CF-19 Mk6&MK7 Touchscreen issue

Hello Everyone,

I am new here, so please take it easy .

I am having a huge issue at my current work place that is affecting our MK6 and Mk7 Panasonic CF-19 touchscreens. We are running Windows 7 64 bit with a custom image.

What we are seeing is the touchscreens are getting disabled somehow and our techs cannot use the touchscreen or capture signatures. The touch pad and left/right clicks work fine. What the kicker is - sometimes a few days later the touchscreen will work, then break again.

We have added the laptops to different OU's in AD that affect different GPO's. We have even taken it out of all AD groups and the issue happens again.

We have checked the bios and everything is turned on correctly, we have also updated the bios. All the drivers are up to date and have been reinstalled numerous times.

We have reached out to Panasonic and they confirmed its nothing hardware - so they will not help with this issue. We have almost 800 units in the field and it's getting worse.

All this started 3 months ago and is getting worse.

Any ideas? If anyone can help i do what is needed to assist.

thanks

geoff

 

It's a very interesting problem. Especially for you, I understand
At first, you can try to localize it taking the machine with non-working (this day) touchscreen and booting it to Linux. If the touchscreen doesn't work there - I think it's a hardware problem despite of Panasonic service claims.
Also you can swap hdd caddies between 1 working and 1 non-working machines.
Try to switch Boot Mode parameter in BIOS to Compatible if it's Fast now. Legacy USB Support to Enabled (why not).
Is there any hardware (including USB) your colleagues use with these toughbooks? Maybe there is a conflict too.
Is touchscreen mode in Auto (BIOS)?
Also, when the problem arises, try to power off the toughbook, remove AC power, remove battery, press and hold power switch for 20-30 seconds. Power on, test.
Waiting for your answers.
P.S. I have to say I already like your work )

 

hmmm ...
perhaps it is a case of broken/intermittent cabling between the top and bottom .
have any of the units failed permanently ?

 

Hello - thanks for the reply's.

We have tried everything under the sun. Everything is set correctly in BIOS. I do not have the option boot into Linux.

This issue happens as well in the Bios. We have tried switching hard drives and the issue starts up after 2-3 days.

I dont think it's hardware because now it's affecting two different MK's in the field (MK6 and MK7).

Anything in group policy? Does anyone know is there is a shortcut key to turn off/on the touch screen?

We do have Getac's in the field and this is happening to them as well, good thing about them is they can hit FN + f8 and it will turn the touchscreen back on.

Thanks

 

Ok. Have you tried to disable and enable touchscreen device in windows device manager? Does it help? Is power management disabled for the touchscreen device in windows?

 

i have tried both disabling and re enabling- same issue. I did check the power management and it is greyed out and unchecked.

 

So re enabling doesn't enable it when it doesn't work? What version of the driver (touchscreen) do you use?

 

if you have two different makes of comps (not just models from the same manufacturer) , then i would suspicion :
a program issue that is causing the problem (a clue is being able to turn it back on in the getac)
operator/pilot error

if you have a spare machine or two available and to eliminate possibilities ...
run one without any hardware connected to it , sitting next to the machine that is actually in service at the time .
(a control machine scenario)

environment :
you have not mentioned what the comps are used for ...
i was/am a broadcast engineer and high rf fields play hob with some comps ... uuuggghhh

the odd part here is that it does not happen immediately but rather "after a couple of days" .
does the touchscreen fail while in use ?
is data off/downloaded/uploaded from/to the machine every few days ?

the factors known/involved (so far) point to an external issue , perhaps caused by data transfer triggering the event .

 

Correct - sometimes it will work but within 10 min it turns off.

Driver version we are using is from Panasonic's site.

Version 1.0.0.9

 

We have tried the 2 different device option and they both fail while sitting beside each other.

