[SOLVED] Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems

Lrucard · 04-16-2009, 02:04 AM

Hi, I’m trying to fix a Compaq F579WM that my friend gave to me, and it has been a handful trying to figure out what to do with it. It has a 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2, 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, 1 Gb of memory, and is running on Vista home premium SP1. I want to downgrade from the pre installed version of Vista on the laptop to XP. But that’s just one of the problems I have.

To start, just recently the laptop’s keyboard and the touchpad have been unable to do anything once I’m in Windows Vista, but I can still use a USB mouse and keyboard when I plug them in. Furthermore I can use the laptop’s keyboard when I am in the BIOS, but it doesn’t give me much to do with it. It says its “Phoenix BIOS Setup Utility, stating its BIOS version is F.04, and it has 5 menus that are rather unhelpful in my opinion, as there is nothing in the menu’s that allows me to configure certain devices, such as the keyboard and the touch pad. The only useful thing I can do is under Boot Options
And one other thing, there seems to be this strange occurrence whenever I do a warm boot, shut down the computer, and when I close the laptop when it is running; it will go into this hibernation state, with a black screen, and does nothing.. I have to hold the power button down to turn it off, then unplug the external power supply and/or the battery, then put them back in order to start the computer again, have it go through POST, and then go into Vista. Could this be something with the laptop’s jumper??

So I got to looking at this sticky Vista to XP Downgrade Compaq/ HP F700/G6000/DV6900/DV6700/DVx7xx/DV9800 Series Laptop to see if I can do it with XP. I insert my Windows XP SP2 CD in and wait for it to boot up. I then get the “Press any key to boor from CD...”, so I do so, then I get the “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration” message.. and it just stays there. Tried multiple times and waited for over 40 minutes with nothing but that message.. So I guess my luck with going with XP is gone too as I can’t figure out to bypass this problem.

Other than that I started here looking through HP’s website http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...3441683&dlc=en

I decided if I can’t go to XP, then to just reinstall the drivers for it on Vista. I downloaded the “HP Quick Launch Buttons Version 6.40 B” driver from my computer and transferred the data to the Compaq laptop via a USB flash drive. I first uninstalled the driver already in the device manager, and then installed the newer version of HP Quick Launch Buttons. After that, it prompted me to restart my computer, and I chose to do so. However I had to remove the battery and the external power supply again in order to restart the computer. And to my surprise, it worked once I loaded Vista.

I was quite happy, so I decided to install the drivers for the touchpad too. Got everything installed, and restarted my computer. And then…. Well… same thing like last time; no response with the touchpad..

In fact, my keyboard wasn’t responding either .. UGH!!!

So I went back to reinstall the “HP Quick Launch Buttons Version 6.40 B” driver, and restarted my computer.. Had to do the remove the battery and the external power supply trick again.. However, once I got back into vista, the keyboard for the laptop still didn’t work that “one” time I thought I fixed the problem. The USB keyboard and the USB mouse still worked though.. I tried other various methods but with no avail does the Laptop’s keyboard work; only when in BIOS now (like always).

Finally, I tried installing Ubuntu 8.10 to see if it can do something different. I then designated a partition on the laptop’s hard drive and it runs ok. The mouse and the keyboard doesn’t work but I expected that (I can use the USB mouse and keyboard just fine). But here’s the weird thing too though. Whenever the laptop is in the stage of loading Ubuntu it “hangs” after a couple of seconds on the normal procedure that Ubuntu does to load. Took me a while to figure out, but if I hold down the power button for just about a second it will resume loading. If I don’t, it will just stay at this state, and also if I just tap the power button. It seems that I have to hold down the power button for just over a second and it starts up fine. It only does it when it’s first loading Ubuntu. I’m just giving this information because it may have something to do with the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad problem.

I know I have giving quite a bit of information here, but to sum everything up, I just want to see what I can do with this laptop.. I really want to go with XP, because of the 1 Gb of ram installed, but it doesn’t seem to want to boot the CD up when I start the computer. I could just keep vista on, try to find a useful driver for it, and then upgrade the laptop’s ram to make it more efficient. Or maybe I should go the Ubuntu route, even though I can’t even find any drivers for it on the laptop.

