I've had my HP Pavilion DV9000 laptop for a year now, and apart from a persistent (and slightly annoying) overheating issue, I've been very pleased with this machine.

Recently, however, the touch-sensitive media control strip along the top of the keyboard has begun to malfunction. The sound toggle and volume control sections of the backlit strip turn off, flicker, change color (red and blue) and otherwise stop working.

To make things even worse (or more interesting) such errors like the light flicker seem to be tied in to my typing on the keyboard, especially around the wasd area (left and lower side).

I'm figuring this to be some sort of shorting circuit or the like? It's odd... sometimes I can fix the error by randomly tapping along the left side keys. Now it seems to be stuck with the entire strip non-responsive, and both blue and red LEDs behind the sound toggle turned on.

If anyone could suggest a solution? It's that or I'm debating just taking the laptop in for a repair run.

If the thing is still under warranty, then you should have it repaired by an official HP representative.

Other than that, you could try removing the keyboard and making sure that the keyboard cable is making good connection.

(Also, you haven't poured something in the lappy, have you?)

I've been meticulous in keeping my laptop clean, though I cant rule out the occasional crumb or piece of dust getting in there. No fluids come near my computer!

So far as warranty, I've got a 3 year full-replacement thing going, the problem is the store I bought this from is up in Canada, and I'm down here in Iowa, USA.

Any idea of what a repair like that might run? General open 'er up, clean 'er out, fix a faulty connection.

HP warranty is worldwide. Just call up your local HP support site. (That is unless the "full replacement" is offered b the shop and not HP itself).

Nodsu, the warranty for pavilion series is not worldwide.

http://h40059.www4.hp.com/warranty/information/faq.php#2

They may complain if you have a laptop out of the region a la north american model in europe, but they will still repair it if you are persistent enough.

I've this problem,too