I love the new Apple keyboard. But like a lot of other people, on one of my machines, the expose and dashboard keys weren’t working. So I thought I would dig into the issue. The problem is apparently that Dock.app isn’t getting updated properly. The keyboard driver is sending the commands correctly, but Dock.app isn’t listening for them, because somewhere along the update chain, it’s not getting something it needs. I’m personally suspect of the 10.4.10 update.
(update) Try steps 3&4 first. They might fix the issue without the need for your original install disks.
I fixed it using my original install disks, 10.4.10 combo updater, keyboard update and Pacifist. Here’s how.
1. Insert Install disk for 10.4.x and open /System/Installation/Packages/Essentials.pkg/ with pacifist.
(update) for users of localizations there’s a sub step here. 1.1 On your original installation disk, open /System/Installation/Packages/language.pkg with Pacifist. Locate /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app. Click install and select update when asked.
2. Within Pacifist, navigate to /System/Library/Core Services. Click on Dock.app and click install. When it’s uncompressed, it will ask if you would like to update or replace. Click replace. 3. When that’s finished, open the 10.4.10 combo update package with pacifist and navigate to the dock.app again. Click install, and this time when it asks, make sure to click update.. not replace. 4. When that’s finished, open the keyboard software 1.1 mpackage, click the arrow to reveal the contents of AppleKeyboardSoftware_Cmn.pkg, navigate to dock.app one more time, click install and then update once again. Not replace.
Once this procedure is finished, you can force quit dock.app and the keys should work.
Now, you might be able to do this using only the 10.4.10 update and the keyboard software, but going back to your install disk is the only way to get a complete “clean” version of Dock.app as the update does not contain a full copy.
Also you could probably just grab a working Dock.app from a computer like yours (intel for intel, PPC for PPC) with all the software updates completed.
Update: For some reason, the Safari beta will also modify the dock. You may need to uninstall and reinstall the Safari Beta if you’re running it.
Thanks — great tip!
Steps 3 and 4 did the job for me.
[...] The keyboard update provided by Apple via the software update is already installed. Thanks to Joe Mullins they both work now — try steps 3 and 4 of his tutorial first, they fixed the problem forme. [...]
Thanks a million!
Steps 3 and 4 did the job for me too
Wil
The netherlands
I did the complete setup twice (replace from original disk, update from combo and update from keyboard update) The dock was already broken (mouse does not working in calender, “done” shifted, but no font problems) after the first install from original disk. Is there more that need to be replaced when installing from the original disc?
But at least f3 is working as advertised. Thanks … Dick
Dick, If you’re not having font problems, are you only having problems with the calendar widget? The problem might be with that widget and not the dock app. Might be worth trying to reinstall that one widget.
Are you having problems with any other widgets?
You might also want to do the standard repair permissions, fdisk dance as well just to make sure that you don’t have some weirdness going on that is messing up the install/replace.
Joe,
Other widgets have the damaged “done” button and I am not the only one with the calender problem. I have tried repair permissions (there were some incorrect permissions on .png files) but that did not fix anything. I will wait for an update from Apple or wait for Leopard. I can live with using Fn F12 and a working calender better that a working F4 an a broken calendar.
Thanks … Dick
Well, that worked. Thanks. Though I do have the broken “Done”. it’s not horrible.
Any idea, however, how to disable certain keys? I like the new media keys, and the rearragement of the dashboard/expose keys, but I hardware calibrate my display to a known brightness, and I never want to be able to accidentally change the brightness…
Is there a known way to knock those keys out of action?
Ben
Joe,
The broken widgets were caused by Safari beta 3. I uninstalled the beta and F3 and F4 and all widgets are now working as designed
Dick
I uninstalled Safari Beta 3, which solved the broken widget problem, then reinstalled the beta. On restarting, the problem had vanished.
I opened the 10.4.10 update and opened it in Pacifist, but there’s no Dock.app inside the package. I made sure there was no Dock.app at all with Pacifist’s “Find” feature. Here’s the page I downloaded the update from: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx10410updatev11intel.html
What did I do wrong?
JS,
Dont open the downloaded dmg file: you need to mount the .dmg and open the package that is inside with Pacifist.
Thanks, Your guide did the ticket… I had do a complete update from the original CD’s as trying short cutting the process never worked correctly…
thank you very much! this fixed my keys even after i broke my whole dashboard with the routine found on tuaw.
for everyone else, who might wanna avoid the trouble of doing the updating themselves, i put together a installable package, which contains the fixed dock.app (supporting all languages).
the package can be found on this site: http://twsibtth.chrisandtheothergirls.com/blog/possible-apple-keyboard-function-fix-package
of course, no warranty what so ever that this works, but i tried with another system of mine, and the result was exactly as the same, as manually following the steps on this site.
cheers
I haven’t confirmed that the keyboard fixed worked as my keyboard is at work (and its 5:56am!) but I can confirm that uninstalling Safar3 Beta fixes the broken widget problems. Reinstalling Safari3 Beta did no harm either.
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long fix, but worked for me aswell.. thank you very much, my brand new nicelooking and kewl keyboard is working as designed now
It just works for me, Thanks for good tip!
JS: The confusion seems to be that Intel and PPC 10.4.10 updates are not the same. Intel updater does not contain Dock.app. PPC one does.
Anyway, for intel macs just ignore step 3
Worked for me.
Good morning everybody, I use the new aluminium keyboard with my Macbook Pro. F 3 and F 4 keys work however the number block does not. Can anybody help me ?
Thomas
The new (cabled) Apple aluminum keyboard Option/alt key does not work to initialize Bootcamp. The plastic Apple keyboard works fine. I downloaded the latest driver from the Apple website, but to no avail. Suggestions?
The aluminum keyboard has been useless in a K-12 lab setting. The “C”, “S”, “N” and “OPTION” keys are a must for NETBOOT and dual OS booting. We’re using (Inel) Mini Macs. I would like Apple to provide a reliable fix or quite selling junk. Anybody with a real everyday reliable verified fix please email and let us know.
It’s been my experience that the boot option keys work when the keyboard is plugged directly into the computer. Plugging into my monitor kills the keys. Have you tried not using a hub or monitor and plugging directly in?
Upon some further investigation, the problem appears to be using the keyboard on the Mini. I have tried one on an iBook and a G5 Tower and they seem to function properly. It may be the USB on the Mini. For now I am using iMac keyboard for the Mini’s and the aluminum keyboards on the iMac.
i recognized yesterday after months of no reboot that the startup commands dont work for the early 2006 intel models of the imac…did research on the web…nothing! anyone an idea how to fix this….? i even tried to install keyboard update 1.2 under leopard latest beta. it’s telling me that an newer version is already installes..wtf?
i recognized yesterday after months of no reboot that the startup commands dont work for the early 2006 intel models of the imac…did research on the web…nothing! anyone an idea how to fix this….? i even tried to install keyboard update 1.2
the dashboard on my new mac-mini is dysfunctional, suddenly. the clock has no hands and none of the widgets respond to mouse or keyboard. how do I go about fixing?
thanks.
Bill
suddenly my apple key , tab key and left shift key stopped working …i have old plastic style keyboard exactly bought in june 2007 wondering what to do about it . .
Buy a new keyboard? Stop spilling stuff on it?