Using a Windows keyboard with Mac OS X. Setting up an Apple keyboard for Windows

I started using an Apple keyboard (which is usually used with Apple iMac) with your PC computer with Windows on board. I was wondering if the Apple keyboard could work on a PC without any errors? - He can! It works and shows excellent compatibility.

Apple Keyboard Compatibility with Windows PC

I always wanted to buy Apple keyboard, especially after I worked on it for a friend of mine. I went to the apple website but couldn't find anything about compatibility. I decided to take a chance and bought a wired Apple keyboard with a numeric keypad.

Wired or wireless Apple keyboard?

Why did I choose wired rather than wireless?

Wireless no additional number keys, and I find them very useful.

- Small arrow keys- I often play with different toys that require arrows for navigation. In the wireless version they are very small, squeezed into the corner, and not convenient.

- Some keys are missing- such as home, delete, end, page up, page down.

You need bluetooth - you need an adapter. Do you need to buy another gadget for another gadget to work?..I'm passed.

Batteries - the wireless keyboard runs on batteries (three AAA batteries), while the wired one runs on USB, and is lighter in weight.

There are no USB ports - the wired version has two USB ports to which you can connect a mouse and a flash drive, which is very convenient. This is not the case with wireless.

Connecting an Apple Keyboard to Windows

The process of connecting the Apple keyboard was easier than I thought. I connected the keyboard and started the CD that was in the box.

The keyboard worked instantly and is still working. Some buttons have changed their purpose, for example, the “Command” key works like “Windows”. The function keys work as expected, for example F5 refreshes the page, F11 - full screen mode, etc. Of course, on Macs they have more features, which, moreover, can be customized.

Keys not working- some keys do not work because functions are not assigned to them. For example, all the F13-F19 keys do not work. The "Eject" key, which on Macs ejects the disk, also does not work.

Missing Keys- I miss the popular three keys - Print Screen, Scroll Lock,Pause. I also can’t find it Num Lock. For screenshots you have to use all sorts of tools.

I connected my mouse to one USB, and my mouse to the other hard drive for 300 GB. Super.

Ultra-thin Apple MB110 Wired Keyboard.

Apple MB110 Wired Keyboard. Side view.

Introduction.
Today there are many keyboards for PC on the market. interesting models However, there is a keyboard that is unique in its own way, however, it is not intended for PCs and Windows. At least, when it is connected, some of the unique functions that this keyboard provides do not work. It's about Apple MB110 Wired Keyboard White USB. This keyboard is designed for use with a Mac computer, but has limited functionality on a PC.

However, due to the unique features of this keyboard, including an excellent ultra-thin design, high-quality assembly, quiet and soft key travel, a metal body and two USB ports, more and more PC and Windows users are purchasing an Apple keyboard for use on a PC. . Despite the fact that the Apple MB110 keyboard specification states that it requires Mac OS X version 10.4.1 and higher, it works quite well in Windows. But for implementation full-fledged work Apple MB110 on Windows (XP, Vista, 7) requires a special driver. Without this driver, the FN key, through which the mass is called, does not work useful functions, CD-ROM tray open/close key (remember that due to the nature of Mac computers, these buttons are not located on the case), PrintScreen does not work and USB ports do not work. The Windows system reports a lack of power and the inability to connect a USB device. The keyboard functions also include displaying system information about user actions on the computer screen (for example, the volume level), but without the Apple keyboard driver this function not available.

Driver for Apple keyboard.
The official Mac keyboard driver for Windows does not exist in nature, but there is a set software to run Windows on Mac computers and drivers for some unique devices Apple computer. This set is called Boot Camp , it is available on the official Apple website for 32 and 64-bit operating systems, as well as in several languages.

Therefore it is necessary full installation Boot Camp version 3.0 package, which can now only be downloaded from a couple, for example. Previously, the Boot Camp 3.0 driver package for Windows 64 bit and Windows 32 bit was available on the Apple website. After installing the main package, you need to download the Boot Camp update to version 3.1, install it, and then download Boot Camp 3.2 and install it as well. These updates can be found. Each step of the Boot Camp installation requires a restart of the computer. Follow the instructions. After updating Boot Camp to version 3.2, Windows recognizes the Apple keyboard and includes all the features that were originally missing (hotkeys, USB ports, etc.). After all procedures, you can delete unnecessary Apple drivers from Add/Remove Programs, leaving only Apple Keyboard.

