Disabled keys traced to KM

Questions & Suggestions
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1

I've run into a weird issue that I’ve traced to Keyboard Maestro that's got me stumped. Some keys on the keyboard (usually S, T, and H) just stop working after I launch KM, and the problem sticks around even after I quit the app. Rebooting doesn't fix it either.

Here's what's happening:
• Using a 2021 M1 MacBook Pro (macOS version 15.4.1)
• It occurs on every keyboard: external, built-in, and the on-screen Accessibility keyboard.
• Quitting KM doesn't fix it
• Rebooting doesn't doesn’t fix it
• It does NOT occur for the Mac’s other user. I log out of my usual user account and into an almost never used second one.
• The ONLY way I've found to fix it is to completely uninstall KM (using the official instructions).

I spent time with an Apple tech on this, and we narrowed it down to KM being the culprit.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a known M1 issue? I'm nervous about reinstalling without knowing what caused it in the first place. Any ideas what could be making KM mess with my keyboard like this?

I really want to use KM for some important work coming up, so I'm hoping someone can help me figure this out.

Thanks

2

Have you made sure to quite the Keyboard Maestro engine? Also show all your macros and sort by most recently used/executed. Control+Command+e. Hopefully you will find the culprit macros in there.

3

Would a fresh KM installation have included any macros on its own?

4

Yes, but nothing that would cause the issues you have described. Did you try what I had mentioned?

5

I'll do that tonight. For right now, I can't afford the disruption entailed in restoring ordinary Mac functionality.

6

The first thing you should always do when KM is suspect is check the KM Engine log file. Check to see if any macros are firing when you press those keys. There's a 50% chance that this is the problem.

7

Thank you! That answers a question that had been brewing.

8

This used to happen to me when I'd have a palette of macros with single letter-key shortcuts (not conflict palettes). Then those letters don't work to type in the app or apps for which the palette is active. It got confusing, so I don't do that it any more.

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9

Select Interactive Help from the Help menu, and choose Something unexpected is happening.

Almost certainly you have a hot key triggered macro with the specified keys.

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10

My thoughts exactly.

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11

The results are in! I reinstalled KM a minute ago, and voila! The culprit was exactly what everyone's been saying here for the last couple of days.

So thank you everyone! It's a big, big relief for me. :tada:

12

Thank you for letting us know and I'm glad your system is back and working again.

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