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The March 2015 update of Apple's 13" MacBook Pro Retina Display, model A1502, features fifth-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and introduces the Force Touch trackpad.

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Keyboard and trackpad are unreponsive?

Dear community,

My keyboard and trackpad stopped working and I’m desperately looking for answers on how to fix this.

It’s a MacBook Pro early 2015 13inch and it still works with an external keyboard and mouse.

The issue started appearing 2 weeks ago, but rebooting while holding the shift key would usually make things work again until the next day/the next reboot.

But this time it didn’t!

  1. Resetting the PRAM/SMC has not helped. 
    However, I noticed that resetting the SMC also worked with the build-in keyboard (the charge indicator light blinked between orange and green) so that must be a hint that the build-in keyboard still works, and that it’s probably more a software issue than a hardware issue, right? I mean If the cable really is broken then why did it work when I did a SMC reset?
    (However I can not reset the PRAM using the built in keyboard. I can reset the PRAM with the external keyboard.)
  2. I tried to use the built in keyboard and trackpad in safe mode - didn’t work.
  3. I runned the Apple Hardware Test and got the Error Code PPT002 (apparently it’s simply a battery issue but not an urgent one) but nothing else.
  4. I Time Machined back to 3 weeks ago, when everything still worked perfectly - didn’t help.
  5. I went into the System Preferences > Startup Disk > clicked the internal Macintosh HD and restarted - didn’t help.
  6. I use the software malwarebytes and CleanMyMac X (the free version): Nothing found.
  7. And my Mac runs on Sierra (it runned perfectly well) I’ve been thinking to update to Mojave (or the newest version) to check if it s related to that, but somehow the update doesn’t show up in the App Store.

An additional thing which may be connected to the issue in some way or another: my chrome browser is set with the default search engine google;

However, sometimes since a couple of weeks, chrome redirects me to bing (despite checking the preferences and deinstalling and reinstalling chrome, this issue keeps on popping up!).

So if anyone can advise if they believe it’s the hardware or the software at fault and what I can do - Please help, every hint is welcome! thanks!!

Answer this question I have this problem too

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Could be touchpad flex cable issue, they are contectted via same flex. Try to replace the flex cable.

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Thanks for your answer, however I'm not really a computer wizard and am a bit reluctant to open my mac and doctor or to pay serious amounts of money at the Apple store for replacement.

My main point and question is if the cable really is broken, then why did it work when I did a SMC reset? The powerbutton seems to be connected via a different cable hence why it still works, but [Shift] + [Ctrl] + [Option] (SMC reset combination) should be part of the rest of the keyboard right?

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@leakg - This is a major confusion for many! Your system talks to the keyboard in two different ways. The first is at the low level within the systems firmware before the OS has even loaded. As an example all of these Mac startup key combinations are within the systems firmware. Then once the OS has loaded the OS keyboard drive is engaged.

Even still the driver needs to have a clean handshake with the hardware and this is done over a private USB connection internally. This is where things get messy!

As the Keyboard and the Trackpad are the only ones on this private USB connection any signal issue with either can mess up the other. Which is why the trackpad cable is the usual suspect! As in this series it's easy to get damaged.

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You could just try to reseat the Trackpad cable, but you likely need to replace it. It's not that hard to do! Here's the needed cable Trackpad Flex Cable Apple P/N 923-00518 and here's the guide to put it in MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Early 2015 Trackpad Replacement

Often this is the root issue. Make sure to clean the surfaces fully as any grit will over time damage the cable. You also want to use an OLD BIC pen ink straw to help in forming the folds as you don't want a hard crease as that weakens the thin foil wires. Leave the adhesive protection on so you can place an index mark using some masking tape across between the battery and the cable so you have the same amount of slack on each side of the battery. Each time you discharge or charge your battery it will swell! So its important to have enough play of each side of the cable. Once you've got the index mark carefully peel the cover an press from the center outward in the cables direction.

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Lea kg will be eternally grateful.
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