Keyboard - software-driver issue KB won't function

Win 7 64 Bit Laptop keyboard unresponsive
Win 7 was freshly installed on my laptop on a brand new 160 gb hard drive. 1st fresh install was Win Home ver 7 32bit. After installing 32 bit , realizied I mistakenly installed Win 7 32 bit Home version. Product key revealed original software was Win 7 Pro 64bit. Keyboard problem did not occur with 32 bit version. Once I installed the Pro 64 bit version the keyboard was non responsive.

Keyboard worked fine with 32 bit install and unresponsive after 64 bit install. Touch pad works.

I carefully removed and installed brand new laptop keyboard. Same identical problem. Non responsive laptop keyboard. Suspect this is a software problem but unable to know which/what software driver may be compatible with 64bit Win 7Pro version.

This was over a year ago and still there is no software (driver) fix for this. I am using a small keyboard on top of the laptop - Very Clumsy. I have hit a road block here and it has to have something to do with the changes described above.
review
Original install factory Vista. Then upgraded to Windows 7 64bit. After this I acquired this laptop working just fine, nothing was inoperative. Hard drive dies. I install new one and install win 32bit, discover the original software was Pro and then install 64bit win 7. After this, one by one I checked each and every update and driver. Everything available has been updated. Keyboard and Dell 1520 laptop's front edge media buttons, are inoperable as well as some function-key operations.

I replaced Dell keyboard and no go. A friend tried upgrading bios and we saw the keyboard somewhat responsive for about 45sec then nothing thereafter.

I welcome any practical ideas. I do not have an old version of Vista to start this all over again and I am reticent to allow a tech to mess with it as I am certain I would be paying through the nose for their education, catching up to where I am now. If there is such a service anyone can recommend which could perform this, I welcome it. Thanks alll

If the keys work when you're working in the BIOS, then we can't say hardware. That's for sure. That's assuming the 45 seconds that the keys worked were in 7, right?

Right, something seems to be missing -IF printer worked with Win 7 pro loaded over Vista, then Install on clean hard drive - Win 7-32bit, then 64bit pro - Keyboard and some Fn keys inoperable so I would agree there is something missing in software. Dell is useless concerning Win 7 and they do not offer assistance.

This is a unique problem I can only guess something in software is missing - but how do I diagnose or load up something? All the re-load of current drivers has been done to o avail.

I have a licensed version of 32 and 64 and since the hard drive which came with the laptop died, I purchased a 160gb drive and started from scratch and installs of both ver of win 7 was done with Microsoft support on the phone. I did no upgrades. What was missing from the fresh install was Vista (I have no software.) Normally Dell would interface with Vista to Win 7 but they decided not to be involved in win 7 support and never developed drivers or updates to make the bridge.

Thanks Doc that is exactly the format of how Win software was installed to the brand new hard drive when I was walked through installation by Win Support. I can perform your instructions when I can get better organized - it will take some time. Then Maxie's advice sounds good. Question - Are the Dell drivers initially installed (Vista presumably) the same driver which you are referring to Maxie?

I have gone over and over searching for any updates to drivers incl Intel and nothing since Vista's original drivers have ever been update - a few have. I used Intel's utility to look for problems and Intel says 1520's Video drivers have an update and of course Dell has no updates since the 1520 was created. Does such a driver update exist because Intel says my system needs it?

One last question to finish - may uninstalling Win 32bit make a difference and is there a reason why it needs to be there (files?) Only reason 64 was installed over 32 bit win 7, was the Win support tech over the phone said I should when I asked if I should uninstall 32and God knows why. Uninstalling it can do no harm right? Should I give this a go before doing a fresh reinstall on a reformatted hard drive? You have all been so helpful and I really appreciate this.

My original concern was, if I left this off somewhere - how would I know, they would have your collective knowledge to fix it (as you seem to do in Seven,) without my paying them for hours and hours for them to educate themselves and finally fix it? I've been working with and on, computers since Dos days and I love to learn and do it myself. My limits are apparent.