10.3.9 Keyboard Lockup

[devil]

I'm having issues with the keyboard and they started after I installed the 10.3.9 update. The hardware is an iBook G4 1.2/768 with BT and AP. No external devices are connected, only using an Apple BT mouse.
The problems happen randomly and I havn't seem to find any pattern to them - no certain programs are open or I'm not doing anything special that I can specify, usually typing or surfing the web.

The keyboard stops working to some extent. Command+Tab works and the function keys, but none of the number or letter keys work, neither does Return. If I go to the login window with Fast user switching, I can enter my password - keyboard works once again, but when the desktop appears, the problem is back.

I don't have to reboot to fix the problem, loging out and loging in again fixes it.

I've looked at the log files, but can't find anything abnormal in them, that might cause this. It doesn't happen too often, but it's still quite annoying. I havn't found anything on the net about it. One of my friends had the same problem, but resolved it by upgrading to 10.4.

Is there any fix for this (is it even a common problem?) or do I just have to bite the bullet and upgrade to 10.4.X?

[JohnWhorfin]

Originally Posted by devil

I'm having issues with the keyboard and they started after I installed the 10.3.9 update.

I've had the same problem before 10.3.9, so you may have been lucky that it hadn't happened to you before.

Originally Posted by devil

The problems happen randomly and I havn't seem to find any pattern to them - no certain programs are open or I'm not doing anything special that I can specify, usually typing or surfing the web.

Does it happen more when you're switching applications a lot? specifically, when you cmd-tab between them?

Originally Posted by devil

Is there any fix for this (is it even a common problem?) or do I just have to bite the bullet and upgrade to 10.4.X?

I don't know of a fix, but if you're in the middle of something that you want to finish with the keyboard before you log out and in again, you can do this:

cmd-opt-esc. then esc. again. The first part brings up the "force quit" window, the second escape closes it.

Then the keyboard works again, until you switch applications. then you have to do it again.

It's a pain, but way better than losing whatever you're working on. It at least allows you to close the applications and documents cleanly.

I have no idea why this works, I got fed up one day and tried lots of things to see what it was that I'd done by accident to "fix" it.