Weird issue with Blackwidow V4 Pro showing all white keys with lighting | Razer Insider
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Weird issue with Blackwidow V4 Pro showing all white keys with lighting

  • 11 July 2023
  • 17 replies
  • 1273 views
B
Userlevel 2

So I recently purchased a BlackWidow V4 Pro keyboard and most of the time, the keys light up white and do not sync with my other Razer products (Firefly Mouse Pad, Basilisk V3 Pro, and its Mouse Dock Pro). They do not change color with any of the software effects in the Razer software. I’ve tried different USB ports, different cables, reset the keyboard, there’s no firmware, updated drivers, uninstalled/reinstalled drivers, rebooted...everything that’s in the checklist for troubleshooting before contacting support. However, there is one thing I did try that does work. If I connect it up to my laptop, it works fine there….but I haven’t used it long enough to see if it goes to white. I also found that closing out of Razer Synapse seems to fix the issue and launching Synapse manually, turns off lighting on my keyboard and it goes dark. When I close out of Synapse and leave any other app on, I will get my colors back on a rotating basis. 

So since my laptop does work, that tells me that the issue lies most likely with an issue on my Desktop, and probably something to do with Synapse. I’m running Windows 11 with every driver updated. I’ve owned a BW V3 Pro and didn’t have this issue as far back as two weeks ago but haven’t tried it since I gave that keyboard to my son at college. Just throwing this out there to see if anyone knows of a fix.

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Best answer by ZAP_ME 12 July 2023, 22:22

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17 Replies

ZAP_ME
Userlevel 3

Glad to know it isn’t just me!  I have not tried connecting to another PC, but I did confirm the issue only happens while Synapse is running. When Synapse is stopped, I am able to use fn + ctrl + numbers to successfully change the lighting effect from all white to anything else.  When I restart Synapse, without restarting the PC or unplugging the keyboard then plugging in again, all the keyboard lights go out completely.  Through all this, the RGB on the mouse and charging base worked fine and did exactly as told in Synapse.  I tried making new profiles in Synapse for the keyboard before deleting the previous profile but that didn’t work.  I reinstalled Synapse 3 but that didn’t work.  I tried having Synapse running but not logged in as my account but that didn’t work.  Right now, as long as Synapse 3 is running, the keyboard lights are all white.  Synapse lets me change the brightness and I can turn the lights on/off but none of the Effects work when selected.

Only the Blackwidow v4 Pro has this lighting issue on this PC and the custom key mapping seems to work fine with Synapse running.  Otherwise, it is a great keyboard and I’m glad I have it. 

I seem to be missing a configuration setting somewhere but can’t track it down.  Has anyone had better luck?

 

 

B
Userlevel 2

So did you notice this with previous Synapse versions? I didn’t because I just received the keyboard last week and I think I have the previous version installed on my laptop as I had the keyboard sent to the resort we stay at over the summer. I’m going to check to see what version is installed there. On my Desktop I know for a fact I have the newest version. 

ZAP_ME
Userlevel 3

I found the steps to uninstall, cleanup, then reinstall Synapse 3.  I followed the instructions and as soon as I signed Synapse into my Razer account the keyboard turned all white and ignores all Synapse 3 settings for Lighting Effects.  I think something is stuck in my profile, but I don’t know how to fix it.  There is nothing in my profile I want so I would be OK with a reset if I could figure out how to do so.

ZAP_ME
Userlevel 3

So did you notice this with previous Synapse versions? I didn’t because I just received the keyboard last week and I think I have the previous version installed on my laptop as I had the keyboard sent to the resort we stay at over the summer. I’m going to check to see what version is installed there. On my Desktop I know for a fact I have the newest version. 

I only used Synapse v3.  I think at first it was 20230703 but then a new version 20230712 came out today.  Still the same problem while Synapse is running.

B
Userlevel 2

I use Synapse 3 too. I went to the gear icon in the upper right window and then About: The version on my laptop and my Desktop says 3.8.630.62814. I manually update Synapse so not sure why they’re the same. I don’t recall updating my laptop’s version recently. When I get some time, I will connect my keyboard up to my laptop and mess around with the settings again and see what happens.

EDIT: Also attaching a pic of this in case support wants to see
 

Keyboard stays white while devices sync on color.

 

ZAP_ME
Userlevel 3

I just searched for all the “Blackwidow V4 Pro” posts and it sounds like this is going on for others, too.  In their cases, it was working at one point then went all white after a Synapse 3 update.  I haven’t had mine very long and I don’t think the Effects ever worked.

