Alternatively it may be that it is the keyboard of your Mac laptop that isn't working - your MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro might be unusable because the keypad has stopped working. Again, this entry must precisely match the entry in the app's menus or the shortcut will not work. Now move to the 'keyboard shortcut' edit field and press the key sequence to act as the shortcut. This (I assume) must include one keyboard character (letters, numbers, punctuation, arrows, and so on) and one or more modifiers (control, option.
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You generally buy a MacBook because you want a quality laptop that’s easy-to-use and doesn’t suffer from bugs or hardware failures. So it’s truly disheartening to discover that there have been a slew of MacBook keyboard issues plaguing recent models.
Some users may experience issues with their keyboards not working as expected-possibly due to the Mouse Keys function being enabled on their Mac. Read further to get a resolution to this issue. Again, this entry must precisely match the entry in the app's menus or the shortcut will not work. Now move to the 'keyboard shortcut' edit field and press the key sequence to act as the shortcut. This (I assume) must include one keyboard character (letters, numbers, punctuation, arrows, and so on) and one or more modifiers (control, option.
Is your MacBook Pro keyboard not working? You’re not alone. Lots of users have been experiencing issues with their Apple butterfly keyboards as well.
Naturally, Apple is working to fix the problem in upcoming models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, but if you’ve bought one in the last few years, unfortunately, those fixes aren’t going to help you.
Let’s find out the steps you need to take to fix your MacBook keyboard quickly.
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Why Is Mac Keyboard Not Working?
Before you can fix the problem, first you have to determine exactly what the problem is. There are a few possible issues that could lead to your MacBook keyboard not working.
One thing to note is that a MacBook keyboard isn’t like most other keyboards on the market. Instead of using a scissor-like mechanism, MacBooks feature a proprietary Apple butterfly-like keyboard with a slightly different design.
Ever wondered how Apple laptops are so slim? Part of that is the butterfly keyboard mechanism. Whereas most keyboards’ scissor mechanism provides tension on keys so that they click back into place once you finish typing, Apple designed a minimal switch as slim and elegant as a butterfly — hence the name.
Unfortunately, the butterfly keyboard is also just as fragile as a butterfly too. If even one spec of dust gets under a key and into the mechanism, it can lead to problems like a key repeating, sticking, or not registering hits at all.
It’s one thing if your Z key sticks occasionally. It’s another if your spacebar won’t work. Thus, fixing your MacBook keyboard can’t be put off for very long once it’s stopped working.
How do I fix a MacBook keyboard or MacBook Pro keyboard?
The short answer is: not you. The longer answer is an authorized Apple dealer will fix your MacBook Pro keyboard for free.
In some rare cases a blast of compressed air could clear the dust from the keyboard. Even though it won’t do the job for most, it’s worth trying since a can of air only costs a few dollars. But don’t expect salvation.
Apple has admitted that there’s a flaw with their design and as long as your MacBook is recognized as one of the afflicted models (if your keyboard isn’t working, it probably is) then all you have to do is take your laptop to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, Apple Retail Store, or Apple Repair Center, and they’ll handle your MacBook or MacBook Pro keyboard replacement.
It’s worth noting, however, that Apple created this service program after three class-action lawsuits. There were a lot of users with a Mac keyboard not working, and if they hadn’t taken action this fix would cost hundreds of dollars.
Part of the problem is that it isn’t simply a matter of replacing a single key on the butterfly keyboard — the entire MacBook keyboard has to be replaced, making it a fairly significant repair job. It can take up to five days before the shop is able to get the right parts and make the replacement.
Remember: Before taking your computer into the shop, always back up its most important data — even if you have to use a USB or Bluetooth keyboard to get it done.
MacBook or MacBook Pro trackpad not working?
The MacBook trackpad is one of the best on the market. Responsive and precise, it’s a dream to work with… at least, when it’s working correctly.
If you find your MacBook trackpad not working, there are a few steps you can take.
1. Turn it off and on again
It’s true that restarting something is an ongoing joke most of the time, but it’s also great advice. Try rebooting your MacBook and see if that clears up the issue.
While you’re at it, close the lid when you shut your laptop down as well. For some reason many Mac users have reported this solves their MacBook trackpad not working issue.
