Your device isn't recognised by your Mac
Mac Mouse Pad Not Working
Follow these steps if your mouse, keyboard or trackpad isn't recognised by your Mac.
Make sure that your wireless mouse, keyboard or trackpad is turned on
Feb 27, 2018 Wireless Microsoft mouse on Windows 10 computer not recognized. I have a Microsoft wireless mouse that doesn't work on my windows 10 machine. It has worked for months than just stopped working about a week ago. Windows says there is not any drivers available for it. Oct 22, 2011 I read that Macbook Pros are compatible with any mouse and not just mouse from Apple but it doesn't seem to be recognising it. I cannot move the cursor with it but I know it is giving power to the mouse as it lights up. Is there anything specific I have to do to get it to work?
The Magic Mouse and Magic Mouse 2 have a slide switch on the bottom of the device. Slide the switch to turn on the device. On the Magic Mouse, the green LED briefly lights up. On the Magic Mouse 2, green colouring is visible beneath the switch.
The Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, and Magic Trackpad 2 have a slide switch on the back edge of the device. Slide the switch to turn on the device (green colouring becomes visible). Earlier Apple Wireless Keyboard models have a power button on the right side of the device. Press the button and you see a green LED on the top of the device, near the button.
When you turn these devices on, they appear as Connected in the Bluetooth section of System Preferences and in the Bluetooth menu in your menu bar. If a device doesn't appear there, make sure it's charged or replace it batteries, and make sure it's been paired with your Mac.
Make sure that your device has been set up to work with your Mac
Learn how to pair your Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Magic Trackpad 2 – and earlier models of Apple wireless devices – with your Mac.
Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on
Use your Mac notebook's built-in trackpad or a USB mouse to choose Apple () menu > System Preferences. Then select Bluetooth and make sure that Bluetooth is turned on.
Refer to the table below for more information on determining the Bluetooth status. If the Bluetooth icon doesn't appear or if the menu bar status continues to indicate that Bluetooth is off, restart your computer and then try to turn Bluetooth on again.
| Bluetooth menu icon | Bluetooth status |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth turned on, but there are no devices connected to the Mac. See the Make sure that your wireless mouse, keyboard, or trackpad is turned on section of this article. | |
| Bluetooth turned on and at least one wireless device is connected. | |
| When this icon flashes, at least one wireless device has a low battery. Click the Bluetooth icon to identify the affected device, then recharge the device or replace its batteries. | |
| Bluetooth is off. Click the Bluetooth icon using a USB mouse or built-in trackpad and select Turn Bluetooth On. | |
| Bluetooth is offline or unavailable. Restart your Mac. If the Bluetooth status doesn’t change, disconnect all USB devices and restart your Mac again. |
Make sure that your devices are charged
Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2 have built-in rechargeable batteries. You can charge these devices by connecting them to a Mac or a USB power adapter using a Lightning to USB Cable. For the fastest battery charging performance, be sure your device is switched on when connected to the Lightning to USB Cable.
To check the battery level of these devices, click the Bluetooth icon in your Mac's menu bar, then select your device by name. If the battery level of any device is low, recharge the device. If the device isn’t showing, make sure the device is turned using the steps outlined above.
Turn the device off and on
If your Apple wireless mouse, keyboard or trackpad isn't recognised by your Mac after following the tips above, try turning the wireless device off, waiting a few seconds and then turning it back on.
Your mouse or keyboard intermittently stops responding
Follow these steps if your mouse or keyboard sometimes stops responding temporarily.
Click or press a key
- Click the mouse or trackpad or press a key on the keyboard to reconnect the device to the computer. It might take a moment for the device to respond.
Check for signal interference
- Wireless networks that operate on 2.4GHz may cause interference. Move cordless phone base stations, microwave ovens and other 2.4GHz electrical devices away from your Mac if you suspect interference.
- Keep wireless devices within 10 metres (approximately 30 feet) of your Mac.
- Avoid putting metal objects between your wireless device and your Mac.
Your mouse doesn't scroll up or down or side to side
If you can't use your mouse to scroll through a web page or document, see Mac Basics: Multi-Touch gestures to make sure your Gestures are configured correctly. You can also try adjusting your scrolling speed preferences.
Your mouse or trackpad doesn't track as expected
Apple Wireless Mouse, Magic Mouse and Magic Mouse 2 can be used on most smooth surfaces. If tracking issues occur, try these options:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then select Mouse. Set the Tracking slider to adjust how fast the pointer moves as you move the mouse.
- Try using a different surface to see if the tracking improves.
- Turn the mouse over and inspect the sensor window. Use compressed air to gently clean the sensor window if dust or debris is present.
- If multiple Bluetooth wireless devices are in use nearby, try turning them off one at a time to see if the issue improves. Bandwidth intensive devices can affect tracking.
Learn more about what to do if your trackpad isn't tracking correctly.
Your keyboard has one or more keys that don't respond
Use the Keyboard Viewer to test whether the keyboard keys are responding correctly when they are pressed.
Mac Not Recognizing Microsoft Mouse Driver
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then select Language & Region.
- Click the Keyboard Preferences button.
- Click on the Input Sources tab.
