Brightness key not working.

[rustedmetal]

If i have installed all the drivers in the world....i think; then what do i need to have the FN + brightness key doing what they are supposed to do? Other combinations work and the keyboard works perfectly outside of the matter in question so.....do i need more drivers?

 

[Barman58]

Toshiba have a number of laptop devices that they have decided not to support for use with Windows 10, these are systems that started out with Windows 7 as the OS they state that they do not support the drivers for these laptops for windows 10.
I expect that their decision on the older devices that shipped with Vista will be unlikely to have any support for drivers at all.

This is one post on Microsoft Answers that gives a little more detail ...

Redirecting

 

[wither 3]

Are you using the F6 and F7 keys with the FN to change brightness?

Also, when do you need to change the brightness?

 

[rustedmetal]

Toshiba have a number of laptop devices that they have decided not to support for use with Windows 10, these are systems that started out with Windows 7 as the OS they state that they do not support the drivers for these laptops for windows 10.
I expect that their decision on the older devices that shipped with Vista will be unlikely to have any support for drivers at all.

This is one post on Microsoft Answers that gives a little more detail ...

Redirecting

Hi, Barman58. Thanks for trying to help but i failed to mention that the machine in question is a Vista Viao.

 

[rustedmetal]

Are you using the F6 and F7 keys with the FN to change brightness?

Also, when do you need to change the brightness?

Well, in this case is F5 and F6 + FN. I can change the brightness through the System settings but what i'm hoping to accomplish is to do it through keys. Basically i want this laptop to run like new. I know it can be an unnecessary hassle for some but for me it's a project.

 

[Barman58]

My bad, I assumed that we were discussing the laptop in your Specs ....

Of course the support for Vista era hardware drivers is being cut back, if not already ceased, so it could be that the VIAO drivers have also been stopped from Windows 10 development, although I have found that Sony and Dell have amongst the longest service periods for their hardware.

It may be checking with SONY support for a specific answer to driver status for the actual device

 

[lmacri]

Hi rustedmetal:

The instructions in the Sony support article Adjust the Screen Brightness on a VAIO Notebook Computer suggest that Fn + F5/F6 keys to adjust the brightness may not work unless the VAIO Event Service is started automatically at boot-up.

You didn't tell us the model of your Sony VAIO so I don't know if the instructions in that 2019 support article apply to your older model VAIO machine, but if you've recently reinstalled your Vista OS and the VIAO Event Service doesn't appear in your list of Windows services then it's possible you've removed some proprietary Sony software that was installed at the factory and is required for usage of some Fn key functions.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[rustedmetal]

Hi rustedmetal:

The instructions in the Sony support article Adjust the Screen Brightness on a VAIO Notebook Computer suggest that Fn + F5/F6 keys to adjust the brightness may not work unless the VAIO Event Service is started automatically at boot-up.

You didn't tell us the model of your Sony VAIO so I don't know if the instructions in that 2019 support article apply to your older model VAIO machine, but if you've recently reinstalled your Vista OS and the VIAO Event Service doesn't appear in your list of Windows services then it's possible you've removed some proprietary Sony software that was installed at the factory and is required for usage of some Fn key functions.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

My copy of Vista came without Sony drivers so every Sony driver i had to download through sites like Snappy Driver and Driver Talent. I had tried this method before through the Sony site but noticed that the Viao Event Service wasn't there. My model is a VGN CR220e, all the drivers in the sony site are for Win7. I don't think they will work on Vista.

 

[rustedmetal]

My bad, I assumed that we were discussing the laptop in your Specs ....

Of course the support for Vista era hardware drivers is being cut back, if not already ceased, so it could be that the VIAO drivers have also been stopped from Windows 10 development, although I have found that Sony and Dell have amongst the longest service periods for their hardware.

It may be checking with SONY support for a specific answer to driver status for the actual device

I already tried researching about this and what i found is that, this is coming from the Sony themselves through their site, i would have to call Best Buy to install any Sony drivers. That is assuming that BestBuy still has that service.

 

[lmacri]

My copy of Vista came without Sony drivers so every Sony driver i had to download through sites like Snappy Driver and Driver Talent. I had tried this method before through the Sony site but noticed that the Viao Event Service wasn't there. My model is a VGN CR220e, all the drivers in the sony site are for Win7. I don't think they will work on Vista.