Lrucard · 04-17-2009, 02:19 AM

I'm sorry, after looking a little bit more into my post, I by accidently misspelled the laptop's model and its in the title too.. its a Compaq F759WM and NOT a Compaq F579WM..

and by the way, is there anyone that can help me out a bit?? thanks.

Lrucard · 04-20-2009, 02:52 AM

Alright, after spending several hours the other day finding something to help me out, I found that some people found that wiping out their hard drive with Darik's Boot and Nuke helped them installed Windows XP.

So I gave it a try, erasing the whole hard drive, and tried to boot XP again only to get the same message “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration”, and it just hangs there. I read this Install Windows XP on SATA without a Floppy (F6), but it says to find the drivers for the SATA controller, and I can't even find that..

I also learned that the laptop's hard drive is a Fujitsu MHY2160BS (160GB sata). Any other suggestions that I can do?

Lrucard · 04-27-2009, 07:02 PM

Ok, after doing quite some trouble shooting and processor of elimination, I was finally able to get Windows XP onto THIS laptop. I’m not quite sure if this actually solved it, as I was using a couple of boot options with Windows Ultimate Boot CD and I don’t remember all the things I did, but for some reason XP would go past the “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration” problem if I removed the hard drive.

Now, I don’t understand why it does this, but I had the idea to remove the hard drive and boot from my Windows XP disc and see if it did anything. The only problem with this was it wouldn’t go past POST and the laptop would reboot its self over and over again. So after that I placed the hard drive into the laptop, and screwed the plastic covering back to its position. I rebooted the laptop again, and it went to its standard “Press any key to boor from CD”, and then suddenly it went past “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration”.. It then started loading the setup and I was able to install everything without a hassle; which surprised me.

I then followed this guide again to install all the drivers Vista to XP Downgrade Compaq/ HP F700/G6000/DV6900/DV6700/DVx7xx/DV9800 Series Laptop

Everything has worked fine except the laptop’s keyboard and laptop, which I figured would be problematic anyway. But for this, I have installed the quick launch buttons recommended in the “Vista to XP Downgrade” guide and also HP’s Windows XP Synaptics Touchpad driver for my F759WM. Also, when I going through the install process, where you go through the regional and language options, personalize Windows, and input the product key, I was able to input everything using the laptops keyboard. Now that I have installed everything the keyboard and the touchpad still do not work even after installing the drivers for it

When I went to verify the problem (I went through Add hardware, keyboard properties, and the device manager), I found out it was called Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB. It also says that the Device status is “This device cannot start. (Code 10). Other than that I can’t figure out what to do now.

Anybody have any other suggestions to get this fully operation????

**TriggerFinger** · 04-27-2009, 07:32 PM

So you are now in XP but your keyboard and touchpad do not work. External keyboard and mouse works fine... is this correct?

If you uninstall Synaptics (in Device Manager and in ADD/REMOVE) and reboot (remove external keyboard and mouse), would Windows recognize your internal keyboard and touchpad?

You mentioned you tried Ubuntu, did you install it or just the live CD? Did touchpad and keyboard work well in Linux?

What XP are you using (Home/Pro)? What SP? Is the XP install CD genuine?

Lrucard · 04-27-2009, 08:18 PM

Yes, the USB mouse and USB keyboard work fine, and this is Windows XP professional with SP2. And yes, this is a genuine OEM version of Windows XP professional SP2 that I have installed just today. Just I can't seem to get the laptop's keyboard and touchpad working, even though I have had the laptop's keyboard working when I was installing XP, and that one time when I had Vista home premium SP1 installed.

