Can I make the caps-lock setting stick, for external USB keyboard in Mountain Lion?

Question

I have a Macbook Pro running Mountain Lion, and I frequently use an (external) Apple USB keyboard with it. In the Keyboard sys prefs, I set the "caps lock" key to be "^ Control", for both "Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad" and "Apple Keyboard" (i.e., external).

When I unplug the external keyboard, and plug it in again, though, the "caps lock" key once again is a caps lock key. I can set it back in the sys prefs, but it only lasts until I unplug it next.

I have a different Mac running 10.7, with the same caps lock setting, and when I unplug the external USB keyboard, the caps lock setting stays set.

Is this by design? Is it a bug? Is there a workaround? Can I make Mountain Lion remember my caps lock setting somehow?

Answer 1

It should stick even on Mountain Lion.

Two suggestions.

First, you might use Onyx to validate your preferences.

Second, try deleting ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist and logging out and logging in again.

In either case, the pref file might be messed up and that could prevent it from being saved.