IMac aluminum keyboard cable replacement
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Catherine TL
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Hello,
The cable connecting my keyboard to my iMac Core 2 Duo has been damaged and is now unusable. I would like to replace it, but I would like to know:
1/ if I can replace only the cable and not the entire keyboard, because actually it’s mainly the USB plug that connects to the Mac that is damaged
2/ how to disassemble the keyboard to extract the cable?
3/ where can I get this, is there a reference to follow?
To the natural question that may come to your mind "But what happened to his cable?", I specify that the culprit is my overly curious dog! Thank you for your help!
I wanted to attach an image of the cable, but I can't find a way to insert the image in my message. If necessary, please let me know the procedure.
The cable connecting my keyboard to my iMac Core 2 Duo has been damaged and is now unusable. I would like to replace it, but I would like to know:
1/ if I can replace only the cable and not the entire keyboard, because actually it’s mainly the USB plug that connects to the Mac that is damaged
2/ how to disassemble the keyboard to extract the cable?
3/ where can I get this, is there a reference to follow?
To the natural question that may come to your mind "But what happened to his cable?", I specify that the culprit is my overly curious dog! Thank you for your help!
I wanted to attach an image of the cable, but I can't find a way to insert the image in my message. If necessary, please let me know the procedure.
7 answers
Hello,
I just want to add a very important note about buying a wired keyboard with a numeric keypad.
In the package, you will find the keyboard with its cable and an extension.
This extension serves a purpose, as I learned the hard way, so make sure you don't set it aside and don't try to plug your keyboard directly into your iMac like I did, because it won't work.
You must absolutely connect the extension first to the USB port of your iMac and connect its other end to your keyboard's cable.
By examining the ends of the keyboard cable and the ones of the extension, you will notice that they are not the same.
I wanted to clarify this because it took me a lot of searching and searching again to solve the problem.
Now my keyboard works perfectly, as do the USB ports on each side of the keyboard. So there it is.
--
"To bring about any change in our lives, we must start by expressing gratitude for what we already have."
I just want to add a very important note about buying a wired keyboard with a numeric keypad.
In the package, you will find the keyboard with its cable and an extension.
This extension serves a purpose, as I learned the hard way, so make sure you don't set it aside and don't try to plug your keyboard directly into your iMac like I did, because it won't work.
You must absolutely connect the extension first to the USB port of your iMac and connect its other end to your keyboard's cable.
By examining the ends of the keyboard cable and the ones of the extension, you will notice that they are not the same.
I wanted to clarify this because it took me a lot of searching and searching again to solve the problem.
Now my keyboard works perfectly, as do the USB ports on each side of the keyboard. So there it is.
--
"To bring about any change in our lives, we must start by expressing gratitude for what we already have."
Hello,
This keyboard is non-removable, but if you insist, you'll get this: :))
:))
The most economical solution is then to retrieve an unused USB cable; cut off the useless end, also cut the end of the keyboard cable, then connect the 4 internal wires of each cable's ends, color by color... the joining method will depend on the skill level of the handyman :))
--
Have a good day, or good night..:).
Francis
This keyboard is non-removable, but if you insist, you'll get this: :))
:))
The most economical solution is then to retrieve an unused USB cable; cut off the useless end, also cut the end of the keyboard cable, then connect the 4 internal wires of each cable's ends, color by color... the joining method will depend on the skill level of the handyman :))
--
Have a good day, or good night..:).
Francis
Hello and thank you, Francis!
The photo is eloquent and the comment is no less so! So, I just have to replace the keyboard, is that right?! I can thank my dog, but I also have the nasty feeling of being a toy of an unbearable commercial logic!!! Since I haven't gotten rid of the dog (!), I'm going to invest in a wireless one... next month! Have a good afternoon or evening.
Catherine
The photo is eloquent and the comment is no less so! So, I just have to replace the keyboard, is that right?! I can thank my dog, but I also have the nasty feeling of being a toy of an unbearable commercial logic!!! Since I haven't gotten rid of the dog (!), I'm going to invest in a wireless one... next month! Have a good afternoon or evening.
Catherine
Repairing with an unused USB cable is quite easy for someone somewhat handy. It’s cheaper than a keyboard. So, if any of your acquaintances can do it...
In case of purchasing a keyboard, it’s important to know that wireless models use batteries, and it’s always good to keep a functional wired model as well.
Best of luck :)
--
Have a nice day, or Good Night..:).
