Wireless disabled by hardware, HP Compaq

What is the output of:

sudo lshw -C network; lsb_release -a; sudo rfkill list

Thanks

  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: MCP77 Ethernet
       vendor: nVidia Corporation
       physical id: a
       bus info: pci@0000:00:0a.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: a2
       serial: 00:1f:16:ea:f1:56
       size: 100Mbit/s
       capacity: 100Mbit/s
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 66MHz
       capabilities: pm msi ht bus_master cap_list ethernet physical mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=forcedeth driverversion=0.64 duplex=full ip=192.168.1.111 latency=0 link=yes maxlatency=20 mingnt=1 multicast=yes port=MII speed=100Mbit/s
       resources: irq:41 memory:c0009000-c0009fff ioport:30f8(size=8) memory:c0007c00-c0007cff memory:c0007800-c000780f
  *-network DISABLED
       description: Wireless interface
       product: AR242x / AR542x Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
       vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:07:00.0
       logical name: wlan0
       version: 01
       serial: 00:26:5e:38:e8:52
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath5k driverversion=3.0.0-12-generic-pae firmware=N/A latency=0 link=no multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bg
       resources: irq:23 memory:c2000000-c200ffff
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 11.10
Release: 11.10
Codename: oneiric
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
 Soft blocked: yes
 Hard blocked: no
1: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
 Soft blocked: yes
 Hard blocked: yes
2: hp-bluetooth: Bluetooth
 Soft blocked: yes
 Hard blocked: yes

Do you have a switch to enable / disable the wireless device, if so, switch it or press it then retry. If it doesn't work then you can try:

sudo rfkill unblock all

The button doesn't turn it on and off anymore, (it did in windows)

And the sudo command ask's for my password and once entered it starts a new command line without doing anything ( wireless still disabled)

dan@dan-Compaq-Presario-CQ60-Notebook-PC:~$ sudo rfkill unblock all
[sudo] password for dan:
dan@dan-Compaq-Presario-CQ60-Notebook-PC:~$

ok now run:

sudo iwlist scan

Do you see wireless networks?

dan@dan-Compaq-Presario-CQ60-Notebook-PC:~$ sudo iwlist scan
[sudo] password for dan:
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

Try:

sudo modprobe -r ath5k; sleep 2; sudo modprobe ath5k; sleep 10; sudo iwlist scan

Is it ok?

dan@dan-Compaq-Presario-CQ60-Notebook-PC:~$ sudo modprobe -r ath5k; sleep 2; sudo modprobe ath5k; sleep 10; sudo iwlist scan
[sudo] password for dan:
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

I to have the same issue as Dabchalenor.

asus-laptop:~$ sudo modprobe -r ath5k; sleep 2; sudo modprobe ath5k; sleep 10; sudo iwlist scan
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

State: connected (global)

- Device: wlan0 ----------------------------------------------------------------
  Type: 802.11 WiFi
  Driver: ath5k
  State: unavailable
  Default: no
  HW Address: 00:15:AF:3D:5E:B4

  Capabilities:

  Wireless Properties
    WEP Encryption: yes
    WPA Encryption: yes
    WPA2 Encryption: yes

  Wireless Access Points

I have an Asus laptop.

It was all working fine in 11.04.

Are there any bugs reported?
Does it work ok in the Oneiric live CD?