Setting up an Apple keyboard for PC in Windows.
Now you need to go to Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Languages ​​and Keyboards - Change Keyboard. Here we need to change some parameters, for example, remove the “Russian (Apple)” keyboard service, which is installed with the Boot Camp package and changes some of the usual keys. So, for example, the dot and comma symbols are transferred from the keys familiar to all PC users to the combinations Shift+6 (comma) and Shift+7 (dot), familiar to some users from the MS DOS operating system. Out of habit, this is extremely inconvenient. It is necessary to install the standard English (USA) and Russian (Russia), and remove the rest. After this everything will fall into place.

Mac Keyboard and Punto Switcher.
Very convenient utility automatic switching Punto Switcher layouts after installing all of the above, incl. and the keyboard itself stops working. For correct operation Punto Switcher needs to disable auto-switching in the settings, and if necessary, do it manually. As a rule, the key for manually changing the keyboard layout in Windows is , which is absent on the Mac keyboard, like the usual PrintScreen and NumLock. After installing the Mac keyboard drivers, the F16 key becomes available, which is the specific case key, however, at the first switching Punto layouts Switcher crashes and no longer works. The problem is this: the reconfigured layouts for Russian (Apple) and English (UK, Apple) do not match the settings Punto languages Switcher. Therefore, the next time you start Punto Switcher, the following window will appear:

Conclusion.
The Print Screen key on the Apple MB110 keyboard is located under the F14 sign, and the NumLock key on this keyboard is hidden under the sign of a crossed out rectangle in its usual place. But there is no Insert key on this keyboard, however, this is almost not upsetting.

In this manual we will get acquainted with all the nuances connection and operation of controllers from a company from Cupertino to computers running Windows.

Will it work?

Regardless of whether you are a fan of Apple products or still prefer a Windows PC, it is hardly worth arguing that the American company's keyboard is one of the most comfortable in terms of typing. Magic Trackpad And Magic Mouse, in fact, are very specific manipulators that provide truly comfortable and productive work. I don’t see the point in emphasizing all the advantages and disadvantages of everyone, but it’s better to get straight to the point.

You decide to connect one of the accessories (Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse, or Magic Trackpad) to a computer that does not have nothing to do with Apple. The main question– will such a combination work or will the equipment be unidentified?

Apple Keyboard wired

Connection wired keyboard from Apple– the simplest and most painless option for using Apple controllers on Windows machines. Without any extra preparation, feel free to insert it into the USB port and then automatic installation drivers she is ready for battle.

What works natively. Immediately after connection, you have at your disposal a fully working alphanumeric part of the keyboard with the layout familiar to Windows, but different from the layout of the keyboard itself.

What doesn't work, but requires additional configuration. USB connection and installation standard drivers Windows will not solve problems with function keys. You can adjust the volume level and switch playback songs only by installing additional drivers, which I will talk about a little below. Of course, “strange icons” on the F3 and F4 keys are the lot of Mac users.

Apple Keyboard wireless

The first and main problem of PC on Windows based, as a rule, the natural absence of built-in Bluetooth adapter. If your PC does not have one, feel free to go to the nearest store and get ready to part with a small amount in the area 10-20 dollars.

Theoretically, Apple will be suitable for connecting peripherals any Bluetooth adapter, but it may be necessary to select a specific model.

List of most commonly compatible Bluetooth adapters (ideal companions for those familiar with Hackintosh):

The situation in terms of performance is completely similar to that when connecting a wired USB Apple keyboard. For full functionality of all keys you will need installing additional drivers.

Apple Magic Mouse

After the announcement of the updated mouse Magic Mouse, Apple's pointing device has been called one of the most amazing computer peripherals. Although the product is fully compatible primarily with Apple computers, nothing will stop PC owners from using the mouse.

What works natively. If pairing is successful computer mouse Magic Mouse will be detected by Windows and the user will have the opportunity to work with it as with a traditional mouse, but with one key. Moving the cursor and single tap will also be at your disposal.

What doesn't work right away, but requires additional configuration. Alas, pairing with a Bluetooth adapter and installing standard Windows drivers, will not allow you to use Magic Mouse to its fullest. For support gestures, scrolling and clicks will be required installing an additional driver.

Apple Magic Trackpad

Equipping any computer with an impressively sized touch area, similar to the one installed in laptops, became a reality after the product entered the market Apple Magic Trackpad. Mac owners have been using Magic Trackpad for almost 5 years. Don't think that owners of Windows-compatible machines are left behind.

What works natively or will work after installing additional drivers. Tapping, dragging, simulating left/right mouse buttons, scrolling (horizontal and vertical), simulating the right button with two fingers. Full list supported gestures in Windows environment you can see on the corresponding Apple support page. Alas, it is significantly cut down compared to Mac and this cannot be cured.

If none of the above points scares you and you are still ready to purchase pointing devices from Apple, get ready to install additional drivers and a little headache.