Francis
In case of purchasing a keyboard, it’s important to know that wireless models use batteries, and it’s always good to keep a functional wired model as well.
Best of luck :)
--
Have a nice day, or Good Night..:).
Francis
Good evening Catherine,
I think the simplest option for you is to buy another keyboard and keep yours in case of any issues with the new one, like a malfunctioning key or something else. For your information, the one with a USB cable and a numeric keypad is priced at €49.
I think the simplest option for you is to buy another keyboard and keep yours in case of any issues with the new one, like a malfunctioning key or something else. For your information, the one with a USB cable and a numeric keypad is priced at €49.
Thank you for your subsequent responses... that I hadn't read as I had made my decision and consequently didn't come back here! Have a great day!
Catherine
Catherine
*_Francis_* - August 10, 2014 at 2:55 PM
There is then a problem with the contacts. The extension "takes" the contact from the keyboard cable, but not the Mac. A story probably purely mechanical... like, for example, manufacturing tolerances, play, deformation, something like that...
Re *_Francis_*.
I said I would get back in a few days to give the result of directly connecting my keyboard to my iMac. Well, it's been almost a week now that it has been plugged in and I haven't encountered any problems during startup. Everything works normally and the USB ports on the keyboard as well.
I don't understand why before, the keyboard would stop working along with its ports.
I should add that I don’t remember which USB port on my iMac I had previously connected the keyboard to, but now they are all in use and there is no problem with the external devices that are connected.
Just a quick question. You who have experience with Macs: Aside from the issues with the USB contacts, could it be that an update has fixed some issue or has nothing to do with the fact that it’s working now?
--
"To bring about any change in our lives, we must start by expressing gratitude for what we already have."
Hi,
The software update didn't change anything in my opinion. Otherwise, quite a few Macs would have been affected.
I still think it's a purely mechanical issue.
Sometimes the USB or Firewire ports are inoperative and resetting the management unit (SMC reset) fixes the problem, but whether it's long or not, it wouldn't have worked.
So I think it's a purely mechanical issue....
The software update didn't change anything in my opinion. Otherwise, quite a few Macs would have been affected.
I still think it's a purely mechanical issue.
Sometimes the USB or Firewire ports are inoperative and resetting the management unit (SMC reset) fixes the problem, but whether it's long or not, it wouldn't have worked.
So I think it's a purely mechanical issue....
So here it is *_Francis_*, I spoke too soon saying that everything was going perfectly well but here it is today he is repeating the same scenario as when I bought my keyboard and put this extension. If I don't use this extension, my keyboard with number pad does not work. It works for a few days and then stops working along with the peripherals plugged into its USB ports.
I had connected my iPhone to the keyboard and I got the message to remove the device that was drawing too much power. I also had iMessage open and I couldn't send messages, unable to type anything but I didn't realize it was because of the keyboard until I restarted and realized I couldn't enter my password. That's when I understood it was because of my keyboard and there you go, I plugged the extension back in and everything works normally and perfectly again. No more problems. So I tell everyone, if you encounter this kind of problem, use the extension included with your Apple keyboard with number pad purchase.
Maybe you are right *_Francis_* but it's incomprehensible to me knowing that it works for a few days and then nothing, total silence with the keyboard if there's no extension. Exactly like it did at the beginning when I plugged it in for the first time.
So, for those who are experiencing this same problem with an Apple keyboard with number pad, as well as to you *_Francis_* who seems to help people with Mac computers (I think this will be useful to you in case you encounter this problem): Use the extension to solve the problem once and for all. I should add that I have never had any problems connecting other external devices to the USB ports of my iMac and I also haven't moved my iMac screen even a centimeter, which without a doubt could have affected the USB port connection of my iMac and my keyboard.
So I genuinely believe that Apple didn't include this extension for nothing but hasn't provided any explanations, information, or specific indications about why such an extension exists.
I think Apple has hidden manufacturing defects concerning certain series of keyboards with number pads and added an extension just in case... but left people to figure things out on their own to avoid losing face instead of giving clear, concise, and precise indications about why such an extension is necessary. That's my opinion knowing that only Apple includes extensions for its keyboards. Personally, I don't know of any other companies that include extensions for their keyboards.
Between you and me, it's the first time I've bought a keyboard with an extension. Apple must have known that there were issues with its "number pad" keyboards and did not inform people or provide information to solve the problem. Apple probably thought to itself: "Let's include an extension in case they encounter difficulties with their number pad but let's leave them to figure out what to do to solve the problem."
Between you and me once again: I miss Steve Jobs for his perfection.