Hi rustedmetal:

The Sony support article The Special Buttons, Function Keys or Hot Keys on the Computer or Keyboard Do Not Operate Properly has instructions for reinstalling the Sony Event Service, but as you noted in post # 8, the Downloads page for the VGN-CR200e at https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/vgn-series-vgncr200-series/vgn-cr220e/downloads only offers the Win 7 version of this software. I'm afraid I don't know where to find a Vista-compatible version of the Sony Event Service, and I'm not even sure installing that service would fix your problem if you're missing other proprietary Sony software that was installed at the factory.

Does the shortcut described in the CCM article Windows Vista & 7 - Changing the Brightness (e.g., Windows logo key + X) bring up the Windows Mobility Center and allow you to quickly adjust the brightness on your machine (note: on my Win 10 Pro machine I have to press the Windows key + X and then choose Mobility Center from the menu to open the Mobility Center dashboard)? If that works then using this shortcut would be much simpler than going into your system settings every time you want to adjust your screen brightness or worrying about getting your F5/F6 + Fn keys working again.

I have one slightly off-topic question, though, since I haven't read through all your recent threads in this forum. Did you ensure your Vista SP2 OS is patched back to end of extended support on 11-Apr-2017? If you aren't sure see the FAQ How to Fix Vista SP2 "Checking for Updates..." Hangs and Slow Windows Updates pinned at the top of the Windows Updates board of this forum about a well-known problem where Windows Update will hang on "Checking for updates..." as soon as Service Pack 2 (rel. May 2009) is applied during a clean reinstall.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[rustedmetal]

Hi rustedmetal:

The Sony support article The Special Buttons, Function Keys or Hot Keys on the Computer or Keyboard Do Not Operate Properly has instructions for reinstalling the Sony Event Service, but as you noted in post # 8, the Downloads page for the VGN-CR200e at https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/vgn-series-vgncr200-series/vgn-cr220e/downloads only offers the Win 7 version of this software. I'm afraid I don't know where to find a Vista-compatible version of the Sony Event Service, and I'm not even sure installing that service would fix your problem if you're missing other proprietary Sony software that was installed at the factory.

Does the shortcut described in the CCM article Windows Vista & 7 - Changing the Brightness (e.g., Windows logo key + X) bring up the Windows Mobility Center and allow you to quickly adjust the brightness on your machine (note: on my Win 10 Pro machine I have to press the Windows key + X and then choose Mobility Center from the menu to open the Mobility Center dashboard)? If that works then using this shortcut would be much simpler than going into your system settings every time you want to adjust your screen brightness or worrying about getting your F5/F6 + Fn keys working again.

I have one slightly off-topic question, though, since I haven't read through all your recent threads in this forum. Did you ensure your Vista SP2 OS is patched back to end of extended support on 11-Apr-2017? If you aren't sure see the FAQ How to Fix Vista SP2 "Checking for Updates..." Hangs and Slow Windows Updates pinned at the top of the Windows Updates board of this forum about a well-known problem where Windows Update will hang on "Checking for updates..." as soon as Service Pack 2 (rel. May 2009) is applied during a clean reinstall.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

I did not try Win+x since my goal is to have it working normally. I know, call me stubborn but hey...that's my goal to get it to work. Yes i had done all the updates past SP2 according to that thread you listed.

 

[lmacri]

I did not try Win+x since my goal is to have it working normally. I know, call me stubborn but hey...that's my goal to get it to work. Yes i had done all the updates past SP2 according to that thread you listed.

Hi rustedetal:

This is of no help to you now, but for future reference a reset back to original factory condition using the VAIO Recovery Center and the recovery partition on your hard drive might have been a better option than a clean reinstall of your OS, since a reset to factory condition would likely have retained your factory-installed drivers and proprietary Sony software, including the Sony Event Service that is likely required to use the Fn + F5/F6 keys to adjust the screen brightness. A factory reset might not have been a viable option for you, however, if your original hard drive was replaced or reformatted (i.e., if your recovery partition was destroyed) before you reinstalled your OS.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[rustedmetal]

Hi rustedetal:

This is of no help to you now, but for future reference a reset back to original factory condition using the VAIO Recovery Center and the recovery partition on your hard drive might have been a better option than a clean reinstall of your OS, since a reset to factory condition would likely have retained your factory-installed drivers and proprietary Sony software, including the Sony Event Service that is likely required to use the Fn + F5/F6 keys to adjust the screen brightness. A factory reset might not have been a viable option for you, however, if your original hard drive was replaced or reformatted (i.e., if your recovery partition was destroyed) before you reinstalled your OS.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

Ok, i'll keep that in mind? Would other driver service sites that require payment help with such driver from Sony? Example, AVG driver updater and Avast driver updater. Anyway, I made an appointment for Best Buy's Geek Squad for this weekend since Sony's site recommends checking with Best Buy for unsupported OS drivers as the only choice. I really feel like i'll be wasting my time at BB though.

