some keyboard keys suddenly stopped working

[hernia1]

Hi folks,

I am sitting at home recovering from an opperation and finally have the time to address some computer issues.

I have a sony vpcee3z0e with windows 7professional installed.

It is around 1 year old.

About 2 months ago, some of the keyboard keys suddenly stopped working.  The fn which controlls the brightness, volume etc stopped as well as the number 5 on the right hand side keypad (although the other one at the top of the main keyboard works) and the number 5 at the top of the main keyboard (although the one on the right hand side number pad works).  I'm going to assume that somehow the keyboard driver or the utility that is responsible for these keys working correctly has somehow been affected and needs to be reinstalled.

Could someone let me know which file out of the original drivers and utilities I should reinstall?  I don't want to have to go through each one in turn as reinstalling them may effect the data that is already there.

Please see below for the list I would need to choose from.

Many thanks,

Matt

Preinstalled Drivers and Utilities

Windows 7

• Memory Card Reader Writer Driver      64 bits   8.29 Mb   06/07/2010
• Touchpad Driver      64 bits   5.69 Mb   06/07/2010
• SATA Driver      64 bits   62.07 Kb   06/07/2010
• SFEP Driver      64 bits   22.82 Kb   06/07/2010
• USB Filter Driver      64 bits   1.98 Mb   06/07/2010
• WLAN Driver      64 bits   1000.8 Kb   06/07/2010
• Setting Utility Series      64 bits   8.38 Mb   06/07/2010
• Audio Driver      64 bits   76.44 Mb   06/07/2010
• HDMI Audio Driver      64 bits   14.62 Mb   06/07/2010
• Bluetooth Driver      64 bits   57.73 Mb   06/07/2010
• Ethernet Driver      64 bits   286.33 Kb   06/07/2010
• Graphics Driver      64 bits   69.89 Mb   06/07/2010
• VAIO Care      32 / 64 bits   24.13 Mb   02/06/2010
• Sony Shared Library      32 / 64 bits   1.4 Mb   01/06/2010
• VAIO Control Center      32 / 64 bits   3.76 Mb   01/06/2010
• VAIO Event Service      32 / 64 bits   4.46 Mb   01/06/2010
• VAIO Location Utility      32 / 64 bits   1.29 Mb   01/06/2010
• VAIO Power Management      32 / 64 bits   8.5 Mb   01/06/2010
• VAIO Smart Network      32 / 64 bits   5.76 Mb   01/06/2010

[rich912]

Hi Matt,

If it was just the Fn key+Funtion key (brightness, volume etc.) that was failing to respond then this could be a driver/Sony Utility issue, but as the numeric 5 key at the top of the keyboard is also giving problems then it could point to a hardware problem.

There are no keyboard drivers as such to install as native Windows drivers are used.

To try and resolve the problem with Fn key+Funtion key problem try installing the following utilities in order.

• Setting Utility Series
• Sony Shared Library
• VAIO Event Service
• VAIO Control Center
• Also, if you have installed your own OS, the SFEP driver needs to be correctly installed (first) in Device Manager for some models.  If applicable, you will find this driver in the Original Drivers section.

Rich

[hernia1]

Hi,

Many thanks for your reply.  I really appreciate the help with this.

I installed the above four drivers as suggested and unfortunitely there was no change.  I did recently do a clean install of Windows 7 when I upgraded to 7 professoinal from 7 home.  I didn't install the SFEP driver first.  Is the only way of rectifying this to reinstall windows 7 or could I get away with uninstalling all drivers and then reinstalling the drivers, this time with the SFEP first.  If this is the case, is there a particular order for drivers other than SFEP or just in the order from the Sony drivers page as shown in my first message?

In addition to this, I wasn't able to install the SATA driver on the above list.  This is because when I opened the file downloaded from the sony website, there is no executable application file.  Do you think not having this driver may cause the lack of fn, volume keys etc?

This is what is in the SATA folder as provided by Sony.  I used the snipping tool to make an image.