With Ubuntu, I first installed 8.04, had problems, then uninstalled it and installed Ubuntu 9.04 with better results. However with Ubuntu 9.04 I still couldn't use the laptop's keyboard and touchpad, only the USB mouse and keyboard I plugged into it. I then decided to see if I could give XP another shot, and was able to get it working by removing the hard drive and putting it back in. I have now, with my current install of Windows XP , uninstalled everything and have placed XP on my entire hard drive, so I don't have a duel-boot with Ubuntu with this.

And TriggerFinger I also did what you said too. I uninstall Synaptics with "Add and Remove Programs" in the control panel, but couldn't find anything to uninstall in the device manager. With that I rebooted XP anyway, and still the keyboard doesn't work, even when I removed the external keyboard and mouse.

What else do you think I should do?

**TriggerFinger** · 04-27-2009, 08:30 PM

Let's talk about Ubuntu for a moment... so you installed Ubuntu and not just use the live CD? AFAIK you can boot using Ubuntu CD and it will give you a taste of Ubuntu without having to install it in your hard drive. Have you tried this? If not, try this first and check if your internal keyboard/touchpad works in Ubuntu live CD (DO NOT plug external mouse/keyboard).

Another thing I want to know... can you recall anything that might have caused this (ex. opening the laptop, etc...). If you had it repaired or if you have opened it up, I suggest you open it up again and try to check the keyboard and touchpad connections. Reseat the cables to be sure they are securely seated in their connectors.

In Device Manager, expand mouse and pointing devices. Your touchpad should be one of those listed under that category.

Lrucard · 04-27-2009, 09:37 PM

I have installed both Ubuntu 8.04 and Ubuntu 9.04 PC (Intel x86) desktop CD’s (NOT using the Live CD) on the laptop’s hard drive before I was able to figure out how to get XP installed. Both those two versions of Ubuntu I tried had the same problems with the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad not working, but it did acknowledged my USB keyboard and USB mouse that I put in. I tried with and without the USB keyboard and mouse plug into the laptop with the same result of the laptop’s keyboard and mouse not functioning every time I booted Ubuntu.

Anyway, I’ve tried loading Ubuntu 9.04 (I don’t have Ubuntu 8.04 or image anymore) using the Live CD method you said with the “Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer” option when you Boot from the CD. I still get the same results of the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad not working, and I didn’t have the USB mouse and keyboard into the laptop when I tried this method. Funny thing too I was able to use the arrow keys, function keys and hit enter when Ubuntu gives you a list of options to choose from when you first boot your computer. But when Ubuntu is fully loaded everything seems not to exist haha..

My friend who use to own this laptop says he doesn’t recall anything bad happening to the laptop, just that one day the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad didn’t function when he started Windows Vista one day. With opening the laptop, I am the only one who has opened up a few portions of the bottom of the laptop. The laptop has never been dropped or had something spill onto it. I have tried to fully open it one time, but backed down because it seemed like I was going to tear something apart after I removed all the screws from the bottom of the laptop. It looked like there was something else holding part of the plastic covering that surrounds the keyboard and touchpad, but I couldn’t locate what was holding it and didn’t want to risk finding those screws to dismantle it.

If there was something wrong with keyboard and touchpad’s connections, wouldn’t the keyboard and touchpad not work, thus not being able to us it in the BIOS or those other instances that I was able to use the keyboard??

In the device manager, in “Mice and other pointing devices”, there is a “HID-compliant mouse” driver in there. But that is my USB mouse plug into the laptop, and it disappears when I take it out.

**TriggerFinger** · 04-28-2009, 12:27 AM

Based on the tests that you have done so far, I am more inclined to conclude that you do have a dead/dying keyboard and touchpad (worst case scenario is a bad mobo).

I would definitely open it up and see the connections. A broken cable IMO could cause something like this. Best if you have a spare keyboard that you can try so you will know if it is the mobo or not.

I suggest you open it up if you are willing to go the extra mile. Once opened check the cable connecting the keyboard to the motherboard. The same thing for the touchpad.

Refer to the service manual here: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01295900.pdf

Lrucard · 04-28-2009, 05:49 AM

Thank you for the manual TriggerFinger. It helped me quite a bit.