The weird thing is - we have almost 800 of the MK6/MK7 units in the field and not all of them are doing it... yes

The touch will just fail during use, we have noticed at the log in screen.. the touchscreen works... but the touch pad doesn't... when we log in they flip flp... the touch screen doest work and the touch pad does

 

that is narrowing it down a bit .
i did not see this mentioned ... first cup of coffee ...
have you checked for an updated bios version ?
(i would hazard you have)

by "log in" , i take it you mean logging onto/into the machine and not a *company* program ...
have you tried eliminating the "log on screen" (ie : fire up the comp and it takes you right to the desktop) .
this is also true for the "lock lout" of the machine after a certain period of inactivity ... turn this function off .

 

All the laptops have our custom image so it authenticates to a log in screen.

As for the bios... we have updated to the newest and greatest - same issue

 

Try to uncheck this "Allow to turn off box".
If you can't do that - try to fix it in registry
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/allow-computer-turn-device-save-power
A value of 0 allows the computer to turn off power to the device. A value of 24 (decimal, not hex) disables the computer's ability to control the device's power.

Can't add image, trying...

 

These boxes are both unchecked.. sorry if i said different in the adove string.

 

So try to check it (on) and test

 

the first one

 

Good morning, try this test now, will update soon.

 

same issues

 

Is it possible to make one caddy+hdd with clean Windows+drivers and test that config on 1-2-3 laptops that have the problem?

 

I will give this a try... I did want to update everyone... doing more and more research i was able to come across this forum - https://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/43561-touch-screen-enable-disable-touch-finger.html

After testing, i am able to break and fix for the current user - when trying to break it for the machine - it only breaks the control alt delete screen.

So i think i am onto something, but cannot replicate the break/fix for the entire machine, only the current user.

Thanks

 

Try to set USB selective suspend setting to Disabled

 

They are both already disabled.

 

heh ...
enable or disable the touch screen by touching a portion of the touch screen ... now there is some good design engineering ...
kinda like a parachute that opens on impact .

at least you have a fix to get you by with until you can make a global fix .

 

It's a very interesting problem. I would like to touch it myself. Don't know how to do that

 

I know this may seem a bit obvious, but did you try to put the registry fix under HKLM instead of HKCU?

 

Yea.. weird thing is i can break the control alt delete screen under the machine but not the user.

I just wish i could find an exact - yes this turns it off and this turns it on for the whole machine instead of a each user.

 

http://joequery.me/guides/windows-8-toggle-touch-screen/
After you get batch file you can go to Control panel - tablet settings (don't remember exactly) and point one of the tablet buttons (Enter, for example) to run that .bat file

 

Hello!

Touching base... i have tried everything you guys suggested and we are still having issues. If i could just figure out what is turning off the touchscreen i could work with the admins to run a script to turn it back on during startup.

 

Hello everyone!!! I am baaaaaack!

This issue is still happening... since our discussion we have been sending the bad unit to the Panasonic repair facility for replacement touchscreens. This seemed to be working, but now the ones we have gotten back that were replaced are showing the same issues as before!!!!

This rules out hardware, so back to the drawling board for something with policy.. windows updates... anything!! something is disabling this function and turning it off. As mentioned above, we do have Getac laptops as well and when they call in stating the touchscreen is off... we have them use the hot key FN+F8 to turn back on.

Any suggestions or help would be great... Panasonic is saying its not on their end, so again, we are forced to figure this out.

Thanks Everyone!

 

So what's a problem? Just add shortcut to your startup folder.
Something like this
C:\devcon64\devcon.exe restart *VID_XXXX&PID_XXXX*
And your device will be disabled and enabled again.
It's my way to fix gobi modems which sometimes don't want to wake up after sleep mode
You can also bind this action to one of your tablet buttons (Enter, for example).

Do you have sysadmin vacancy?

 

The problem is the script does not work... it worked a few times and does not resolve the issue.

Something is turning this touchscreen off.. then after a few days it starts working. We will hotswap the device from the field and re image it, works fine until it goes back out into the field for a week, month, many months.

I worked wit Microsoft and ran procmon... nothing came out of it.

My head is almost flat from running into a wall here...