea" sizes... Each time, the green light came on for a second or 2 then started blinking--33 times blink-blink, then finally the green light went off altogether.
Comments:
The flashes indicate that the keyboard is in "pairing" mode. If near a computer or iPad in discoverable Bluetooth mode, you will see the keyboard available to connect. If it is paired already, it will not do this flashing, just stay on for a few seconds.
This is also happening for me. Tinfoil worked to get the battery lights coming back on. It shows up as paired but then the light starts flashing and it turns off altogether. Any additional suggestions? Without the tinfoil it is completely unresponsive but with it I get a glimmer of hope but still cannot connect
by Gemma
Brilliant - this worked for me and here I am typing away on my newly fixed keyboard. I did have to put in quite a large piece of foil though as it didn't work with a small piece.
Rep: 1
It worked for me too. I'm typing on thing right now. The tin foil trick worked for me. Not every key works though. But I am working on it. Watch this amazing video about testing and repair the keys of this type of keyboard: https://youtu.be/7i5D8xPsGCk
PB
Rep: 1
I had this issue after spending the better part of a day removing severely corroded batteries. I was devastated to find it didn't turn on after all the work I put in.
I looked at everything more closely and noticed a key thing. The screw holding the logic board into place is the negative terminal for the batteries! When I put everything back together I didn't tighten that enough *and* I had a bunch of dust and crud in the screw threads on the end cap as a result of the cleaning. I gave it a good rub with a paper towel and Q-Tip and voila! Back in business!
Rep: 1
Same thing happened to me, and was driving me nuts. (Logitech wireless keyboard)
My keyboard was fine last night, and dead, when I came to the office this morning. I changed batteries, still dead. Cleaned stuff with alcohol, read stuff on Google, and unfortunately, I had no foil handy, to try the trick.
After half a day, I decided to take out the USB from the computer, and inserted again, and ...VOILA!
OMG! It works :)
Rep: 1
Hey this worked! Thanks. I also had perfectly working keyboard and then I think the grey plastic cover where the battery terminal contacts got flipped around (I still can't see how). I struggled trying to pull out to flip over unsuccessfully. It did seem that when I put the batteries into the keyboard they were sticking out further than before even BEFORE placing in the foil ball , so it was very difficult to put the battery cover cap back on but the did the trick.
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Does it work with the old batteries put back in?
by mayer
Mine did not start up, the capslock key fell out the first day I got it, we should get a new keyboard.
by Helen Grayce Ezarik