I had connected my iPhone to the keyboard and I got the message to remove the device that was drawing too much power. I also had iMessage open and I couldn't send messages, unable to type anything but I didn't realize it was because of the keyboard until I restarted and realized I couldn't enter my password. That's when I understood it was because of my keyboard and there you go, I plugged the extension back in and everything works normally and perfectly again. No more problems. So I tell everyone, if you encounter this kind of problem, use the extension included with your Apple keyboard with number pad purchase.
Maybe you are right *_Francis_* but it's incomprehensible to me knowing that it works for a few days and then nothing, total silence with the keyboard if there's no extension. Exactly like it did at the beginning when I plugged it in for the first time.
So, for those who are experiencing this same problem with an Apple keyboard with number pad, as well as to you *_Francis_* who seems to help people with Mac computers (I think this will be useful to you in case you encounter this problem): Use the extension to solve the problem once and for all. I should add that I have never had any problems connecting other external devices to the USB ports of my iMac and I also haven't moved my iMac screen even a centimeter, which without a doubt could have affected the USB port connection of my iMac and my keyboard.
So I genuinely believe that Apple didn't include this extension for nothing but hasn't provided any explanations, information, or specific indications about why such an extension exists.
I think Apple has hidden manufacturing defects concerning certain series of keyboards with number pads and added an extension just in case... but left people to figure things out on their own to avoid losing face instead of giving clear, concise, and precise indications about why such an extension is necessary. That's my opinion knowing that only Apple includes extensions for its keyboards. Personally, I don't know of any other companies that include extensions for their keyboards.
Between you and me, it's the first time I've bought a keyboard with an extension. Apple must have known that there were issues with its "number pad" keyboards and did not inform people or provide information to solve the problem. Apple probably thought to itself: "Let's include an extension in case they encounter difficulties with their number pad but let's leave them to figure out what to do to solve the problem."
Between you and me once again: I miss Steve Jobs for his perfection.
Hello y3x,
The very first Mac keyboards had ADB connectors, a kind of round connector that looks like S Video connectors. There was never an extension for them.
Then, USB keyboards appeared, around the same time as the first iMac G3, if I remember correctly, that was in 1998. The keyboards were made of translucent plastic.
Next came the iMac G4 and G5, the Power Mac, etc., all with USB keyboards, first in plastic, then in aluminum.
If I remember correctly, the first extensions delivered with a keyboard must date from the early 2000s or so. It's not recent at all, and it was during Steve Jobs' time. I’ve set up/troubleshot quite a few Macs for friends, colleagues, and relatives, I still do, and quite a few keyboards already came with extensions like they do now. Personally, I've never used them. Not once. I’ve never even taken them out of their packaging strip, except for the last test we’re discussing here, when I took one of those extensions that were lying around in a box still wrapped in their transparent strip.
The very rare times I’ve seen people use these extensions is when the keyboard is installed on a type of pull-out shelf that slides under the desk. There, the extension is useful.
So, I still believe there is an anomaly on your end.
Moreover, the fact that a device is drawing too much power when connected through the keyboard is absolutely normal. You can connect a USB stick or something similar to a keyboard, like the receiver of a wireless mouse, but not an iPhone, not an iPad, and even less a self-powered portable hard drive. The keyboard won’t be able to deliver the necessary current; it’s simply not made for that. Power-consuming devices should be connected directly to the main unit. Sometimes even some laptops don’t provide enough current through a single USB port at a time, which is why we sometimes find portable drives with a special USB cable, with 2 USB connectors for the computer side and one USB connector for the hard drive side. Often, computer users are surprised when their self-powered portable drive doesn’t show up on the desktop... it’s often simply because they connected it to the keyboard instead of the main unit.
I don’t know where the problem lies in your case, but I maintain that the extension is in no way a remedy for a hidden defect.
--
To get an appropriate response, always indicate your exact system configuration.
Have a good day :-) - Francis
The very first Mac keyboards had ADB connectors, a kind of round connector that looks like S Video connectors. There was never an extension for them.
Then, USB keyboards appeared, around the same time as the first iMac G3, if I remember correctly, that was in 1998. The keyboards were made of translucent plastic.
Next came the iMac G4 and G5, the Power Mac, etc., all with USB keyboards, first in plastic, then in aluminum.