2. Disable the Force Click option
In some cases, if your MacBook Pro trackpad isn’t working, you can try to disable Force Click to fix the issue:
- Open System Preferences in your Applications folder
- Click Trackpad
- Navigate to the Point & Click tab
- Uncheck the Force Click option
Note: This fix will only work for MacBooks with 3D Touch, but it’s relatively easy to do and worth a shot.
3. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)
A lot of bugs and performance issues can be solved by resetting your Mac’s System Management Controller. There are two ways of doing so. For Macs with a non-removable battery:
- Shut down your MacBook
- Plug in your MagSafe adapter
- Press and hold down: Shift, Control, Option, and the power button
- If your MagSage adapter changes color, you’ve reset the SMC
If your MacBook has a removable battery:
- Shut down the laptop
- Remove your battery and MagSage adapter
- Hold the power button for 10 seconds
This simple reboot can take care of many of your Mac’s problems. It’ll reset some options like the time it takes for your MacBook to go to sleep when left idle, but it won’t change any truly important settings.
MacBook Pro keyboard and trackpad not working?
If both your MacBook keyboard and trackpad aren’t working, then there are a few possible problems that might be causing the issue: hardware and software. Here are a few more tips to test before taking your MacBook into an Authorized Apple Service Provider.
1. Delete .plist files
It’s possible that somewhere along the line your software settings have changed and contributed to keyboard and trackpad malfunction. Try setting them back to their factory defaults by deleting your .plist (or “property list”) files.
- Back up your computer with the Time Machine fist
- Open Finder
- Press ⌘ + Shift + G
- Enter ~/Library/Preferences/ into the new bar and hit Go
- Find and highlight these files:
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad.plist
com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plist
com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse.plist
com.apple.AppleMultitouchTrackpad.plist
com.apple.preference.trackpad.plist
- Delete them and reboot your Mac
2. Reset PRAM
Getting your Parameter RAM back to zero is a useful way of removing prescient glitches from your system:
- Shut down your MacBook
- Reboot, but while the computer is booting press and hold ⌘ + Option + P + R until the gray screen appears
- Release the keys after you hear the reboot sound
3. Restore your Mac to an earlier version
If your keyboard or trackpad issues have just started, it’s possible that a recent change in software or settings has caused the problem. To fix it, just roll back your Mac a few saved backups:
- Restart your Mac
- While the system is rebooting, open the Recovery Tool by pressing ⌘ + R
- Choose Restore from the Time Machine backup
- Proceed according to instructions
How to prevent software issues on your Mac
Truth is not every issue with your MacBook is a hardware problem. Sometimes software conflicts can arise and create irritating, persistent issues that you don’t know how to resolve. So instead of trying to figure out what’s going wrong with your Mac, get CleanMyMac X to do it for you.
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CleanMyMac X is by far the best Mac maintenance app on the market with a whole range of tools, including a full-system cleanup, a professional uninstaller, malware scanner, a file shredder, and an ever-updating set of optimization tweaks. If malware is to blame for whatever is happening with your Mac:
- Open CleanMyMac X
- Navigate to Malware Removal in the sidebar
- Click Scan and delete anything suspicious if found
Of course, the best treatment for your Mac overall is prevention — using thoughtful analysis to see premonitions. For that, just download iStat Menus and you’ll be able to monitor your Mac’s performance in real time effortlessly.
iStat Menus shows you exactly when your computer starts slowing down. Designed to sit in your menu bar and give you detailed rundowns at a glance, this optimization utility is bar none when it comes to knowing what’s happening with your machine.
Best of all, both CleanMyMac X and iStat Menus are available for a free seven-day trial from Setapp, a platform with over 150 Mac apps that make your digital life a breeze, from creating backups to working with documents to managing your finances. And if CleanMyMac X has just helped you avoid a MacBook Pro keyboard replacement, why not try it out?
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Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
'Recently, I bought a MacBook Pro and it was working perfectly. But, I surprised to see that the screenshot on Mac not working and they are not saving to my desktop. So, can you tell me how I can fix the 'Mac OS Sierra screenshot not working and saving' problem?'
There is no doubt that taking a screenshot on Mac is quite straightforward because Apple has given an easy way to do that. However, a lot of users have complained that they have encountered a 'screenshot on Mac not working' problem. If you are also one of those users who are going through this same issue, then you might be looking for methods to fix it.
