Laptop's FN key quit working

[Narnia]

My laptop's fn key quit working. I've scanned my computer with Microsoft Security Essentials and got nothing. The problem seems to come and go, when my computer is first turned on, the button works fine, however after a while it quits working properly.
Any idea what's going on and if so, any possible fixes? I've looked on Google but all I can find are issues that appear to a always be there, never a problem comes and goes issue. Thanks.
PS: If you have any questions about the problem, please don't hesitate to ask them, I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability.

 

[Cutlass]

Does it physically feel different from other keys? Sometimes a keyboard gets dirty and that prevents the easy operation of keys. But sometimes the mechanical/electrical switch beneath the key will develop a problem as well.

 

[Narnia]

Does it physically feel different from other keys? Sometimes a keyboard gets dirty and that prevents the easy operation of keys. But sometimes the mechanical/electrical switch beneath the key will develop a problem as well.

No, it feels normal. Also, if it was a mechanical/electrical problem, why would it disappear when my computer restarts and reappear after a while?

 

[Cutlass]

Intermittent problems are possible with mechanical and electrical connections. Not that that is absolutely your problem, but it's on the list of things to consider. Another thing to consider is your laptops BIOS. That tells the machine how to handle the keys before Windows ever gets involved. And if you can go to the manufacturer's web site and get a download of a fresh BIOS and install it, that possibility can be eliminated.

 

[Narnia]

Thanks for the hints. I'll try them out after the semester ends (I don't want to mess up something on my computer 2 hours before my final which I have to take online via my laptop )

 

[Maniacal]

What IS the FN key for anyways?

 

[civ_king]

What IS the FN key for anyways?

using the things that the FX key doubles as?

 

[Narnia]

What IS the FN key for anyways?

For space issues a laptop keyboard is generally smaller than a desktop keyboard. Therefore they have a FN key. When pressing FN, many keys will have an alternative meaning. For example, if I hold down the FN key and press F2, it will have my laptop change to a different power setting. If I press FN+F3, my computer goes into sleep mode, etc.