Wait, so ALL your buttons don't work except for the mediakeys?
Reinstall the button software. Yes there is button software.
The play/mute/pause buttons don't require a driver.

I will have to check those four discs that I made when I first got the laptop. They didn't have them so I had to burn copies of the factory settings and what not.

**** discs. Use the website, these drivers are more up to date.
What brand/type is it?

Toshiba Satellite

hmmm I'll look it up on their website

Toshiba made satellites since the early nineties.
I will need a type. Or you'll have to look it up yourself :)

I looked it up and found it but I'm not sure which to download

Model Content Page

those are the options but I don't really see one related to button software

yeah and sorry it is the A660 series but I found the driver selection they have

Allright, it's hard to find indeed.
Did some googling and found you'll need the HWSetup software which you can download HERE for Windows 7 64 bit (not sure what you have)
DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT YET!

Please read this first:
Toshiba Support Forums: Satellite A660-1FM - Function buttons ...
It could be just a setting :)

thanks. I wish I could isolate the problem like that guy did in the thread but I have the same issue.

When I press the button it lights up like it's being activated but then just dims away.

I have HWsetup and I have looked in there before to enable the buttons but that didn't work. I disable and re-enabled them but still no dice.

You might want to reinstall the software then. It might help.
The dimming is just a gimmick, it always does that, even when you're not running anything. That doesn't acquire software.

tried that and it didnt work