Well, you have come to the right place. Here, in this article, we have mentioned several ways you can try to come out of this problem without much hassle.
Part 1. What Is a Screenshot?
The term 'Screenshot' also known as a snapshot or screen capture, or print screen. It is a picture that shows the contents of your computer display. In simple words, it allows you to capture whatever you are seeing on your device screen. Once a screenshot is taken, you can save it as an image file where you can open it to edit.
At present, the screenshot feature is quite helpful and that's it is present in all electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers, and tablets. The feature is very useful in many situations, such as when you have to share the screen picture with others or to provide software reviews.
Part 2. How to Take a Screenshot on Mac?
Before you go for a solution to fix the 'screenshot on Mac not working' issue, you need to first learn how to take a screenshot on Mac in the right way. It might be the case that you are capturing your system screen using wrong commands and that's why you met with this annoying problem.
1. Screenshot a window
To screen capture for a window on Man, you need to follow the below steps:
- Use 'Command + Shift + 4' at the same time. As you see crosshairs on your screen, use the 'Space' key to hover the cursor over the window. Next, click either on the trackpad or mouse. Don't forget to hold the Space bar when you are dragging.
- Now, you will see the Camera icon, and your window will turn into a grey color. If you end up opening multiple windows, then select the one you like to capture. Finally, tap on the mouse, and you are done with capturing the screenshot for the window.
- After that, you can either right-click on the application icon and choose 'Move to Trash' option or you can simply drag the program icon to the Trash.
2. Screenshot the entire screen
To capture the entire screen, follow the steps:
- To start with, you have to use 'Command + Shift+ 3' keys at the same time.
- Next, you'll the camera shutter sound, and your screenshot will be saved on the desktop.
3. Screenshot a portion of the screen
Follow the below steps to capture a part of your screen:
- Use 'Command + Shift + 4' Keys at the same time. Using this shortcut, you will be able to take a screenshot of a specific portion.
- After pressing the keys, you will see a cross with some numbers. So, drag the cross across the region that you like to capture.
![Keys Keys](https://pubgsettings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/overlay_options.jpg)
4. Screenshot a dropdown menu
Follow the steps to capture a dropdown menu on Mac:
- First, open the menu and then, use 'Command + Shift + 4' keys at the same time, and next, drag the cross to the region of the menu.
- Now, release the mouse to screenshot the region, and next, use the Space key to alter the pointer to a camera. Finally, press the menu to take a screenshot.
That's how you can take a screenshot on Mac. If the above steps didn't work to take and save a screenshot on your Mac, then check out the next section where we have mentioned some solutions that can fix the problem you're going through.
Video Guide on How To Take A Screenshot on Mac
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Part 3. How to Fix 'Screenshot on Mac Not Working'?
Well, you now got an idea about how to take a screenshot on Mac in the right way. But, if you still met with a 'screenshot on Mac not working' problem, then try below methods that can probably help you to fix the issue with ease.
1. Check the Keyboard Shortcut Settings
You can use the keyboard shortcut 'Command + Shift + 3' to take a full-screen screenshot and shortcut 'Command + Shift + 4' to capture selected area unless you've activated the screenshots shortcuts.
By default, the screenshot keyboard shortcuts are activated. But, it might be the case that you have configured the settings and don't remember at all. Thus, in this case, all you have to do is to check if the screenshot shortcut is active on your Mac.
Here are simple steps on how you can check:
- To start with, go to the 'Apple' menu and then, navigate to 'System Preferences'.
- Next, tap on 'Keyboard' and next, tap on the 'Shortcuts' tab.
- After that, tap on the 'Screenshots' option from the left side of the window.
- Finally, make sure that all options here are check or active.
Once you ensure keyboard shortcuts for screenshots on your Mac are active, try again to take a screenshot and see whether the problem is gone. If no, then don't be panic as you can try the following solutions to fix it.
2. Restart the Mac
Another thing you can try is simply restarting your Mac. Applications and programs won't work perfectly if you've not restarted your system for a long time. Thus, in such cases, a simple restart on Mac can probably fix the problem without many efforts. Luckily, many users have fixed the problem with this method and so, you must try it too.
There are three ways you can try to restart your Mac, which include:
- Press and hold down the 'Power' button and choose the 'Restart' option. Alternatively, you can use 'Control + Eject' and choose 'Restart'.
