# mac mini and Bluetooth Keyboard - am I really this screwed?



## mkoesel (Apr 14, 2005)

While trying to delete the pairing with my phone, I accidentally deleted the pairing with my Apple Bluetooth keyboard.  Oops. No problem.  I'll just re-pair them.  Tried it, and it asks me to type in the 6 character code.  I acknowledge, but for some reason it would not receive the keystrokes when I typed.  So I hit "Cancel" and tried again.  Still no dice.  Strange.

So I closed system prefs, and was going to reopen and try again when I got distracted and had to do something else away from the computer for a couple minutes.  When I came back the mini had gone to sleep as normal.  I nudged the mouse, woke it back up, and (again, as normal) it wants my password.  But wait a minute, I don't have a keyboard to type a password.  So I'm starting to get a little worried now.

But I'm sure its no big deal, I'll just restart.  Surely it will ask me to re-pair with the keyboard then.  Restart.  Login screen comes up, but there's no request to pair a keyboard.  Okay, now I'm thinking this is not going to have a happy ending. Um, maybe I have to shut it down?  Hold down reset button, let it power off and then power it back up.  And low and behold there is still no request to pair the keyboard.

Hmm.  Now what.  Maybe the Hardware test disk will have the answers.  Lets pop it is the drive and... uh-oh, how the h*ll can I boot from the CD with no keyboard?  Now I'm starting to get kinda annoyed. Checking the manual, I find that you can eject a CD with the mouse.  Nice feature.  So maybe (please, please) you can boot from the CD using the mouse too?  But alas that would have been too lucky.

And so here I am with a real nice computer and a real nice keyboard but absolutely no way to make them play together.  

Anyone have an ideas here?  

(And no, I don't own, nor have access to a USB keyboard.   I do have a IBook G3, but I can't think of any way to use it to help me here)


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## brianleahy (Apr 14, 2005)

Use the 'Key Caps' application, or the Character Pallette (enable it under System Preferences/International) to "click" the characters in.

If you use the Character Palette, you may have to click them in, then Copy, then Paste.

This should enable you to enter whatever codes are needed to reactivate your keyboard.

Good luck


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## mkoesel (Apr 14, 2005)

brianleahy said:
			
		

> Use the 'Key Caps' application, or the Character Pallette (enable it under System Preferences/International) to "click" the characters in.



I would have to be able to login to the machine to do that though.  My problem is getting past the login screen.


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## brianleahy (Apr 14, 2005)

Oh crud.  Didn't think of that...


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## brianleahy (Apr 14, 2005)

According to Apple's online support, there does not appear to be any way to configure a Mac to use a BT keyboard unless you initially have access to a USB keyboard.

So now I'm wondering - how did you get it working the FIRST time?

You may have no other option but to borrow a USB keyboard -- or take the mini (good thing it's small) into your nearest Apple dealer and beg them to borrow a keyboard for 5 minutes...


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## chornbe (Apr 14, 2005)

Couldn't he SSH into it from the g3 and do it at the command line? Surely there's a file that could be edited to allow it?


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## brianleahy (Apr 14, 2005)

> Couldn't he SSH into it from the g3 and do it at the command line?



That might do it - IF he has remote login enabled.


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## mkoesel (Apr 14, 2005)

brianleahy said:
			
		

> According to Apple's online support, there does not appear to be any way to configure a Mac to use a BT keyboard unless you initially have access to a USB keyboard.
> 
> So now I'm wondering - how did you get it working the FIRST time?



The first time I booted, it asked me if I was using a bluetooth keyboard.



> You may have no other option but to borrow a USB keyboard -- or take the mini (good thing it's small) into your nearest Apple dealer and beg them to borrow a keyboard for 5 minutes...



I'm trying to avoid having to do that, but yeah that's obviously one solution.


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## mkoesel (Apr 14, 2005)

brianleahy said:
			
		

> That might do it - IF he has remote login enabled.



Unfortunately I don't.  Just Filesharing.


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## mkoesel (Apr 14, 2005)

I was able to procure a USB-to-PS2 adapter and a PS2 keyboard.  So I am back in business on the mini.