 

[lmacri]

... Would other driver service sites that require payment help with such driver from Sony? Example, AVG driver updater and Avast driver updater....

Hi rustedmetal:

I doubt a software updater utility from Avast or AVG would be able to find an update for software like your Sony Event Service if it isn't already installed on your computer. These utilities are only designed to scan your machine's .exe program files to identify all your installed software and then look for any missing updates. Most paid (Pro) versions of these software updater utilities add automatic updating of detected updates, but they wouldn't install missing proprietary software that is specific to the make and model of your computer like the Sony Event Service. You might have better luck with a driver updater utility, since it would be scanning for newer drivers for hardware components like network cards, graphics cards, etc installed in your computer that are made by other manufacturers like NVIDIA, Realtek, etc. However, the hardware drivers recommended by these driver updaters aren't certified to work correctly with the BIOS, motherboard and other components in your system, unlike the certified drivers that are normally available on the support page of your computer make and model.

As a general rule, I don't update any hardware drivers on my Vista SP2 computer unless they're causing a problem, and if required I always look for newer drivers on the manufacturer's site. For example, I had a problem several years ago with intermittent BSODs that were caused by the nvlddmkm.sys driver for my NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, and I used the GeForce site at Download The Latest Official GeForce Drivers to find the latest Vista-compatible driver that matched my graphics card model. Fortunately, that updated NVIDIA driver stopped the BSODs, but there's no guarantee that an updated hardware driver will work correctly on your computer if it hasn't been certified by your computer manufacturer.

I'd be very wary of using any software or driver updater utility (free or paid) that automatically downloads updates. I occasionally run KC Softwares' free SUMo (Software Update Monitor) utility on my Vista machine just to check if I'm missing any updates for third-party software like VLC Media Player, etc. that is still supported on my old Vista machine (KC Softwares' hardware driver updater, which I don't use, is called DUMo, but the Snappy Driver utility you used is a good choice). Like many other software updaters, SUMo incorrectly recommends updates for some legacy software (special versions for unsupported OSs like Win XP / Vista) like Firefox ESR 52.9.0, Malwarebytes Free 3.5.1, etc. that I know is fully updated and can't be upgraded to newer Win 7 and higher versions. I prefer to use the portable (.zip) version of SUMo from KC Softwares (the .zip version you can unzip and run from a USB thumb drive) but I don't allow SUMo to download recommended updates, especially on my Vista SP2 machine where finding the correct version for third-party software is often a challenge these days. The image below from my Vista SP2 HP Pavilion laptop (captured Aug 2019) shows SUMo recommends updates for some of my proprietary HP software like the HP Solution Center that was installed at the factory, but SUMo would not detect those updates if I ever uninstalled that software.


----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[lmacri]

...Yes i had done all the updates past SP2 according to that thread you listed.

...Anyway, I made an appointment for Best Buy's Geek Squad for this weekend since Sony's site recommends checking with Best Buy for unsupported OS drivers as the only choice....

Hi rustedmetal:

.. and just a warning before you take your computer into Best Buy for service. You should run a manual Windows Update (Control Panel | System and Maintenance | Windows Update | Check for Updates) ASAP and confirm that Windows Update runs to completion in 5 or 10 minutes and reports there are no available updates for your Vista SP2 OS. If I understand correctly, my instructions on page 1 of m#l's thread Updates not working, it has been searching for updates for hours will no longer work as of this coming Monday because of a new Microsoft policy that will go into force on 03-Aug-2020 and disables Windows Update on older operating systems that do not support SHA-2 code signing. See my thread Adding SHA-2 Support to Vista SP2 After August 3, 2020 in the MSFN Vista board, and kudos to erpster4 for reminding me <here> that my instructions to fix the Windows Update "Checking for updates...." hang and patch Vista SP2 computers back to end of support (11-Apr-2017) likely won't work after 02-Aug-2020 unless they are revised to include instructions for adding SHA-2 code signing support to Vista SP2.

