[Soved] I HATE the touchpad on my laptop

[berniel]

When I said in a recent post that I was sticking with XP Pro because I'd tried out Windows 7 on my wife's laptop and disliked it intensely, I've come to realise that it wasn't the system I disliked, but the touchpad gubbins on her Dell laptop!

 

At the time, I was using a very old IBM Touchpad with the little red button in the keyboard.

 

I now own a HP Compaq NC6320 Dual Core Laptop and I realise that my common hate factor is the touchpad. So, I'm going to buy an old steam-driven mouse, but which one?

 

Any recommendations would be gratefully received - as would tips and hints about how to disable the touchpad.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Bernie,

I also agree about those things and I bought a cheap mini optical mouse for a few £'s, plenty of them about in most major supermarkets.

 

As for disabling the touch pad, I would recommend you only disable the tap function to prevent odd taps causing a link to be clicked inadvertantly etc. If you disable the pad altogether, and something goes wrong with the external mouse, you have a problem.

To disable the tap function, click "start" then select control panel, and find Mouse, open that and it then depends on who made the touch pad, however if it is like mine it is a Synaptics one, click on the device settings tab, then click the settings button, look for "tapping" and click that, you should see a tick box, just remove the tick, click apply where necessary and close out.

The tap function should be disabled then. Moving a finger over the pad will still move the pointer around, but to click on something you need the left or right buttons.

 

Nev.

[berniel]

Hello AGAIN, Nev.

 

We can't go on meeting like this!

 

Glad I'm not the only Touchpadophobe!

 

Don't have a device settings tab in the mouse section of Control Panel Settings and don't see 'tapping' anywhere, either. All I've been able to ascertain from the mouse section of the Control Panel 'Settings' is that it is PS/2 compatible. That gives me options for Pointers (something there called 'Scheme'), Buttons and Wheel.

 

Cheers

 

Bernie

[KenB]

If this is a laptop there should be a function key to disable the touchpad.

on mine it is Fn + F7

The F7 key has a blue pic of a hand and what represents the pad.

 

Windows remembers that the touch-pad has been disabled so on re-boot it is still dead.

 

Do you have this option ?

 

Found this that may be of use - click here

[berniel]

Hi Ken

 

Sorry, I missed your post last night. Thanks for your info.

 

I don't have a hand inscribed on the F7 button on my keyboard, but I'll try it anyway. I assume that repeating the keystrokes reverses the action, right?

 

I've also looked at the stuff on the very useful link you posted (thanks!), but my Control Panel doesn't seem to conform.

 

Cheers

 

Bernie

[KenB]

I don't have a hand inscribed on the F7

I found an image of your keyboard and it doesn't look as if this is an option.

 

my Control Panel doesn't seem to conform.

Not sure what you mean by this.

 

Does this get you to the touch-pad settings?

 

• Click Start , enter mouse in the search field, and then select the Mouse control panel program from the search results.
  
• On the Device Settings tab of the Mouse Properties panel, select the Synaptic TouchPad device and click the Settingsbutton.
  

[berniel]

Hi Ken

 

No. I have no 'Device Settings' on Mouse. I get 'Mouse Properties' and Tabs under tyhat for 'Buttons'. Pointers. Pointer Options.Wheel. and Hardware. Unless I'm missing something here?

[berniel]

Aha! Just found under 'Hardware' tab a button that allows me to disable the installed mouse! (It's billed as a PS/2 compatible. Won't do that yet, though, until I've got a replacement exterior mouse available.

[KenB]

That should do it :)

 

Let us know how you get on.

[berniel]

OK. Will do. Thanks for your help

[berniel]

Yippeeee!! Went and got an optical mouse this morning - and it works like a dream. Have disabled the touchpad and am not groaning in frustration every two minutes. I feel much more in control, now.

 

Thank you, both Ken and Nev for your help.

[KenB]

Thank you, both Ken and Nev for your help.

You are welcome - glad to hear that you are happy :)