Summary: Whether or not your laptop's touch pad can be disabled depends on the software used to configure it. It might be easy, or it might be impossible.
On my laptop I have a touch pad which I hate. So I have attached an external mouse but how do I now disable the touch pad so that a shirt sleeve brushing across it (or a lazy finger) won't send the cursor where it is not wanted?
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The laptop touch pad (or track pad) is an alternative to using your mouse. Using your finger you can move the mouse pointer around the screen, and with buttons near the touchpad, click.
It's all well and good until you accidentally brush something across the touchpad when you didn't intend. Exactly what can do this - be it a finger or a shirt sleeve - depends on the specific touch pad.
In fact - everything depends on the touchpad, it's drivers, and whether or not those drivers even give you the control you're looking for.
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Go to Control Panel and double click on the Mouse item.
Here's what I get:
You can see that on my Dell Latitude D620 the control panel lets me do exactly what you're asking: turn off the touchpad entirely. In fact, the Control Panel applet is giving me individual control of two separate sets of buttons on my machine, as well as the "eraser head" Pointing Stick and the Touch Pad itself. Lots of control.
On my Dell.
Here's the problem you may face: your computer may not have this. There is no standard interface for configuring your touch pad.
You may not have the option to turn it off.
Another approach, again if your Control Panel Mouse applet supports it, might be to change the configuration of the touch pad:
Here you might be able to configure how the touchpad responds. It's possible that on your computer you may be able to dramatically reduce the sensitivity of the pad or other characteristics that might make it less annoying. Those changes might make it unusable as a touch pad of course, but in your case that wouldn't matter.
Finally, it's also possible that your computer may not have anything in Control Panel to configure the touchpad at all. The touch pad mimics a mouse, and as a result your computer may simply not see it as anything other than a traditional mouse.
Your options at that point are somewhat limited, and probably limited to the physical. If it's a serious enough problem for you, you might consider carefully opening your laptop and disconnecting the track pad. Most laptops will run fine without it.
I'm actually hesitant to even mention that, since of course ... well, you're opening your laptop. On top of that, since all laptops are very different it might even then not be easy or possible to disconnect just the touchpad; it's possible that it's an integral part of the keyboard assembly, or it's possible that the cable's simply not accessible.
You might check with your computer's manufacturer before going down this path to see if there are any additional options, or if they can provide information that would make this task easier.
Related:
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Why does the mouse pointer jump around the screen? Fortunately for most cases, there is a simple solution to why your mouse pointer would jump around the screen.
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My mouse is super sensitive and seems to do things on its own. What do I do? Bizarre actions from your mouse may mean its imminent death, however there are a few less extreme causes of sensitivity and other odd actions.
Article C3860 - September 3, 2009
Many laptops have a key combination to disable the touchpad temporarily. Check your operating guide. As an example, Acer laptops use Fn F7. I have had customers complain their touch pad doesn't work and they have accidently turned it off!
Posted by: Cedric at September 8, 2009 8:48 AMDon't forget that you can usually disable TouchPads in Device Manager. This can be easily reversed if needed, and is alot easier and safer to do then dismantling the notebook.
09-Sep-2009
Posted by: Robert at September 8, 2009 8:50 AM
Isn't that what expired credit cards are made for? I cover my (hated) touchpad at home as well, but I certainly wouldn't disable it, for traveling.
Posted by: duvid at September 8, 2009 8:53 AM2 things:
Posted by: Jackie McBride at September 8, 2009 8:54 AMa) Some laptops also have options in bios to deal w/the touchpad, e.g., Fujitsu Lifebooks; &
b) For those who think windows cannot be used w/o a mouse--I happen to be blind. Blind people can *not* use a mouse, but we can use windows via keyboard. & believe this or not, sometimes it can actually be faster than clicky Mickey. Just FYI.
My HP Pavilion dv7 laptop has a tiny red/white light with a narrow button to its right which can be clicked "on" or "off". This is immediately above the touch-pad. I was wondering why the pointer was jumping all over the screen while I was typing. No more. When you're mouse-less, just click to get the white light...Touch-pad is on and ready for use.
Posted by: Charlie Griffith at September 8, 2009 9:02 AMBut, jeeeez, it takes so much extra fingering to control the pointer, plus separate clicks of those separate left-right buttons in lieu of the mouse itself.
Keep a mouse in your pants pocket....no one will notice..... ;)
Many laptops have a keyboard combo to turn off the track pad.
Posted by: Frank Golden at September 8, 2009 1:16 PMMy Acer is Fn+F7.
Hi one thing to make sure of if you attempt to disconnect the touchpad, be sure it does not void your warranty on the laptop.
Posted by: Margaret Louk at September 8, 2009 6:00 PMIn my 20+ years of using a PC, I slowly developed a physical need to use the mouse as little as possible. I was dismayed at the number of applications that I couldn't find a way of doing everything with the keys - I went so far as to use the almost unknown MouseKeys.
Eventually I bought my first laptop, and discovered the convenience of the touchpad. It was such an improvement on the mouse that I bought one for the desktop, since when I've stopped using the mouse altogether.
I suggest that, before rejecting a new way of doing something, it's worth learning how to adjust the settings to one's convenience, and persevering a little.
Posted by: James at September 11, 2009 4:40 AMFor Dell, download Touchpad driver on Dell website and option for disable the eraser pointing will appear under MOUSE in your control panel. It take 8 hours for me to find the solution and it work Perfectly now :)
Posted by: Sylvio at September 21, 2009 5:22 PMI've trouble with my touchpad laptop.It's not working anymore.My laptop is acer aspire 3000 series.Used AMD Sempron 2800+ prosesor.40Gb HDD and 256 Mb of ram.On Device Manager it's shown with "!" sign.when I Updated the driver,there was an message "the device isn't present,etc......".
Posted by: ddeeen at September 30, 2009 12:01 AMPlease help me...How to repair this??????.