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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

Post Upgrade VMWare Tools, Backlight keys (FN-F8) causes BSOD in Boot Camp

Dear VMware Staff,

After upgrading the VMware Tools on my Vista Ultimate 32-bit boot camp partition, the keyboard backlight on my Macbook Pro 2.16 Ghz Core 2 Duo starts to stay either constantly on or constantly off when I boot directly into Windows. If I try to turn it off or on using the FN-F8 shortcut, Vista quickly BSODs and reboots. Please let me know if this is a known issue or if this is Windows's fault. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Raja

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17 Replies
admin
Immortal
Immortal

Did you catch what error code it was?

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

The BSOD is literally not even a second long. It flashes and auto reboots. I mean I can try to keep repeating the procedure, but I am not sure I can train my eyes to memorize that much information that quickly. Smiley Happy I wonder if I am the only person who gets it?

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

Ok, I found it. I booted back into Vista, and it presented me with a Windows recovered from an unexpected shutdown dialog box. Here is the error:

Problem signature:

Problem Event Name: BlueScreen

OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.256.1

Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:

BCCode: 1000000a

BCP1: 90782FCE

BCP2: 0000001B

BCP3: 00000000

BCP4: 81C286B1

OS Version: 6_0_6000

Service Pack: 0_0

Product: 256_1

Files that help describe the problem:

C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini070707-02.dmp

C:\Users\Raja\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-63960-0.sysdata.xml

C:\Users\Raja\AppData\Local\Temp\WER27DA.tmp.version.txt

Read our privacy statement:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50163&clcid=0x0409

If there's any humor to the situation, I think it's in the title of the Problem Event Name. Microsoft creativity at its finest.

Raja

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Andreas_Masur
Expert
Expert

If my old brain serves me right this is the 'IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL' stop code...take a look at the following:

Troubleshooting a Stop 0x0000000A error in Windows XP[/url]

Ciao, Andreas

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

"Other possible causes of this error are an incompatible device driver, a general hardware problem, and incompatible software." - from the page you sent me. This would seem to confirm my suspicion that the new VMWare Tools is the culprit, wouldn't it? Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

Raja

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Andreas_Masur
Expert
Expert

This would seem to confirm my suspicion that the new VMWare Tools is the culprit, wouldn't

it? Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

Well...could be...do you still have the files mentioned in the event entry (Dump etc.). If so, can you post them?

Ciao, Andreas

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

Here you go. This is all that's left after a fresh reboot. I could try to trigger it again, if you would like the other two files. Thanks for your help.

Raja

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vinayv
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I'm curious, have you installed the Boot Camp drivers. Not positive it's a valid data point, but just a thought.

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

Yes, I have. I installed Boot Camp 1.3's drivers. Then I installed the previous version of VMWare Tools, and I recently updated the VMWare Tools once RC1 came out. Since then, I've been having problems.

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Andreas_Masur
Expert
Expert

Just to make me understand correctly...you are running an older beta with the latest tools installed?

Ciao, Andreas

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

Uh no, I had Fusion 4.1b's tools installed, and then I updated them when RC1 came out.

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Andreas_Masur
Expert
Expert

Uh no, I had Fusion 4.1b's tools installed, and then

I updated them when RC1 came out.

Okay....sorry but to make me understand correctly:

\- Are you running Fusion RC1?

\- Are you running VMware Tools RC1?

Thanks and I apologize for my failure to understand...I guess the sun fried my brain...

Ciao, Andreas

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

Yes, on both accounts.

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EMR
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

It occurs to me that the culprit is the Boot Camp backlighting controller itself, probably entering into conflict with its Mac OS X counterpart! The Boot Camp backlighting controller is not as polished/thorough as the parallel feature on Mac OS X. For instance, if you turn off a MacBook Pro running OS X at night, the keyboard backlighting will be off a few seconds before the machine shuts down. On Boot Camp, on the other hand, the backlighting will go off simultaneously with the machine.

I'm not sure how this should be done, but I think the Windows backlighting feature oughtn't to be installed on a Virtual Machine, since the computer is already running OS X, and baclighting should be controlled by the host operating system, NOT the guest.

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Andreas_Masur
Expert
Expert

Okay....I took a quick look at the dump file and it seems the issue is indeed caused by the following driver:

\- KeyMagic.sys

which is the keyboard driver Apple provides with Boot Camp. So, as being pointed out it seems to be a driver issue.

Ciao, Andreas

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Raja_Vallarapu
Contributor
Contributor

EMR,

The crashes were happening when booted directly[/b] into Windows, not when virtualized. But thanks for your concern.

Andrew,

Thank you so much for your help. I will avoid the key combination until Apple releases better/updated drivers.

Thanks again,

Raja

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busyrider
Contributor
Contributor

Even i am having the same issue Raja....using vmware and rebooting with the same error msges...

will keep u updated on the reslution ..cause i am still researching..

let me know if u already found some solution to it.. it wud help me stop banging my head around... Smiley Wink

thanks

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