IMHO, Apple needs a failsafe in place to keep this kind of thing from happening.  Perhaps, by default, if the mac can find no keyboard at startup it should automatically attempt to detect and pair with a bluetooth keyboard.  Of course, this behavior could be configurable so that if you want to use the mac for a fileserver (or whatever) with no peripherals attached you can do so without this warning if you should need to restart it.  Alternatively, it could at least put up a button on the login screen to enable a soft-keyboard (similar to the Key Caps utility mentioned above) so that at least you can log in that way and re-pair the keyboard and mac yourself.


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## Browni (Apr 16, 2005)

have u mananged to re pair the BT keyboard?


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## DeltaMac (Apr 16, 2005)

Probably one of the reasons the Mac defaults to an automatic login.


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## mkoesel (Apr 17, 2005)

Browni said:
			
		

> have u mananged to re pair the BT keyboard?



Yep, I was able to get it to re-pair once I logged in with a wired keyboard and fired up system prefs.


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## Dans99 (Jan 31, 2010)

Have the same problem, but ssh access. Is there any command I can type in to activate my Bluetooth keyboard?


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## Jesse714 (Feb 21, 2010)

hmm i thought the wireless keyboards came with a cable for that "Just in case" situation, which you appear to be in :/
i would use a USB keyboard mentioned above..


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## nedsmith (Mar 4, 2010)

I'm experiencing a similar problem. Bluetooth keyboard that wasn't recognized at setup. Creation of admin account failed. Then screen saver login prompt popped up. Of course I couldn't login to continue the setup. Reboot didn't fix it. Trying to boot from CD (using Macbook Air drive) but Microsoft keyboard doesn't have C key. Tried using Windows "Start" key (this works on my MacBook Pro) but didn't work for Mac Mini Server. Anybody have any ideas?
Thx!


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## simbalala (Mar 6, 2010)

nedsmith said:


> but Microsoft keyboard doesn't have C key


Wow! I knew MS was lagging badly but such a basic thing? Who knew?


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## DeltaMac (Mar 6, 2010)

Would be good to know what nedsmith means by a C key
I don't recall ANY keyboard (MS or other brand) that doesn't have a C key
So, I'm guessing that the question is about the Option key.
Non-Apple keyboards don't always provide proper startup key commands. So, you would try either the Windows key, or the alt key. On some keyboards, neither will be recognized. It's one reason to have a _real_ Apple wired keyboard around for just such an emergency.


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## simbalala (Mar 6, 2010)

DeltaMac said:


> I don't recall ANY keyboard (MS or other brand) that doesn't have a C key


I guess we need <snark></snark> tags here.


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## stiwi (Mar 23, 2010)

nedsmith said:


> I'm experiencing a similar problem. Bluetooth keyboard that wasn't recognized at setup. Creation of admin account failed. Then screen saver login prompt popped up. Of course I couldn't login to continue the setup. Reboot didn't fix it. Trying to boot from CD (using Macbook Air drive) but Microsoft keyboard doesn't have C key. Tried using Windows "Start" key (this works on my MacBook Pro) but didn't work for Mac Mini Server. Anybody have any ideas?
> Thx!



My Mac Mini was shipped today together with a wireless keyboard. I am unable to pass through the first time setup since keyboard won't connect with Mini. I have another  wireless keyboard which I use with my MBP so I checked if the other one would pair. But it didn't. The brand new keyboard was able to pair with my MBP so it is not a keyboard issue. I called Apple support, explained the situation and they arranged for a replacement.

So we will see. But that would be stupid if you would need a wired keyboard to pass through the setup. Or at least Apple should provide such for free, as I don't intend to buy it.


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## DeltaMac (Mar 26, 2010)

Hope your replacement mini will have a working bluetooth....
That should get everything working, as you have already verified the keyboard is good.

The suggestion about a wired keyboard is a good one. Batteries in wireless devices are known to die at the wrong time. Be sure to keep a spare set of batteries.


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## stiwi (Mar 31, 2010)

So the 2nd unit of Mac Mini arrived yesterday but imagine that wireless keyboard is unable to pair with it too! After a long talk with Apple support and even with their Senior Technical Consultant who checked by himself, he confirmed that it is unable to pair wireless keyboard with Mac Mini during the 1st launch due to... Bluetooth being switched off by default! LOL

Because of that issue I am going to receive Apple's brand new wired keyboard for free. Hope this will encourage you to fight with them, instead of giving up and spending few more bucks on a wired keyboard which you don't need anyway.


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