And guess what?!?

I was able to get the keyboard working after all once Windows XP is loaded, but now the touchpad still doesn’t work.

As a matter of fact, the touchpad is unplugged right now. That’s why it doesn’t work and also the reason why the keyboard works now. I’m not sure what the actual reasoning might be, but it appears to me that the touchpad’s cable being attached to the motherboard’s connector was somehow restraining the keyboard in certain operations. It makes sense (when I had the touchpad plugged in and didn’t realize it was the problem) to why the keyboard would work in BIOS, certain dos like environments and loading screens, but not when the operating system was loaded. It took me a while with some trial and error but I was able to root it as the touch pad. At first, I followed the steps for removing the switch cover and the keyboard to the link you gave me. I didn’t realize that these cables are very thin and are somewhat tedious to put back in if you aren’t careful or precise. Anyway, I checked for anything loose or broken, and it appeared that everything was fine. And I didn’t break anything so that was a relief too.

I unplugged the laptop’s keyboard first and then made way to put the battery back in and restart the laptop. Also, I put the USB mouse back into the laptop just to look in the device manager when Windows XP loaded. For some strange reason the “Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB” device was still recognized in the device manager and had the “This device cannot start. (Code 10).” in its properties. I then shut down the laptop, removed the battery, and plugged the laptop’s keyboard back into its connector. I then did the same thing again; put the USB mouse back in again and restarted Windows. With the same results, the “Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB” device had the same thing in its properties. After that, I then had the keyboard still connected and removed the touchpad’s cable from its connector. And to my surprise, when Windows loaded, I was able to type, use the Windows key, and other stuff as well. The “Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB” device had the “This device is working properly.” when I went into the device manager to check up on what else was happening.

Another thing worthwhile to mention all together is that my “hibernation” quirk is virtually gone now. With the touchpad’s cable not connected to anything, I don’t have to remove the battery and/or unplug the external power supply when I want to do a warm boot, restart the computer, or shut down the laptop. It does everything that it’s supposed to do now when you do these things. I wouldn’t have thought that the touchpad was leading to this problem too.

I have also done a little bit of other checks as well just for the heck of it. I went back and tried Ubuntu 9.04 on live CD, and the keyboard was working well too. I didn’t try reinstalling Ubuntu either, as I am going with Windows XP for now. Another thing I didn’t mention, because I didn’t think it was a big deal, was certain programs wouldn’t run when I used Windows Ultimate Boot CD, when I still had the touchpad’s cable still in its connector. There are too many programs to name, but the ones that would have the “-Initdisk” line would hang when they got to CuteMouse V1.9.1 alpha 1 [FreeDos]. I would have to manually shut down the computer, and reboot the CD again. Now, with the touchpad’s cable unconnected, it continues on when it reaches CuteMouse V1.9.1 alpha 1 [FreeDos], but it also gives an “Error: device not found” message, but nonetheless the program become operational. This additionally proves that there was something wrong with the touchpad and it being connected to the laptop’s motherboard.

So I’m not sure why the touchpad, if indeed it is faulty and broken, would not permit the keyboard to fully function when it is plugged into the motherboard. Any ideas on that???

**TriggerFinger** · 04-28-2009, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lrucard

So I’m not sure why the touchpad, if indeed it is faulty and broken, would not permit the keyboard to fully function when it is plugged into the motherboard. Any ideas on that???

-- From the way you described it, I am thinking of a faulty cable of the touchpad, possibly shorting the keyboard. Or it could be a bad touchpad circuit board. Best way is to get a good/working part in eBay... see link:
http://shop.ebay.com/461872-001?_fro...872-001&_naf=1

Lrucard · 05-01-2009, 12:08 AM

Thanks for doing the ebay search for me. However, I think I can live without the touchpad since the laptop's keyboard was the device I was more worried about. I'll just use the USB mouse I have been using all along or until I finally decide to purchase a new touchpad for it. For the most part, I will agree with you that the touchpad is defective and is beyond my control for repairing. Basically I am very sure that the problem is solved now and there is nothing else to figure out.