- Go to the 'Apple' menu and next, choose 'Restart'.
- Use 'Control + Command + Eject' or 'Control + Command + Power' and next, choose 'Restart'.
After restarting your Mac, the problem should be fixed now. But, if not, then go for the next solutions to fix the 'screenshot on Mac not working' issue.
3. Use Grab to Screenshot on Mac
There are also other ways to take a screenshot on Mac you might don't aware of them. So, instead of taking screenshots using keyboard shortcuts, use Grab to capture screen on your system. Grab is a pre-installed application for Mac OS X and macOS that allows you to take screenshots of the entire screen, the whole window, or only a specified area of your screen.
Here are the simple steps on how to use Grab utility to take screenshots on Mac:
- To start with, you need to open 'Applications' and next, tap on 'Utilities'.
- After that, look for 'Grab' and select it.
- Now, click on 'Capture'.
As per your requirements, you can choose any one option and take a screenshot.
4. Use Preview to Screenshot on Mac
If you encounter a problem like a screenshot on Mac not working, then you can use Preview to capture screenshots. Well, Preview is nothing, but default utility that lets you open and modifies or edit images. Besides this, you can also take a screenshot on Mac using the Preview tool.
Here are simple steps on how to use Preview to screenshot on Mac:
- To begin with, navigate to 'Preview'.
- Next, tap on 'File' and after that, select 'Take Screenshot'.
- Now, choose any one option as per your need.
As you can see there are many alternatives to take a screenshot on Mac. Hopefully, the above methods help you to resolve the problem for you.
Part 4. How to Recover Lost Screenshots on Mac?
In some cases, although screenshots are saved by resolving the problem 'screenshot on Mac not working', there are chances that you still lost them due to unknown reason. But, don't be panic if this situation happens to you because you still have a powerful method to recover your lost screenshots on your Mac. And that method is using Recoverit data recovery for Mac.
Luckily, Recoverit Data Recovery software is primarily designed to help those users who accidentally lost their files, such as photos, videos, audio, and documents. No matter how you lost your screenshots whether deleting by mistake, virus attack, or sudden power failure, the tool is powerful enough to work under numerous data loss scenarios.
Recovering media files with this tool takes a few minutes and three easy steps. In order to get back lost screenshots using Recoverit, you need to first download and install the software on your computer. Once you installed the software, follow the below steps:
Step 1: Select the screenshot drive
To start with, run Recoverit. Now, you need to choose a hard drive location from where you have lost your screenshots and click the Start button.
Step 2: Scan the Location
Now, the program will start looking for lost files by performing a scan on your selected hard drive location. Here, it may take several minutes to complete the entire scan process.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
Finally, preview the files and choose the desired files you want to get back after the scan is complete. And click on the 'Recover' button to save recovered screenshots on your Mac.
So, you now know what you can do if you ever lost your important files on Mac. However, while you are saving recovered screenshots on Mac, don't save them to the location from where they get lost.
Part 5. Tips against 'Screenshot on Mac Not Working'
Hopefully, the problem 'screenshot on Mac not working' is fixed for you with the help of the above-mentioned methods. However, here are some more tips and tricks you can try to avoid facing the same problem again in the future.
- If you're not good at remembering keyboard shortcuts, then use Grab or Preview to take a screenshot on your system.
- It might be the case that keyboard shortcuts of your Mac are damaged and that's why you are not able to capture a screen using keys.
- You may have changed the default location for saving screenshots and that's why it seems to you that screenshots aren't working on your Mac. So, check the location where your Mac screenshots are saved.
- Sometimes, third-party applications installed on your system prevent the proper functioning of other Mac utilities or programs. So, uninstall or get rid of third-party apps if you've on your system.
- Mac systems are also susceptible to bugs and viruses, which can corrupt your system. As a result, you can face a screenshot, not a working issue. Thus, use anti-virus to protect your system from bugs.
Apple Shortcuts Not Working
The problem 'screenshot on Mac not working' can be easily resolved if you know the right solutions for this. Luckily, here we have listed all probable methods that can help you to fix the issue with ease. Plus, if you ever end up losing your important screenshots on Mac, then we have also provided the solution to this problem too. It is Recoverit data recovery for Mac. With the help of this tool, you can easily rescue your lost screenshots.
What's Wrong with Mac
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