If I remember correctly, the first extensions delivered with a keyboard must date from the early 2000s or so. It's not recent at all, and it was during Steve Jobs' time. I’ve set up/troubleshot quite a few Macs for friends, colleagues, and relatives, I still do, and quite a few keyboards already came with extensions like they do now. Personally, I've never used them. Not once. I’ve never even taken them out of their packaging strip, except for the last test we’re discussing here, when I took one of those extensions that were lying around in a box still wrapped in their transparent strip.
The very rare times I’ve seen people use these extensions is when the keyboard is installed on a type of pull-out shelf that slides under the desk. There, the extension is useful.
So, I still believe there is an anomaly on your end.
Moreover, the fact that a device is drawing too much power when connected through the keyboard is absolutely normal. You can connect a USB stick or something similar to a keyboard, like the receiver of a wireless mouse, but not an iPhone, not an iPad, and even less a self-powered portable hard drive. The keyboard won’t be able to deliver the necessary current; it’s simply not made for that. Power-consuming devices should be connected directly to the main unit. Sometimes even some laptops don’t provide enough current through a single USB port at a time, which is why we sometimes find portable drives with a special USB cable, with 2 USB connectors for the computer side and one USB connector for the hard drive side. Often, computer users are surprised when their self-powered portable drive doesn’t show up on the desktop... it’s often simply because they connected it to the keyboard instead of the main unit.
I don’t know where the problem lies in your case, but I maintain that the extension is in no way a remedy for a hidden defect.
--
To get an appropriate response, always indicate your exact system configuration.
Have a good day :-) - Francis
I'm bringing this topic back up because I tried reconnecting just the keyboard cable to a USB port on my iMac.
After three days, the keyboard stopped working at startup on my iMac.
I then called Apple Care support. The technician I spoke with had me turn off my iMac and disconnect all the cables from my external peripherals, even the one for my iMac.
Once all these cables were disconnected, he told me to press the power button for 30 seconds.
My iMac did not start up. That was supposed to happen.
If my iMac had started up, it would have meant that I forgot to disconnect a cable and I would have had to repeat this procedure.
He told me to reconnect everything and start up my iMac and wait a few days to see if I still had problems with my keyboard with the numpad, and if that was the case, I would need to call Apple Care back with a case number explaining the problem. So, it's to be continued. I can't wait to see after disconnecting everything and restarting if my keyboard will be functional indefinitely without the extension.
By the way, the technician didn't know that all Apple keyboards with a numpad were sold with an extension.
I will come back in some time to give you the results of the actions that the Apple Care technician had me perform.
@ +++ for follow-up.
After three days, the keyboard stopped working at startup on my iMac.
I then called Apple Care support. The technician I spoke with had me turn off my iMac and disconnect all the cables from my external peripherals, even the one for my iMac.
Once all these cables were disconnected, he told me to press the power button for 30 seconds.
My iMac did not start up. That was supposed to happen.
If my iMac had started up, it would have meant that I forgot to disconnect a cable and I would have had to repeat this procedure.
He told me to reconnect everything and start up my iMac and wait a few days to see if I still had problems with my keyboard with the numpad, and if that was the case, I would need to call Apple Care back with a case number explaining the problem. So, it's to be continued. I can't wait to see after disconnecting everything and restarting if my keyboard will be functional indefinitely without the extension.
By the way, the technician didn't know that all Apple keyboards with a numpad were sold with an extension.
I will come back in some time to give you the results of the actions that the Apple Care technician had me perform.
@ +++ for follow-up.
Hello,
What the technician had you do is simply a reset of the system management unit (SMC).
It's a classic troubleshooting step when there's a hardware issue due to an electronic bug:
https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT201295
I thought this had already been done, given how standard it is and since you seem quite knowledgeable about the different solutions... but "we learn every day," as someone said, I can't remember who :) good luck with the rest..
EDIT:
https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-31585364-reconnaissance-clavier-filaire-sur-imac#p31585364
What the technician had you do is simply a reset of the system management unit (SMC).
It's a classic troubleshooting step when there's a hardware issue due to an electronic bug:
https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT201295
I thought this had already been done, given how standard it is and since you seem quite knowledgeable about the different solutions... but "we learn every day," as someone said, I can't remember who :) good luck with the rest..
EDIT:
https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-31585364-reconnaissance-clavier-filaire-sur-imac#p31585364
????
I've never used this extension, and all my keyboards have worked directly and on the first try with any Mac I've connected them to.
Out of curiosity, have you checked the ends of the extension and those of the keyboard? Because they are different for me.
I’ll check, but it seems a bit logical that the ends are different; there must be a "male" side and a "female" side so that we can use them...