Many thanks, Matt

Message was edited by: hernia1

Message was edited by: hernia1

[rich912]

Hi Matt,

I don’t think the SATA driver has any bearing on the lack of fn, volume keys etc but the SFEP driver certainly has.

There is no need to reinstall the OS just the SFEP driver plus utilities mentioned above.

Open Device Manager and you should find that the SFEP device has a yellow warning symbol indicating that the driver is not installed. You will need to use the ‘Have Disk’ method to install the driver as there is no install.exe in the download.

Extract the files from the installation package to a known location.

Click Start > Control Panel.

Double click Device Manager.

Right click the device and select Properties

Click the Driver tab.

Click Update Driver.

Click Browse my computer for driver software.

Click Let me pick from a list...

Click Have Disk....

Click Browse and navigate to the folder where you placed the extracted files.

Click OK.

Click Next.

Click Finish.

Reboot your system if requested and then install the utilities in order.

  Setting Utility Series

  Sony Shared Library

  VAIO Event Service

  VAIO Control Center

The SATA driver may well have already been installed correctly during OS upgrade and if so it will appear in Device Manager under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. If there is a problem with this device then follow the same procedure as above but no need to then re-install the utilities.

Rich

[hernia1]

Hi,

Thanks again for your swift replies. 

I have gone to the device manager and there aren't any yellow warning symbols.  However, I have downloaded the SFEP from the Sony site and the only executable application is for 32 bit windows and when I tried it, a pop up stated this wasn't for the correct version of Windows.  I'm guessing this is the problem, that I somehow have loaded the 32 bit driver onto 64 bit windows, which doesn't work properly. 

Can you let me know which icon on device manager I should right click on and follow the update driver instructions above.  There is a file which isn't executable but is in a 64bit folder which I assume will work. 

I have included some pics below of the folders so you can see if i'm not missing anything.

below, whats in the device manager

below, whats in the sfep folder

below, whats in the x64 folder in the bigger sfep folder (pic above)

Many thanks, Matt

[rich912]

Hi Matt,

Expand Human Interface Devices and you should find Sony Firmware Extension Parser Device (SFEP).

Make sure that you browse to the root folder that contains SFEP.inf (setup information) – this is the setup information file and should recognise the correct platform. Do not browse to the 64 Bit sub folder.

Rich

Message was edited by: rich912

Message was edited by: rich912

[hernia1]

Thanks for all your help with this,

I installed all the right parts in order and the keys still don't work.  I have no idea about hardware and what a fault may cause.  Does sound funny to me though that specific keys would suddenly stop working. I went through which ones don't work and it is the numbers 5 and 6, the fn and delete button.  The f2/f3/f4 keys work (such as entering setup during startup) but just not as volume or brightness, which means it's just the fn function.

Do you have any more suggestions as to what the problem may be?

Matt

[rich912]

Hi Matt,

I’m afraid this is starting to look like a hardware problem with the keyboard itself.

Have you tested Fn+Scr Lk both at top of keyboard and on the numeric keypad and any other Fn key combination available?

Also check whether you are able to produce % and ^ using shift + 5 & 6.

Does Ctrl + Alt + Del combination work?

Rich

[hernia1]

Hi,

yeah, I can't get the % and ^ using + 5 & 6 and ctrl + alt + del combination doesn't work.  I have also just noticed the dash key doesn't work. 

So what exactly is a hardware problem? what would cause just a few keys to suddenly stop working.  Sounds strange to me that suddenly a few non essential keys would suddenly stop working.

I will try to get hold of a usb keyboard to plug in.  I'm guessing this would resolve whether it was a problem with the hardware as the % and ^ using + 5 & 6 and ctrl + alt + del combination would work?

Matt

[rich912]

Hi Matt,

Your findings would seem to confirm that there is a hardware problem with the keyboard. Attaching a USB keyboard should verify this if none Fn keys work correctly.

If this is the case you will need a replacement keyboard. If still in warranty contact Support, otherwise try a Google – they are available on eBay.

Rich