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We have a 2013 13" MacBook Pro that is behaving strangely on the keyboard. As far as we are aware there has been no water damage to this MacBook.

Symptom:

  • Power Button on keyboard shutdowns but won't allow a restart.
  • Left Shift key works, but won't switch to uppercase.
  • Closing the lid and reopening 5 mins. later, the keyboard will not respond. A restart from the menu will reboot and keyboard comes back to life.

Thoughts are to reset the SMC, but with the power button not working this is proving very difficult to do.

Any ideas on away around this issue?

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1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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If you disconnect the battery, it will reset the SMC.

  • Remove the back cover
  • Using a plastic spudger, disconnect the cable from the battery to the logic board
  • After 30 seconds, replace the connector to the logic board
  • Replace the back cover.

In another related post, I detail how the SMC is reset.

Replace the Keyboard

The symptoms you are describing point to an electrical short in the keyboard. See this related post for more details.

Bottom Line

If you are hoping that the SMC reset will fix these problems, it will be a fruitless endeavor. The SMC regulates power distribution and cooling, not functionality (resetting the NVRAM wouldn't help either). The only way to repair this is to replace the faulty components.

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  • Already having to remove the battery connection to restart the Mac so I am guessing either a replacement keyboard or new logic board is the only way forward. Good to know that removing battery connection is resetting the SMS - Thank you
    – HomeOfficeTech
    Apr 2, 2018 at 12:04
  • It's (very) unlikely it's the logic board; keyboard is the most likely culprit. The 2013 MBP battery is glued in, so it will be a job. But... it can be done. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions on the procedure.
    – Allan
    Apr 2, 2018 at 12:07
  • Very true - strange how the left shift key is also faulty and on wake up the OS loses the keyboard. Its been one of those days with this device
    – HomeOfficeTech
    Apr 2, 2018 at 12:11

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