Fujitsu Siemens V6535 woes

[Kitten Kong]

Hi everyone, I have a FJ V6535 on the bench, which is making me tear my hair out.

Laptop initially came in with password reset, which was simple enough to complete.

However when attempting to login to the clients profile, the keyboard fails to function.

Any and all of the Function keys work, prior to windows being started. ie F8, F12, del etc. However if on tapping f8, you try to enter safe mode, the keyboard then fails to work.

None of the arrow keys work, tab fails..

Tried an external usb keyboard, same thing. So it cannot be the keyboard at fault.

Booted up into a live linux enviroment, and everything working perfectly.

Removed the keyboard, and reset it, just in case it was loose, and the same occurs.

I have tried doing a n&p, and ever cd loaded shows right after the Starting Windows logo screen it gets stuck at a Dos terminal.
Within the Dos terminal it says: X:\windows\system32>
The window itself is titled Administrator: X:\windows\system32\cmd.exe

Never having come across this error before, bit of google sense brings up the following possible fix.

Try to get into Command prompt of the Repair section of your installation disk and run those commands: (each individually and followed by Enter)

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk n (where n is the number that was given for your HDD in List disk)
Clean
Create partition primary
Format fs=ntfs quick
Active
Exit

So load up my dart disc for 7, get to cmd prompt, try typing in the above
First letter d, brings up ^d i = 0409 s = nada, c = <carriage return>

External keyboard fails to work in the dos enviroment.

There are zero recovery points.
SFC shows 0 errors.
Hard drive has been through gsmart control, both quick and extended tests, and shows no errors.

Can anyone please shed some light, or possible clues, as I am 100% stuck in the sand.

Thanks all

 

[joydivision]

Just for amusement more than anything else have you tried with a different hard drive? If you've done a N&P I am stumped as that would solve any driver issues.

I think this laptop is an early Halloween gift for you. It is haunted. I don't know enough about how the Windows kernel works but I wonder if there is a difference in terms of hardware in the way that the IO is handled in DOS and within Windows? (trying to eliminate a bizarre motherboard fault) but then USB should still work. There is no silly sort of keyboard switch on the laptop is there [never seen one but you ever know]?

What does the USB keyboard do if the internal keyboard is not plugged in?

 

[Kitten Kong]

I've not tried another drive Ian. Thats next on the list.

I can't do the nuke, as it doesnt even allow me to get that far.

 

[Kitten Kong]

Swapped the drives over, attempted to load windows, same thing occurs.

Removed the keyboard, and plugged in the usb keyboard, pc fails to recognise the usb keyboard. IE no f keys work.

I think your right Ian, this laptop is haunted..

 

[KompuKare]

Still sounds like a bad keyboard driver (and the problems with install CDs/DVDs are merely coincidental) or UpperFilter.

Obviously you're conscientious and have made an image, so it might be possible to get windows to use the old backup registry - don't think you'd need the SAM (which would bring the password back). There should be a copy in C:\Windows\System32\config.

Or check if in \Windows\System32\Drivers the for keyboard (kbdhid.sys, kbdclass.sys, i8042prt.sys and possible others) are MS ones or if Fujitsu have their own. Of course if it has a custom keyboard driver (hauntedkbd.sys?) and the registry is pointing to that it may be hard (impossible?) to get Windows to use the generic if you can't actually log in.

 

[joydivision]

Nige has already tried to reinstall though. As I understand the problem occurs well before he loads Windows .

 

[tek9]

Did you try to toggle the Fn key with whatever hotkey makes it change to the number keypad or such? It might be changing to that automatically when windows loads.
Just throwing this out there because nothing else comes to mind.

 

[KompuKare]

Nige has already tried to reinstall though. As I understand the problem occurs well before he loads Windows .

Yes, that's what I meant by coincidental though!

As in, the current Windows is borked up because of driver/upperfilter, while due to some crazy BIOS settings on this FS laptop the install media can't cope...

I mean, this is assuming the owner had actually been able to use the laptop the last few years (looked it up, it's from 2009).

 

[Kitten Kong]

@ tek9 - It isnt the Fn toggle key, as now only some of the Fn keys work.

I.e, Esc works (Diag) - From here, nothing else works.
F2 (enter bios) - nada
F8 - nada
F12 (boot options) - works, but arrow keys fail to work. Luckily set to boot from cd.

External kb, nothing works what so ever, either with orginal kb plugged, or unplugged.

@ Kmopucare - Image and data backup successful.
I cannot see it being the upper filters, as it does boot up to a live linux cd, and the dart disc. ANY windows os disc I have brings up the errors on the op.

Ext dvdrw not possible to attempt, as cannot get it to become first bootable device.

Last thing to attempt is a replacement kb. Spoken to the client, and they don't want to proceed any further, just have a copy of their data on a cd, and they are going to write the laptop off.

Edit: @ kompu - looking through the drive yesterday, it appears that the last time the laptop was used was in Jul '13. So between then and now, something has gone amiss.

Tried to clear the bios, by removing the battery, and power up. Still nada.

Putting this one down to a learning experience..