- Make sure that the keyboard language that you use is listed on the left side. If it's not, click and choose from the languages that appear.
- Select the tick box next to Show Input menu in menu bar.
- Click on the Keyboard tab, then select the tick box next to Show keyboard and emoji viewers in menu bar.
- Choose Show Keyboard Viewer from the Input menu in the menu bar. The Keyboard Viewer showing the keyboard layout appears on your display.
- Type the key on the keyboard that doesn’t respond and see if the corresponding key highlights on the Keyboard Viewer. If it does, that key is functioning correctly.
If you enable the Mouse Keys feature, many keys might not respond as you expect. Here's how to turn off Mouse Keys:
- In OS X 10.8 or later, choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Click on Accessibility, then choose Mouse & Trackpad from the list on the left side. Then deselect the Enable Mouse Keys tick box.
- In OS X 10.7.5 or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Click on Universal Access, then select the Mouse & Trackpad tab. Then select the Off button next to Mouse Keys.
If issues with keys persist, try starting up your Mac in single-user mode to see whether a software issue is causing the problem.
Usually keyboard and mouse do not stop working together. But, in some rare cases, Windows may not recognize both of them at the same time. It is impossible to work on your computer without a functional keyboard and mouse. This is why it becomes important to fix the issue quickly. Here is a quick guide to diagnose the problem and determine the solution.
- Solution 2: Restart and Boot Windows from Safe Mode.
Solution 1: Reboot Your Computer
Mac Not Recognizing Microsoft Mouse Working
Rebooting your computer usually takes care of this issue. When you restart the Windows all the ports and drivers are refreshed and thus many peripherals like mouse and keyboard start working. Rebooting is known is usually the first troubleshooting step every technician recommends before commencing with the more advanced methods.
Apple Mouse Not Working
The steps to restart the computer are pretty much the same across all versions of Windows. But, since neither keyboard nor mouse is working, you will need to hard restart the PC. You will not be able to use the normal Restart process.
There is a small 'Reset' button on your CPU on the front somewhere close to the 'big' power button. Pressing the button will restart your computer. You can also press and hold the power button for a few seconds. It will shut your computer down. You can restart the PC by pressing the Power button again.
Solution 2: Restart and Boot Windows from Safe Mode
If restarting your PC normally does not resolve the issue, you will want to restart it in the Safe Mode. Usually, if there is an issue with Windows drivers, keyboard and mouse may get affected. When you reboot in the Safe Mode, minimum required drivers are loaded and hence diagnosing and troubleshooting becomes easier. Here is how you can reboot in Safe Mode.
1) Restart the PC using the steps outlined in 'Solution 1'.
2) When the computer just begins to reboot, press F8 key repeatedly (assuming that keyboard is not getting recognized only by Windows but it is being recognized by the BIOS).
3) This will take you to the Advanced boot option.
4) Use the arrow keys to choose 'Safe Mode' from the options and press Enter to boot in this mode.
When the Window reboots in the Safe Mode you need to check whether Mouse and Keyboard are working. If they are working in the Safe Mode, go ahead and update the drivers by following the steps below:
1) Log in to Windows as an administrator.
2) Click Start button and choose 'Control Panel'. Click 'System' on the Control Panel.
3) Now click on the 'Hardware' tab, select 'Device Manager'.
4) Expand the Keyboard and right click to select Properties, click the 'Driver' tab in properties.
5) Now choose 'Update Driver' and click on 'Next'.
6) Now expand 'Mice and other pointing devices'.
Restart your computer in the Normal Mode. Usually, this will fix the issue. But, if you are still experiencing the problem, you will want to try another solution.
Solution 3: Check the Keyboard and Mouse on another computer
If the two above two solutions are not working, there could either be a problem with the keyboard and mouse connection or an issue with the port (or even motherboard). It is very unlikely for the keyboard and mouse to become defective together all of a sudden. But, we have to check every aspect of it to ascertain what is causing the issue.
If you have another computer, try using the mouse and keyboard on it. If you are using the USB devices, they are plug-and-play and you will not need to restart the computer. However, if you are using PS2 input devices, you will need to reboot the PC after plugging them in. If they do not work on another computer, it means that the devices are faulty. You can either replace them under warranty or buy new.
If they work on the other computer, there may be some problem with the port. In this case you will need to have your computer or laptop checked by a professional technician. You can contact the manufacturer if you have warranty or any other repair center.
Solution 4: Check The Wireless Sensor
You must have noticed that when you buy a set with wireless mouse and keyboard, there is only one sensor for both. If there is a problem with the sensor, neither keyboard nor mouse will work. If you are using such a setup, it could be due to the defective sensor.
In case there is a problem with the sensor, you may want to get the combo replaced under warranty. Unfortunately, most sensors cannot be repaired so you will need to buy a new pair.
Mac Not Recognizing Microsoft Mouse To Iphone
Mac Not Recognizing Microsoft Mouse 2
Conclusion
If your mouse and keyboard are not recognized by Windows, it could be due to one of the many reasons. There could be a problem with the driver, port, or if you are using wireless device, the sensor might be defective. You need to check each and every aspect of it to determine and troubleshoot the problem.