How to make them friends: His Majesty, Bootcamp

As can be seen from the descriptions of all four products, they are relatively friendly to Windows machines. But you can reconcile the products of competitive platforms by installing an additional Bootcamp driver package. It is the installation of additional patches that will significantly expand the functionality of the keyboard, mouse or trackpad. Alas, to support all the declared gestures and function keys, without exception, there is only one way out - joining the ranks of Mac drivers.

Installing Bootcamp

Essentially Bootcamp is a set of software for Windows, subject to running operating system on Mac. But no one forbade installing the required drivers on a completely Mac-independent machine.

One of the most reliable options for installing Bootcamp on Windows-compatible PCs is to install the package sequentially, starting with version Bootcamp 3.0. Alas, you can only find it in Internet archives of sites and on torrent trackers (from the official website Apple support removed this package).

Note 1: Despite the complete transition of Apple products to 64-bit OS, the most easy installation drivers from the Bootcamp package is provided when using 32-bit Windows versions (You may encounter a compatibility conflict while trying to install Bootcamp 3.0 on Windows X64). You can solve the problem by installing drivers sequentially from a mounted image, as well as using note 2.

Note 2: installation can be carried out without stages 1-5, but compliance with them guarantees a more stable work result peripheral devices Apple. To skip steps 1-5, install the AppleWT, AppleMultiTP driver.

Once the installation is complete, your Apple USB keyboard will now support function keys ( volume, brightness(when using a laptop), switching songs, opening the DVD drive cover– cannot close due to the hardware features of the drive).

To connect wireless Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse And Magic Trackpad will require pairing Bluetooth And additional installation drivers in the event that after the above actions “the miracle did not happen.”

1. Open bluetooth settings and select Add device.
2. Turn on Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse or Apple Wireless Keyboard.
3. The system will immediately detect the corresponding device. Add it.

4. Setup is complete.

Magic Tools

A utility that helps maximize the available functions for Windows users using Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse. It's called Trackpadmagic. By downloading it from the official website and installing it on Windows, you will receive a separate control panel for your Magic Mouse or Apple Magic Trackpad (depending on the accessory you use). According to the developer, it does not require the installation of Bootcamp, but during the installation process it does not always pick up necessary drivers and it all depends solely on the specific PC.

If you are a true Apple product lover, you can choose any of the four types of keyboards - the one that best suits your needs. Of course, if you choose three of them, you'll have to buy the corresponding laptop as well (simply because they're built in), so going this route is a fairly expensive method of upgrading a keyboard. If you choose separate keyboard, designed for use with Apple computers, then you have no choice, and it doesn't matter whether this keyboard meets your requirements or not. If you don't like Apple keyboards (you might want to have a keyboard larger size or with harder keys), then in this case all is not lost. There are plenty of third-party keyboards that are not only good quality, but also designed to be used on computers running Mac OS X. On the other hand, the number of keyboards for Mac OS X pales in comparison to the abundance of keyboards designed specifically for Windows.

First experience

If you just connect a randomly selected Windows keyboard To USB port on your Mac, then there is a high probability that it will work. True, it is worth saying that you will also experience a lot of inconvenience. You will be able to type, but there will be a lot of strange behavior of the keyboard. For Mac OS X to recognize such a keyboard, you must open the System Preferences window. Open the Keyboard and Mouse panel (System Preferences → Keyboard & Mouse) and select the Keyboard option. Then click the Change Keyboard Type button (Fig. 8.24).

The Assistant program will launch and prompt you to press a few keys, after which Mac OS X will be able to recognize the type new keyboard(Fig. 8.25).

On this step You might get carried away with changing your keyboard layout and re-layout it to make it feel as similar as possible to a Mac keyboard. This is achieved by modifying keyboard shortcuts - here you are free to do whatever you want. This process is simple, but quite lengthy. In the Keyboard and Mouse panel, click the Keyboard Shortcuts button and you'll see a long list of keyboard shortcuts. You can modify this list by hovering over the entry you want in this list and running on it double click with the mouse. After this, you can reassign this operation to another keyboard shortcut.

If you want your connected Windows keyboard to behave exactly like your Mac keyboard, you'll have to go through each item in this list and replace Alt key on the Command key. Once all this is done, you will be able to work with the Windows keyboard in the same way as with the usual Mac keyboard (Figure 8.26). You may have already noticed that there are significantly fewer function keys on Apple keyboards than the new features Apple keeps adding. This is especially true for laptop keyboards. But don't worry: if you want to get your function keys back, you can do it the same way you do when modifying Windows keyboards.

