Trying to disable my laptop's touchpad

Discussion in 'hardware' started by bellgamin, Jul 21, 2018.

  1. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    I prefer using a mouse -- sometimes a trackball -- on my laptop. I detest the touchpad. When typing on my Dell Latitude e6320, I sometimes accidentally touch the touchpad & it moves my cursor so I am typing in the wrong place. This is a known issue with this model.

    I searched the net & found several suggestions. None of them worked. The closest I came was the following suggestion:
    Sure enough, it disabled the touchpad's driver then said I had to restart for it to take effect. I did so.

    Once I was up & runnng again I tried the touchpad to see if it was disabled. Immediately as I did so, Windows popped-up a notice "Installing driver" -- which it then proceeded to do. Of course, the touchpad was re-enabled. Talk about a Catch-22!!!

    So then... is there a way I can keep Windows from re-enabling touchpad's driver when I accidentally touch it? OR is there some other way to disable the touch pad?
     
  2. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    Last edited: Jul 21, 2018
  3. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    I tried the 2nd link since I am running Win7 on this laptop. None of its suggestions work. Plus, its regedit ideas were for a Synaptics touchpad set-up, whereas my laptop uses an Alps-based touchpad. For the moment I have taped cardboard over the touchpad. It's unsightly but seems to be working... so far. Good grief -- we're putting people into outer space & I had to fix my computer with a piece of cardboard! :rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2018
  4. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    My machine is Windows 10 but I am sure there is a setting in Win7 as well.

    Okay, try this - go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > do you see "Mouse"?

    Click Mouse (if you see it) > under "ClickPad" on my machine there is a box to place a check mark to disable the internal pointing device when a USB device is connected.
     
  5. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Thanks Krusty. I tried that. It doesn't work on Win 7 on a Dell.

    There are dozens & dozens of internet sites where this issue has been reported. I finally found a solution that works. If you are using a Dell Latitude E series laptop, this might work for you:

    Windows Key> Type "Dell Touchpad" in the search box> a dark screen with white titles will pop-up. On that screen you will find a toggle on/off switch for the touchpad. The switch. Catch 22 -- the touchpad remains Off UNTIL you restart, & then you have to toggle the dadgummed switch again.

    I'm sticking with my piece of cardboard over the touchpad. It works regardless of reboots.
     
  6. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    @bellgamin There should be an icon for your touchpad in the system tray. Right click on and it and go to Touchpad Properties, then Device Select.
    At the bottom of the screen is the option to disable the touchpad when a mouse is connected.
    Dell.png
     
  7. Bill_Bright

    Bill_Bright Registered Member

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    Every notebook I have ever seen has a simple Fn + F-key combination to disable/enable the integrated touchpad. There is no industry standard so you will have to look at your F-keys. On my Toshiba it is Fn + F9.
     
  8. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    @ Roger -- Yes, that's a variation on what I said in post #5 (Windows Key> Type "Dell Touchpad" in the search box> a dark screen with white titles will pop-up) BUT a lot easier than my way, so it's waaay better. Even so, it has to be done every time one restarts.

    @ Bill -- In the Users Manual, the correct key combo for disabling the touchpad on Dell E series laptops is Fn+F5. Reportedly, that works on maybe 10% of Dell's E series. On the other 90% it does NOT work (nor does any other Fn+function key combo). Apparently it's a glitch in the Alps drivers that Dell used in the E series. There actually was a kernal patch that many geeks used, but I lack the courage to mess with my laptop's groin area.
     
  9. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    @bellgamin I have found a solution. When powering on your laptop, press F2 when it shows the Dell logo, to enter the BIOS setup. Click on the + next to "POST Behavior," then select "Mouse/Touchpad." Now, select "Serial Mouse," then click on Apply, then Exit, to save the change to the BIOS and reboot your laptop.
    IMG_20180722_105544.jpg

    This will disable the touchpad completely, until you enter BIOS setup again and change it back to Touchpad/PS/2.

    I also tried the PS/2 Mouse setting. But, this will only disable the touchpad when using a PS/2 mouse. It does nothing when using a USB mouse.

    My E5400 Latitude, is older than yours, but a quick Google search, revealed that the BIOS options are the same for your model.

    @Bill_Bright My Lattitude E5400, surprisingly has no Fn key shortcut to disable the touchpad. This is also the case on my HP ProBooks. But on the HPs, I can double tap the top left corner of the touchpad to disable or enable it again.
     
  10. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Actually the solution in your post #6 turned out to be a permanet fix once the touchpad icon is permanently put into the visible system tray. An "x" shows on the icon, indicating touchpad is off, & it stays that way until toggled back on by the user. Shazam! Muchly grateful for your wise counsel.
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2018
  11. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    Eureka for the solution. I also detest with a passion the touchpad on lappys. Infrared remote mouse thru USB is the preferred method on this end. Completely untethered. Congrats on removing one of those common annoyances.
     
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