And thank you for your input and your links too TriggerFinger. It gave me a little confidence to things I didn’t want to tinker with.

04-16-2009, 02:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	[SOLVED] Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Hi, I’m trying to fix a Compaq F579WM that my friend gave to me, and it has been a handful trying to figure out what to do with it. It has a 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2, 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, 1 Gb of memory, and is running on Vista home premium SP1. I want to downgrade from the pre installed version of Vista on the laptop to XP. But that’s just one of the problems I have. To start, just recently the laptop’s keyboard and the touchpad have been unable to do anything once I’m in Windows Vista, but I can still use a USB mouse and keyboard when I plug them in. Furthermore I can use the laptop’s keyboard when I am in the BIOS, but it doesn’t give me much to do with it. It says its “Phoenix BIOS Setup Utility, stating its BIOS version is F.04, and it has 5 menus that are rather unhelpful in my opinion, as there is nothing in the menu’s that allows me to configure certain devices, such as the keyboard and the touch pad. The only useful thing I can do is under Boot Options And one other thing, there seems to be this strange occurrence whenever I do a warm boot, shut down the computer, and when I close the laptop when it is running; it will go into this hibernation state, with a black screen, and does nothing.. I have to hold the power button down to turn it off, then unplug the external power supply and/or the battery, then put them back in order to start the computer again, have it go through POST, and then go into Vista. Could this be something with the laptop’s jumper?? So I got to looking at this sticky Vista to XP Downgrade Compaq/ HP F700/G6000/DV6900/DV6700/DVx7xx/DV9800 Series Laptop to see if I can do it with XP. I insert my Windows XP SP2 CD in and wait for it to boot up. I then get the “Press any key to boor from CD...”, so I do so, then I get the “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration” message.. and it just stays there. Tried multiple times and waited for over 40 minutes with nothing but that message.. So I guess my luck with going with XP is gone too as I can’t figure out to bypass this problem. Other than that I started here looking through HP’s website http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...3441683&dlc=en I decided if I can’t go to XP, then to just reinstall the drivers for it on Vista. I downloaded the “HP Quick Launch Buttons Version 6.40 B” driver from my computer and transferred the data to the Compaq laptop via a USB flash drive. I first uninstalled the driver already in the device manager, and then installed the newer version of HP Quick Launch Buttons. After that, it prompted me to restart my computer, and I chose to do so. However I had to remove the battery and the external power supply again in order to restart the computer. And to my surprise, it worked once I loaded Vista. I was quite happy, so I decided to install the drivers for the touchpad too. Got everything installed, and restarted my computer. And then…. Well… same thing like last time; no response with the touchpad.. In fact, my keyboard wasn’t responding either .. UGH!!! So I went back to reinstall the “HP Quick Launch Buttons Version 6.40 B” driver, and restarted my computer.. Had to do the remove the battery and the external power supply trick again.. However, once I got back into vista, the keyboard for the laptop still didn’t work that “one” time I thought I fixed the problem. The USB keyboard and the USB mouse still worked though.. I tried other various methods but with no avail does the Laptop’s keyboard work; only when in BIOS now (like always). Finally, I tried installing Ubuntu 8.10 to see if it can do something different. I then designated a partition on the laptop’s hard drive and it runs ok. The mouse and the keyboard doesn’t work but I expected that (I can use the USB mouse and keyboard just fine). But here’s the weird thing too though. Whenever the laptop is in the stage of loading Ubuntu it “hangs” after a couple of seconds on the normal procedure that Ubuntu does to load. Took me a while to figure out, but if I hold down the power button for just about a second it will resume loading. If I don’t, it will just stay at this state, and also if I just tap the power button. It seems that I have to hold down the power button for just over a second and it starts up fine. It only does it when it’s first loading Ubuntu. I’m just giving this information because it may have something to do with the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad problem. I know I have giving quite a bit of information here, but to sum everything up, I just want to see what I can do with this laptop.. I really want to go with XP, because of the 1 Gb of ram installed, but it doesn’t seem to want to boot the CD up when I start the computer. I could just keep vista on, try to find a useful driver for it, and then upgrade the laptop’s ram to make it more efficient. Or maybe I should go the Ubuntu route, even though I can’t even find any drivers for it on the laptop.

