Broken Fn Key

[gnair]

Hi, helpers:

I have a Sony Vaio laptop running XP Pro and the Fn key has stopped running functions with the F-keys. It must be still working since it will toggle the scroll lock but it will not bring up the other functions like sound on/off, sound level, brightness, and most important to me, the LCD screen shifts for when I'm runnint a Powerpoint presentation through a projector.

The fact that the Fn key works with scroll lock and all the F keys seem to function normally on their own makes me hope that this isn't a hardware problem.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Garyth

Hi gnair,
It certainly sounds like you may possibly have a bad keyboard key. :sad:
You can troubleshoot it using the "Keyboard" troubleshooting charts in the "Beginners" section at my website. Some of the instructions there don't/ won't apply to laptops but it may help out.
Hope this helps :)
RGPHNX

Hello,

Try plugging an external keyboard in there and see if the key works. If so, I would wager it is a keyboard problem.

Christian

Hi,

Check if HKServ.exe process is running in the Task Manager.
If not execute this program.

Sony’s Hotkey Server is a Keyboard background utility program found on Sony Vaio laptops. Without this Windows program you cannot use some of the Fn+Function-Key key combinations.

Recommendation :
Leave untouched if you are running on a Sony Vaio.

Thanks,
Saravanan Babu

Dear Saravanan Babu;

Thank you so much for your reply to my problem.

I'll try the solution you suggest but first, please resolve an apparant contradiction in your post. You say that "Sony’s Hotkey Server is a Keyboard background utility program found on Sony Vaio laptops." At the end of your post, you say "Leave untouched if you are running on a Sony Vaio."

I'm on a Sony Vaio ... do you mean, leave it untouched if it is already running under the Task Manager?

Thanks,

GNair

Dear Saravanan Babu;

I checked the TaskManager and that file wasn't running. I located it and ran it and now all the Fn keys are working just fine. Thank you SO much.

To the others who responded to my post, also thank you. However, plugging in another keyboard is not a potential solution because they do not have the Vaio Fn key needed to do the test.

To anyone else who has this problem, if NONE of the Fn key combos work, then it is probably a dead Fn key. However, as reported, on my machine, the ScrLk still worked (it requires a simultaneous press of the Fn key to toggle between Num Lk and Scr Lk). If this is the case, then it is a software problem that is preventing the combos involving F3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 from working. Hope this helps someone else.

Again, thanks to everybody!

Gnair

[bgmartin]

I have the same problem...my fn keys do not work on my VGN-FS640/W and unlick you I am unable to get the hkserv.exe process to run.

I installed the Sony Shared Library then the Sony Utils and lastly the Hotkey Utility which installed the hkserv.exe and hkwnd.exe files in \program files\sony\hotkey utility.

But when I double click the hkserv.exe file all I get is an hour glass for a second and then nothing. The task manager shows the process is not running. I have local administrator rights and stopped hkcmd.exe from running thinking it might be preventing hkserv.exe from starting.

Any ideas? I would really like to get these fn keys working without having to reinstall my operating system and lose all my data and installed programs.

[clearconcepts]

Hi,

How do I find the Task Manger you refer to below, to see if HKSERV.EXE is running. If it's not, how do I get this file?

Thanks very much

Hi, helpers:

I have a Sony Vaio laptop running XP Pro and the Fn key has stopped running functions with the F-keys. It must be still working since it will toggle the scroll lock but it will not bring up the other functions like sound on/off, sound level, brightness, and most important to me, the LCD screen shifts for when I'm runnint a Powerpoint presentation through a projector.

The fact that the Fn key works with scroll lock and all the F keys seem to function normally on their own makes me hope that this isn't a hardware problem.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Garyth

Hi gnair,
It certainly sounds like you may possibly have a bad keyboard key. :sad:
You can troubleshoot it using the "Keyboard" troubleshooting charts in the "Beginners" section at my website. Some of the instructions there don't/ won't apply to laptops but it may help out.
Hope this helps :)
RGPHNX

Hello,

Try plugging an external keyboard in there and see if the key works. If so, I would wager it is a keyboard problem.

Christian

Hi,

Check if HKServ.exe process is running in the Task Manager.
If not execute this program.

Sony’s Hotkey Server is a Keyboard background utility program found on Sony Vaio laptops. Without this Windows program you cannot use some of the Fn+Function-Key key combinations.

Recommendation :
Leave untouched if you are running on a Sony Vaio.

Thanks,
Saravanan Babu

Dear Saravanan Babu;

Thank you so much for your reply to my problem.

I'll try the solution you suggest but first, please resolve an apparant contradiction in your post. You say that "Sony’s Hotkey Server is a Keyboard background utility program found on Sony Vaio laptops." At the end of your post, you say "Leave untouched if you are running on a Sony Vaio."

I'm on a Sony Vaio ... do you mean, leave it untouched if it is already running under the Task Manager?

Thanks,

GNair

Dear Saravanan Babu;

I checked the TaskManager and that file wasn't running. I located it and ran it and now all the Fn keys are working just fine. Thank you SO much.

To the others who responded to my post, also thank you. However, plugging in another keyboard is not a potential solution because they do not have the Vaio Fn key needed to do the test.

To anyone else who has this problem, if NONE of the Fn key combos work, then it is probably a dead Fn key. However, as reported, on my machine, the ScrLk still worked (it requires a simultaneous press of the Fn key to toggle between Num Lk and Scr Lk). If this is the case, then it is a software problem that is preventing the combos involving F3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 from working. Hope this helps someone else.

Again, thanks to everybody!

Gnair