If Best Buy has a disk image for a Sony VAIO VGN-CR200e and recommends that they re-image your entire hard drive (i.e., as opposed to simply installing the proprietary Sony software you lost during your clean reinstall) make sure the image they are going to use includes all Vista SP2 patches released prior to end of extended support (11-Apr-2017), because as of 03-Aug-2020 it's going to be even more difficult, if not impossible, to patch Vista SP2 computers back to the end of extended support using Windows Update.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[rustedmetal]

Hi rustedmetal:

.. and just a warning before you take your computer into Best Buy for service. You should run a manual Windows Update (Control Panel | System and Maintenance | Windows Update | Check for Updates) ASAP and confirm that Windows Update runs to completion in 5 or 10 minutes and reports there are no available updates for your Vista SP2 OS. If I understand correctly, my instructions on page 1 of m#l's thread Updates not working, it has been searching for updates for hours will no longer work as of this coming Monday because of a new Microsoft policy that will go into force on 03-Aug-2020 and disables Windows Update on older operating systems that do not support SHA-2 code signing. See my thread Adding SHA-2 Support to Vista SP2 After August 3, 2020 in the MSFN Vista board, and kudos to eprster4 for reminding me <here> that my instructions to fix the Windows Update "Checking for updates...." hang and patch Vista SP2 computers back to end of support (11-Apr-2017) likely won't work after 02-Aug-2020 unless they are revised to include instructions for adding SHA-2 code signing support to Vista SP2.

If Best Buy has a disk image for a Sony VAIO VGN-CR200e and recommends that they re-image your entire hard drive (i.e., as opposed to simply installing the proprietary Sony software you lost during your clean reinstall) make sure the image they are going to use includes all Vista SP2 patches released prior to end of extended support (11-Apr-2017), because as of 03-Aug-2020 it's going to be even more difficult to patch Vista SP2 computers back to the end of extended support using Windows Update.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

The system checks for updates pretty quick and the only update that Windows can't install is KB2434419 (Windows Live Essentials 2011) which is optional. I cloned the SSD just in case the unpredictable happens. I'll keep those things in mind. Thanks much, Imacri.
edit: i just came accross this site that carries copies of original Sony factory DVDs, do you think this is legit?

Sony VAIO VGN-CR220E Recovery DVD Set of 2 - RestoreCD4u

Restore Disk set for Sony VAIO VGN-CR220E Series. This is a copy of the original Sony Recovery DVD's for this model with Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed.

restorecd4u.com

 

[rustedmetal]

Hi rustedmetal:

I doubt a software updater utility from Avast or AVG would be able to find an update for software like your Sony Event Service if it isn't already installed on your computer. These utilities are only designed to scan your machine's .exe program files to identify all your installed software and then look for any missing updates. Most paid (Pro) versions of these software updater utilities add automatic updating of detected updates, but they wouldn't install missing proprietary software that is specific to the make and model of your computer like the Sony Event Service. You might have better luck with a driver updater utility, since it would be scanning for newer drivers for hardware components like network cards, graphics cards, etc installed in your computer that are made by other manufacturers like NVIDIA, Realtek, etc. However, the hardware drivers recommended by these driver updaters aren't certified to work correctly with the BIOS, motherboard and other components in your system, unlike the certified drivers that are normally available on the support page of your computer make and model.

As a general rule, I don't update any hardware drivers on my Vista SP2 computer unless they're causing a problem, and if required I always look for newer drivers on the manufacturer's site. For example, I had a problem several years ago with intermittent BSODs that were caused by the nvlddmkm.sys driver for my NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, and I used the GeForce site at Download The Latest Official GeForce Drivers to find the latest Vista-compatible driver that matched my graphics card model. Fortunately, that updated NVIDIA driver stopped the BSODs, but there's no guarantee that an updated hardware driver will work correctly on your computer if it hasn't been certified by your computer manufacturer.