04-17-2009, 02:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems I'm sorry, after looking a little bit more into my post, I by accidently misspelled the laptop's model and its in the title too.. its a Compaq F759WM and NOT a Compaq F579WM.. and by the way, is there anyone that can help me out a bit?? thanks.

04-20-2009, 02:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Alright, after spending several hours the other day finding something to help me out, I found that some people found that wiping out their hard drive with Darik's Boot and Nuke helped them installed Windows XP. So I gave it a try, erasing the whole hard drive, and tried to boot XP again only to get the same message “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration”, and it just hangs there. I read this Install Windows XP on SATA without a Floppy (F6), but it says to find the drivers for the SATA controller, and I can't even find that.. I also learned that the laptop's hard drive is a Fujitsu MHY2160BS (160GB sata). Any other suggestions that I can do?

04-27-2009, 07:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Ok, after doing quite some trouble shooting and processor of elimination, I was finally able to get Windows XP onto THIS laptop. I’m not quite sure if this actually solved it, as I was using a couple of boot options with Windows Ultimate Boot CD and I don’t remember all the things I did, but for some reason XP would go past the “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration” problem if I removed the hard drive. Now, I don’t understand why it does this, but I had the idea to remove the hard drive and boot from my Windows XP disc and see if it did anything. The only problem with this was it wouldn’t go past POST and the laptop would reboot its self over and over again. So after that I placed the hard drive into the laptop, and screwed the plastic covering back to its position. I rebooted the laptop again, and it went to its standard “Press any key to boor from CD”, and then suddenly it went past “setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration”.. It then started loading the setup and I was able to install everything without a hassle; which surprised me. I then followed this guide again to install all the drivers Vista to XP Downgrade Compaq/ HP F700/G6000/DV6900/DV6700/DVx7xx/DV9800 Series Laptop Everything has worked fine except the laptop’s keyboard and laptop, which I figured would be problematic anyway. But for this, I have installed the quick launch buttons recommended in the “Vista to XP Downgrade” guide and also HP’s Windows XP Synaptics Touchpad driver for my F759WM. Also, when I going through the install process, where you go through the regional and language options, personalize Windows, and input the product key, I was able to input everything using the laptops keyboard. Now that I have installed everything the keyboard and the touchpad still do not work even after installing the drivers for it When I went to verify the problem (I went through Add hardware, keyboard properties, and the device manager), I found out it was called Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB. It also says that the Device status is “This device cannot start. (Code 10). Other than that I can’t figure out what to do now. Anybody have any other suggestions to get this fully operation????

04-27-2009, 07:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems So you are now in XP but your keyboard and touchpad do not work. External keyboard and mouse works fine... is this correct? If you uninstall Synaptics (in Device Manager and in ADD/REMOVE) and reboot (remove external keyboard and mouse), would Windows recognize your internal keyboard and touchpad? You mentioned you tried Ubuntu, did you install it or just the live CD? Did touchpad and keyboard work well in Linux? What XP are you using (Home/Pro)? What SP? Is the XP install CD genuine? __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-27-2009, 08:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Yes, the USB mouse and USB keyboard work fine, and this is Windows XP professional with SP2. And yes, this is a genuine OEM version of Windows XP professional SP2 that I have installed just today. Just I can't seem to get the laptop's keyboard and touchpad working, even though I have had the laptop's keyboard working when I was installing XP, and that one time when I had Vista home premium SP1 installed. With Ubuntu, I first installed 8.04, had problems, then uninstalled it and installed Ubuntu 9.04 with better results. However with Ubuntu 9.04 I still couldn't use the laptop's keyboard and touchpad, only the USB mouse and keyboard I plugged into it. I then decided to see if I could give XP another shot, and was able to get it working by removing the hard drive and putting it back in. I have now, with my current install of Windows XP , uninstalled everything and have placed XP on my entire hard drive, so I don't have a duel-boot with Ubuntu with this. And TriggerFinger I also did what you said too. I uninstall Synaptics with "Add and Remove Programs" in the control panel, but couldn't find anything to uninstall in the device manager. With that I rebooted XP anyway, and still the keyboard doesn't work, even when I removed the external keyboard and mouse. What else do you think I should do?

04-27-2009, 08:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Let's talk about Ubuntu for a moment... so you installed Ubuntu and not just use the live CD? AFAIK you can boot using Ubuntu CD and it will give you a taste of Ubuntu without having to install it in your hard drive. Have you tried this? If not, try this first and check if your internal keyboard/touchpad works in Ubuntu live CD (DO NOT plug external mouse/keyboard). Another thing I want to know... can you recall anything that might have caused this (ex. opening the laptop, etc...). If you had it repaired or if you have opened it up, I suggest you open it up again and try to check the keyboard and touchpad connections. Reseat the cables to be sure they are securely seated in their connectors. In Device Manager, expand mouse and pointing devices. Your touchpad should be one of those listed under that category. __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-27-2009, 09:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems I have installed both Ubuntu 8.04 and Ubuntu 9.04 PC (Intel x86) desktop CD’s (NOT using the Live CD) on the laptop’s hard drive before I was able to figure out how to get XP installed. Both those two versions of Ubuntu I tried had the same problems with the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad not working, but it did acknowledged my USB keyboard and USB mouse that I put in. I tried with and without the USB keyboard and mouse plug into the laptop with the same result of the laptop’s keyboard and mouse not functioning every time I booted Ubuntu. Anyway, I’ve tried loading Ubuntu 9.04 (I don’t have Ubuntu 8.04 or image anymore) using the Live CD method you said with the “Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer” option when you Boot from the CD. I still get the same results of the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad not working, and I didn’t have the USB mouse and keyboard into the laptop when I tried this method. Funny thing too I was able to use the arrow keys, function keys and hit enter when Ubuntu gives you a list of options to choose from when you first boot your computer. But when Ubuntu is fully loaded everything seems not to exist haha.. My friend who use to own this laptop says he doesn’t recall anything bad happening to the laptop, just that one day the laptop’s keyboard and touchpad didn’t function when he started Windows Vista one day. With opening the laptop, I am the only one who has opened up a few portions of the bottom of the laptop. The laptop has never been dropped or had something spill onto it. I have tried to fully open it one time, but backed down because it seemed like I was going to tear something apart after I removed all the screws from the bottom of the laptop. It looked like there was something else holding part of the plastic covering that surrounds the keyboard and touchpad, but I couldn’t locate what was holding it and didn’t want to risk finding those screws to dismantle it. If there was something wrong with keyboard and touchpad’s connections, wouldn’t the keyboard and touchpad not work, thus not being able to us it in the BIOS or those other instances that I was able to use the keyboard?? In the device manager, in “Mice and other pointing devices”, there is a “HID-compliant mouse” driver in there. But that is my USB mouse plug into the laptop, and it disappears when I take it out.

04-28-2009, 12:27 AM	#9 (permalink)
TriggerFinger Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: USA Posts: 11,826 OS: Vista SP1, XP SP3, PCLinuxOS2007	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Based on the tests that you have done so far, I am more inclined to conclude that you do have a dead/dying keyboard and touchpad (worst case scenario is a bad mobo). I would definitely open it up and see the connections. A broken cable IMO could cause something like this. Best if you have a spare keyboard that you can try so you will know if it is the mobo or not. I suggest you open it up if you are willing to go the extra mile. Once opened check the cable connecting the keyboard to the motherboard. The same thing for the touchpad. Refer to the service manual here: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01295900.pdf __________________ DBAN - Memtest86+ - BartPE - Linux LiveCD - ImgBurn - HDD Diags - Disk Copy HOW TO BURN AN ISO FILE