B
Userlevel 2

Also just saw that my volume rocker doesn’t work when the Synapse software is on. If I close out of it, then it works again. Razer, please fix this software!!!!

Capraphract

I had this issue with a Huntsman Optical V2 by reinstalling from a factory image downloaded from Razer and reinstalled clean from USB.

 

A few observations:

  • I’d get the white profile whenever logged in on one device, even if Synapse wasn’t running or installed. This persisted on multiple Windows profiles on that same device
  • A second device it never happened, even when logged in to the same Synapse profile
  • Restoring through built-in Windows tools didn’t fix it. Reinstall, create a profile (local, MS account, whatever) and it would flip white as soon as logged in, even before Synapse was installed 
  • Occasionally a restart or login would keep the default RGB cycling. Unplugging and plugging back in would immediately cause the keyboard to turn white
  • Logging out on the affected PC would consistently drop back to default RGB cycling. Something was attached to all Windows profiles on the machine (local or otherwise)
  • Ctrl + Fn + # would override the white and let me switch when in a Windows profile when Synapse was not running. As soon as Synapse started it would not work at all and just stayed white

Very weird behavior. I was ready to wipe the machine anyway so relatively painful, but that’s a ridiculous way to have to fix the issue. It’s possible deleting all Windows profiles or making new ones might have done it, but I didn’t try that.

aerofocusWisteria924

I also got the same porblem with my Razer Mercury mini white.

BuckAhRue

Hi everyone, and no, you all aren’t alone. This is one of the reasons why I returned my Blackwidow V4 Pro. I’ve experienced some of the issues mentioned in this thread. Don’t bother doing a clean install of Windows, because I doubt that would even help anyone at this point. I clean-installed Windows 11 Pro (because I usually do a clean install about every 3 months, or if I’m experiencing serious issues), and I can confirm that it did not solve the issues with the Razer peripherals.

Y’all, thanks for posting. As long as we draw attention and call out these issues, then we can hopefully narrow down the culprit. This is the first time that I’ve dealt with Razer products and it hasn’t been a very pleasant one, though I’ve always wanted to give them a try.  

The Jim Cornette of PC Tech
Tacoman22

Same issue with my keyboard(blackwidow v3 pro with yellows), I solved it halfway for me when I installed a new firmware and then restarted synapse. it worked again but shortly after it went back to white after restarting the computer. I think this is a keyboard firmware issue since it seemed to start when i fiddled with the wireless button while it was plugged in.

Tacoman22

Possible fix

Re install synapse, delete all existing profiles, and then run the firmware updater tool even if your keyboard is up to date just run the check. This has worked for me just now, but I have not restarted my computer yet so It may need to be done each time you want it to work.
 

ZAP_ME
Userlevel 3

On a whim I searched Razer Insider one more time and found this where Deadpool5786 had the answer.  It works and my keyboard now responds to Synapse lighting settings.

B
Userlevel 2

Can confirm. It is working now. I should have guessed this. I read an article recently about MS putting in some control for third party lighting gear and never even thought about it!

roxtreb

Turn off dynamic lighting (a windows setting)

Thanks @Deadpool5786 

Nemesis_90587

So I recently purchased a BlackWidow V4 Pro keyboard and most of the time, the keys light up white and do not sync with my other Razer products (Firefly Mouse Pad, Basilisk V3 Pro, and its Mouse Dock Pro). They do not change color with any of the software effects in the Razer software. I’ve tried different USB ports, different cables, reset the keyboard, there’s no firmware, updated drivers, uninstalled/reinstalled drivers, rebooted...everything that’s in the checklist for troubleshooting before contacting support. However, there is one thing I did try that does work. If I connect it up to my laptop, it works fine there….but I haven’t used it long enough to see if it goes to white. I also found that closing out of Razer Synapse seems to fix the issue and launching Synapse manually, turns off lighting on my keyboard and it goes dark. When I close out of Synapse and leave any other app on, I will get my colors back on a rotating basis. 

So since my laptop does work, that tells me that the issue lies most likely with an issue on my Desktop, and probably something to do with Synapse. I’m running Windows 11 with every driver updated. I’ve owned a BW V3 Pro and didn’t have this issue as far back as two weeks ago but haven’t tried it since I gave that keyboard to my son at college. Just throwing this out there to see if anyone knows of a fix.

I feel like I have found the solution. Press the spacebar + FN + and the Menu Key at the same time. It should fix it 

H
Userlevel 1

I just switched the BW4P from the original huntsman elite and I had to delete the chroma settings for the huntsman before I could control the lighting on the new kb.  Once that was done I had to create a new profile for this kb and now it works fine for me.

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