Sony VAIO VGN-FW11E touch pad stopped working.

I bought my Sony VAIO VGN-FW11E at the beginning of January and have been very happy with it. A notebook that has very similar specs to macbook pro at half the price! Wicked.

A week ago the touch pad stopped working . Only a USB mouse will keep the cursor alive. I'm posting this because I couldn't find any relevant info on any forums or online sony support centres and hope this might aid others in the same situation.

If your Sony VAIO touch pad doesn't work there are steps to take to find out exactly where the problem lies...

It might be static electric interference try...

1. Shut down
2. Unplug adapter
3. Remove battery
4. Hold down the power button for 1-2 minutes
5. Insert battery
6. Power on, test.

Still under warranty Sony phone support were however quite helpful and efficient, this is what they told me...

1. Uninstall the touch pad driver in device manager. Restart when prompted. Start-up should detect the mouse pad and reinstall driver automatically. (Still doesn't work? It's not the driver)
2. Start-->Programs-->Accessories-->System Tools-->System Restore. Restore computer state to a date when the touch pad was still working. (Still doesn't work? It's not a Windows update or new program install that caused the problem)
3. Before the final step, BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP!!!!! Shut down the comp, switch on press F10 repeatedly, select recover data onto dvd or external hard drive, depending on how much personal data you have accumulated.
4. Once you've backed up everything select reinstalling option on the same screen from hitting F10 on start up, this will bring your laptop to original factory settings (You will lose all newly installed programs and personal data, that's why it's imperative to BACK UP).

If the final stage doesn't fix the touch pad then it's most likely a hardware default and you need to order replacement through Sony. Bugger. This is where I am now. Done all that, still doesn't work. I'm calling them today to organise a pick up. Irritating stuff.

I guess I was unlucky with a faulty laptop. Spoke to an IT guy at my work, he reckons if a new laptop (any make) is without problems in the first few months, it will tend to last.

For those outside the warranty, options are a wireless external usb mouse, or contact the manufacturer on cost for replacement.

I look forward to another new Sony VAIO VGN-FW11E hopefully without ANY hardware/software issues. HA! We'll see...

 

I've encountered the same problem as you. My touch pad was working fine the day I bought my laptop. Then after two days, I noticed that it stopped working. I thought that maybe it was because I was using a USB mouse. So I disconnected the mouse and restarted but the touch pad still wasn't working. I then checked the setting in the Vaio Control Center to make sure that the touch pad was enabled, the check box had a check next to Enabled. After that, I reinstalled the touch pad driver and restarted. Still not working... So then I went to the Device Manager and saw that the touch pad wasn't even being recognized by the system - not even an Unknown Device message. At this point I did the last resort which was back up my data and do a full system restore. Even after the full system restore, my touch pad was not working. I was so frustrated with wasting so much time trying to fix it only to find out that it's a hardware problem. Now I need to coordinate with support to get my 2 day old laptop fixed. On a side note, it seems like there's a lot of heat coming from the right side of the touch pad where the hard drive is - enough that it makes it uncomfortable to rest my palm there for an extended period of time. Do you think that this might have something to do with my touch pad not working?

 

I don't think there's a connection between the touch pad and overheating on the panel, as the hard drive and fan are about the only moving parts inside a laptop. They're the ones that cause the laptop cover to get hot.
My friend who works for Sony told me 'not' to get an FW as they're prone to overheating, I think I forgot her advice when I bought mine at a Sony centre. d'uh. Otherwise I still love using it and still 'want' to use it, does the job for me. Sometimes it's just bad luck getting a faulty comp. I haven't sent my laptop in yet because I need it for the next few weeks but I am going to specifically request a replacement laptop.

Make sure you tell Sony support guys exactly what is wrong with your laptop, so you can get the problem resolved (be it, repair or replacement). We're both under warranty so it's all good, the whole experience is just time consuming aggravation.