04-28-2009, 05:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Thank you for the manual TriggerFinger. It helped me quite a bit. And guess what?!? I was able to get the keyboard working after all once Windows XP is loaded, but now the touchpad still doesn’t work. As a matter of fact, the touchpad is unplugged right now. That’s why it doesn’t work and also the reason why the keyboard works now. I’m not sure what the actual reasoning might be, but it appears to me that the touchpad’s cable being attached to the motherboard’s connector was somehow restraining the keyboard in certain operations. It makes sense (when I had the touchpad plugged in and didn’t realize it was the problem) to why the keyboard would work in BIOS, certain dos like environments and loading screens, but not when the operating system was loaded. It took me a while with some trial and error but I was able to root it as the touch pad. At first, I followed the steps for removing the switch cover and the keyboard to the link you gave me. I didn’t realize that these cables are very thin and are somewhat tedious to put back in if you aren’t careful or precise. Anyway, I checked for anything loose or broken, and it appeared that everything was fine. And I didn’t break anything so that was a relief too. I unplugged the laptop’s keyboard first and then made way to put the battery back in and restart the laptop. Also, I put the USB mouse back into the laptop just to look in the device manager when Windows XP loaded. For some strange reason the “Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB” device was still recognized in the device manager and had the “This device cannot start. (Code 10).” in its properties. I then shut down the laptop, removed the battery, and plugged the laptop’s keyboard back into its connector. I then did the same thing again; put the USB mouse back in again and restarted Windows. With the same results, the “Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB” device had the same thing in its properties. After that, I then had the keyboard still connected and removed the touchpad’s cable from its connector. And to my surprise, when Windows loaded, I was able to type, use the Windows key, and other stuff as well. The “Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 keyboard with HP QLB” device had the “This device is working properly.” when I went into the device manager to check up on what else was happening. Another thing worthwhile to mention all together is that my “hibernation” quirk is virtually gone now. With the touchpad’s cable not connected to anything, I don’t have to remove the battery and/or unplug the external power supply when I want to do a warm boot, restart the computer, or shut down the laptop. It does everything that it’s supposed to do now when you do these things. I wouldn’t have thought that the touchpad was leading to this problem too. I have also done a little bit of other checks as well just for the heck of it. I went back and tried Ubuntu 9.04 on live CD, and the keyboard was working well too. I didn’t try reinstalling Ubuntu either, as I am going with Windows XP for now. Another thing I didn’t mention, because I didn’t think it was a big deal, was certain programs wouldn’t run when I used Windows Ultimate Boot CD, when I still had the touchpad’s cable still in its connector. There are too many programs to name, but the ones that would have the “-Initdisk” line would hang when they got to CuteMouse V1.9.1 alpha 1 [FreeDos]. I would have to manually shut down the computer, and reboot the CD again. Now, with the touchpad’s cable unconnected, it continues on when it reaches CuteMouse V1.9.1 alpha 1 [FreeDos], but it also gives an “Error: device not found” message, but nonetheless the program become operational. This additionally proves that there was something wrong with the touchpad and it being connected to the laptop’s motherboard. So I’m not sure why the touchpad, if indeed it is faulty and broken, would not permit the keyboard to fully function when it is plugged into the motherboard. Any ideas on that???

05-01-2009, 12:08 AM	#12 (permalink)
Lrucard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 8 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq F579WM keyboard, touchpad, XP problems Thanks for doing the ebay search for me. However, I think I can live without the touchpad since the laptop's keyboard was the device I was more worried about. I'll just use the USB mouse I have been using all along or until I finally decide to purchase a new touchpad for it. For the most part, I will agree with you that the touchpad is defective and is beyond my control for repairing. Basically I am very sure that the problem is solved now and there is nothing else to figure out. And thank you for your input and your links too TriggerFinger. It gave me a little confidence to things I didn’t want to tinker with.