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Mid 2012 model, A1278 / 2.5 GHz i5 or 2.9 GHz i7 processor.

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Keyboard unresponsive on start, solves by tapping bottom of computer

Hi,

I’m a lucky owner of a Macbook Pro 13” Mid 2012 with a recurring problem.

When I start my laptop it often starts up with an unresponsive keyboard and trackpad. The only button that works is the power button which turns off the computer if I hold it for a few seconds.

After years of troubleshooting this, I think I’ve found a pattern.

When the keyboard is unresponsive and I tap the bottom of the laptop quite hard in the middle, closer to the trackpad then the screen, of the bottom enclosure, the keyboard and trackpad starts to work again and I can log in to my computer, until I turn off the computer again.

Over the years I’ve upgraded the RAM, switched the hard drive to an SSD and changed the battery following the guides here on ifixit (thanks for those!).

Any help on what my current problem could be caused by?

All the best,

Malmoola

Update:

Here's a screenshot from the app coconutBattery main window:

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@malmoola - What does CoconutBattery tell you? It’s best to check it just after the event. The issue could be a bad charger or the systems MagSafe connector needs cleaning if it’s a power issue.


As far as the battery as you can see the battery hasn’t past the 50% mark so while a bit long in the tooth it should be able to support most uses.


What are you running on the system? Intense processing app or game play? Are you using the system still connected to AC or is this failing when on battery?

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It sounds like there is some sort of connection issue with your top case. I would recommend disconnecting, cleaning, and reconnecting the trackpad and keyboard cables and their connectors and inspecting them for damage. Here is an image showing the connectors. Good luck!

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Hi!

I followed your advice @zpl and cleaned and reconnected the two cables (the keyboard cable was difficult to get back in place but it worked after a while).

After a first start up the keyboard and trackpad worked directly, which happens from time to time normally as well, so I will now do some restarts during the day and see if the problem comes back.

I'll keep you updated!

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Hi again,

It first seemed like disconnecting and cleaning the cables solved the issue, it worked for ~20 restarts during a day.

But then the problem came back and tapping on the bottom of the computer didn't work this time.

Now this leads me to another suspicion, that it starts to work again if I open the bottom enclosure and disconnect and reconnect the battery cable from the large PCB it's connected to.

Could this mean that a new battery replacement would be a good idea? After all the last time I swapped the battery was 5 years ago.

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That's possible! You could also try removing the battery for a while and just using the computer with the charger connected for a few days to see if the issue persists without a battery connected.

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I’m suspecting your battery is shot! Install this gem of an App CoconutBattery it will allow you to see more clearly what’s going on. Take a snapshot of the apps main window and post it here so we can see it too.

My own 2012 battery is on the edge and needs replacing suffering the same symptoms!

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Hi,

I downloaded the Coconut app as you suggested @danj and I'm attaching a screenshot of the main window of the app. I switched the battery in 2019 following the guide here on ifixit and it seems like the app is saying that the battery is in good quality.

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@malmoola - Good! Most of the time it's the battery being worn out. Still keep an eye on it.


Did your system suffer from a spill? As that would aim us to the keyboard with a stuck switch or as @zpl pointed out a dirty/loose cable connection.

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Hi Dan!

So far no spills on this one, but I'm re-thinking my hypothesis, that disconnecting and reconnecting the battery from the large PCB solves the issue.

So maybe it's a bad battery again after all?

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Malmoola will be eternally grateful.
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