Some keyboards designed for Windows are more compatible with Mac OS X than others. For example, Logitech keyboards(this is just one of the well-known brands) have key bindings that control the volume of sounds on your Mac. If these keys work, then the only key you'll really miss is the Eject key. Mac keyboards have this key, but Windows keyboards do not.

It is quite possible that there is some clever trick that allows you to add an analogue of the Eject key to eject removable media to the Windows keyboard. But if you are already tired of all this fuss with re-partitioning and reassigning keyboard shortcuts, then there is another way that is simpler and shorter. Just add the Eject option to the menu bar. This is not even easy, but very simple. Browse your System folder by going to the following path: System/Library/Core Services/Menu Extras. Once in the desired directory, double-click on the Eject.menu file, and additional menu Eject will appear in your menu bar (Figure 8.27).

If you're hoping that all the plethora of dedicated keys on Windows keyboards can be repurposed to do something useful on a Mac using the keyboard shortcuts bar, then you're out of luck. Mac OS X does not recognize, for example, additional key Email; trying to use it as function key(or for some other purpose) will lead to nothing. The Mac will only beep, as if to tell you "I know you're pressing something, but I don't care - I'm not listening."

The iMac computer is an all-in-one computer that is ready to use immediately after purchase. The device also comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Of course, the user can use any other input device, but it is the original keyboard included in the package that can realize the full potential of the aimak operating system.

The user may experience difficulties while using the input device. The reasons why the panel does not work are not only due to failures in the OS, but also due to hardware failures. So in case of breakdown motherboard or module Bluetooth device“complicated” repairs may be required.

iMac doesn't see keyboard

If the monoblock no longer sees the panel, pay attention to the signal level. If the battery (or batteries) is low, the LED will blink. This is a low battery signal. Charge the battery or replace the batteries with working ones. And check the functionality of the wireless device.

Check that the panel is turned on. The Magic Keyboard has a switch on the back, slide it to the on position. The backlight will light up. For Wireless Keyboard On the right side of the panel, click the “power” button. The green indicator will light up, but not for long.

If the keyboard still does not work, make sure that a pair is created between the desired panel and the all-in-one. The computer may have paired with another Magic Keyboard. To switch and configure another pair, go to system settings. Click on the “Keyboard” section, and in the window that opens, click on the “Bluetooth Keyboard” option. When the LED blinks twice intermittently per second, it means the panel is ready to pair. Once the system detects your keyboard, configure it.

To check the connection, click Caps button Lock. When you press it, the corresponding LED of the connected panel will light up. Check the functionality of other buttons. Open text editor or the notes app and type random text.

Check your connection wireless communication Bluetooth . The panel works via Bluetooth , so disabling the communication module may interrupt the keyboard display. To exclude this possibility, go to the window Bluetooth settings. If the input panel is shown in the list, it is connected.

Keyboard not working

If the keyboard has been dropped, has reached the end of its service life, or if you spilled something on the panel buttons, it is better to immediately contact an authorized service center for repair. But if visible reasons If there is no problem, but the keyboard does not work, try the steps described below to resolve the problem. If you are using Windows rather than the native OS on your computer, then the keyboard may work with a delay after waking up the PC. This situation is common with wireless devices.

If you pressed a button and the PC “woke up”, but then stopped responding to the keys, run reboot iMac. Or wait a bit until the panel starts working. Alternative when entering password to login, use on-screen keyboard. This function is located at the bottom of the display on the left and you need to look for it in the “special features” section.

To avoid failure Bluetooth module you need to connect another wireless panel. If it works, the problem is not Bluetooth. . When the panel is no longer detected by the PC after a system failure or installation of a new OS, the solution is to connect a wired keyboard via the USB connector.

How to switch language on keyboard?

To switch, open the Apple menu and go to system settings. Open the "Keyboard" section. Click on the “Input Sources” option ". Press the "+" key to specify an additional language. In the list, check the boxes at the beginning of the languages ​​to be added. Then check the box at the bottom of the page at the beginning of “Display the input menu on the panel menu.”

The menu bar will display another icon in the form of a flag. To change the language, click on the flag and change the language. For the same action from the keyboard, use a set of keys. The combination “Cmd” + “space” returns to the previous input language. Combination “Cmd” + “space” + “Opt” replaces language with subsequent on the list.

If the specified combinations move the user to the search window through Spotlight, go again to the “Input Sources” subsection ". It is located in the “Language and Text” section ". Click on the "hotkey" button, then click on the "Spotlight Search" option ". Uncheck the box, then select "Keyboard and input text" ". In this section, check the boxes next to “Select previous input source” and “Select next input source” ". Now you know how to change the language layout from the keyboard and through the icon on the menu bar.

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