computer totally unable to use wireless

computer totally unable to use wireless

I'm using a kind of roughly used laptop, and I think the wireless card
might be damaged. But when I use a (one of three I tried) wifi stick, the
laptop also asserts that there is a hardware switch disabling the wireless
activity. BUT THE REAL DISGUSTING THING IS: This seems not to be a
software fail, as I tried it with live disks of ubuntu, fedora, debian and
others! The computer (running whatever OS) thinks there is a hardware
switch forbidding to use wifi! How can this even be?!? I'm totally
overchallenged. Please help me, I can make some diagnosis for you. I
already tried rfkill list and it says that it's hard-blocked. The switch
for the hardblock is DEFINITLY turned to ON. lspci shows the wifi-card. I
don't know what to do.