I'd be very wary of using any software or driver updater utility (free or paid) that automatically downloads updates. I occasionally run KC Softwares' free SUMo (Software Update Monitor) utility on my Vista machine just to check if I'm missing any updates for third-party software like VLC Media Player, etc. that is still supported on my old Vista machine (KC Softwares' hardware driver updater, which I don't use, is called DUMo, but the Snappy Driver utility you used is a good choice). Like many other software updaters, SUMo incorrectly recommends updates for some legacy software (special versions for unsupported OSs like Win XP / Vista) like Firefox ESR 52.9.0, Malwarebytes Free 3.5.1, etc. that I know is fully updated and can't be upgraded to newer Win 7 and higher versions. I prefer to use the portable (.zip) version of SUMo from KC Softwares (the .zip version you can unzip and run from a USB thumb drive) but I don't allow SUMo to download recommended updates, especially on my Vista SP2 machine where finding the correct version for third-party software is often a challenge these days. The image below from my Vista SP2 HP Pavilion laptop (captured Aug 2019) shows SUMo recommends updates for some of my proprietary HP software like the HP Solution Center that was installed at the factory, but SUMo would not detect those updates if I ever uninstalled that software.

View attachment 30839
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

I'm sure that the utilities i used had some drivers that i didn't need so i'll be looking to uninstall them soon. That's a topic for another day though since i know some are probably slowing the system down. But i have a concern about resetting the drive back to original condition; if i never had a factory setting drive then is it even possible to revert back to factory settings? My copy of my OS came from here....

 

[lmacri]

....if i never had a factory setting drive then is it even possible to revert back to factory settings? My copy of my OS came from here....

Hi rustedmetal:

Did you read through How to Perform a System Recovery Using the VAIO Recovery Center, which describes how to select the option to "Restore C: Drive" from the VAIO Recovery Center menu to reset your system back to factory condition? That support article lists the VGNCR200 Series as an applicable product so I assume those instructions would apply to your computer model, but for some VAIO models the I believe the instructions are slightly different and use the VAIO Care software.

Regardless, you've already performed a clean reinstall and wiped the original contents of your C:\ drive so I doubt you could perform a reset back to factory condition now. It's possible that your clean reinstall of Vista SP2 didn't re-format your hard drive and/or destroy your recovery partition (note: on my HP Pavilion laptop the recovery partition is my D: drive; it's named D:\HP_Recovery and can be viewed like any other drive using File Explorer). However, if the VAIO Recovery Center and other proprietary Sony software installed at the factory was lost during the clean reinstall and Vista-compatible software is no longer available on VGN-CR200e support page at https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/vgn-series-vgncr200-series/vgn-cr220e/downloads (and you didn't burn a set of Recovery Discs to create a backup copy of the VAIO Recovery Center when you purchased your computer) then it's unlikely you could perform a factory reset now.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[rustedmetal]

Hi rustedmetal:

Did you read through How to Perform a System Recovery Using the VAIO Recovery Center, which describes how to select the option to "Restore C: Drive" from the VAIO Recovery Center menu to reset your system back to factory condition? That support article lists the VGNCR200 Series as an applicable product so I assume those instructions would apply to your computer model, but for some VAIO models the I believe the instructions are slightly different and use the VAIO Care software.

Regardless, you've already performed a clean reinstall and wiped the original contents of your C:\ drive so I doubt you could perform a reset back to factory condition now. It's possible that your clean reinstall of Vista SP2 didn't re-format your hard drive and/or destroy your recovery partition (note: on my HP Pavilion laptop the recovery partition is my D: drive; it's named D:\HP_Recovery and can be viewed like any other drive using File Explorer). However, if the VAIO Recovery Center and other proprietary Sony software installed at the factory was lost during the clean reinstall and Vista-compatible software is no longer available on VGN-CR200e support page at https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/vgn-series-vgncr200-series/vgn-cr220e/downloads (and you didn't burn a set of Recovery Discs to create a backup copy of the VAIO Recovery Center when you purchased your computer) then it's unlikely you could perform a factory reset now.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

i installed the copy of vista on blank drive. i hope this answer makes sense...maybe i'm misunderstanding you point.

 

[lmacri]

i installed the copy of vista on blank drive. i hope this answer makes sense...maybe i'm misunderstanding you point.

Hi rustedmetal:

Sorry, I wasn't aware that you had installed a new hard drive in your computer before reinstalling your OS. In that case, most of what I've posted in would not be relevant to your situation. Unless Best Buy has Vista-compatible copies of all your missing Sony software and hardware drivers (which seems doubtful) then I have no idea how you can get your F5/F6 + Fn brightness keys working again.

You'll have to decide for yourself how much time (and money) you want to spend trying to fix these function keys if the workaround to use the Windows logo key + X key combination isn't an acceptable solution.
----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Malwarebytes Premium v3.5.1-1.0.365 * SUMo Free Portable v5.11.1.460
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS