Disabling A Laptop's Mousepad

SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Die, dammit.</div> Hello, sirs and madams.

I've come into possession of a laptop, and it is nice. It is very nice. There is just one snag - I hate this mousepad. God, I hate it.

What makes it bad is that it occasionally moves down the page and left clicks unprovoked. You're meant to have to have to click the left mouse button in order to left click, or at least, that's been my experience. Tell this to the 'pad! The <i>jerk</i> feels that, hey, randomly clicking just every now and again is no big deal. Combine it with the moving issue, though, and I have problem. When editing/appending my coursework, it'll move down a bit, then click in a different body of text. Voila! A sentence teleports into a foreign paragraph. Instant frustration.

I bought an external mouse, but it still happens. I can't seem to disable the mousepad; in its properties in Control Panel, the drop-down list allowing you to enable/disable the device is greyed out. Any ideas?
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Comments

  • 0blique0blique Join Date: 2003-05-18 Member: 16477Members
    Is there something in the manual or on the manufacturer's website?

    You could try checking the BIOS, or look in the device manager or, if all else fails, you could tape something over the trackpad.
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  • ComproxComprox *chortle* Canada Join Date: 2002-01-23 Member: 7Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Silver, Subnautica Developer, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    Some laptops have a 'function' key and special functions tied to the number keys, I know mine is something like function + 3 or 4 to turn off the mousepad.
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  • DragonMechDragonMech Join Date: 2003-09-19 Member: 21023Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    Try looking in the settings of your touchpad, and see if there is a way to turn it off. Also, try disabling it in the device manager.

    If that doesn't work, this fixed it on my laptop, but I have no idea if it will work on yours. First off, go to the manufacturer's website and download the drivers for your touchpad. Run them, and make sure that the drivers are set to run on every startup. Then, using those drivers, disable the touchpad like this:
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  • im_lostim_lost TWG Rule Guru Join Date: 2003-04-26 Member: 15861Members
    My laptop has a button right next to the touch pad for turning it on and off. The button even lights up to show you that the mouse pad is turned off.
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  • DruBoDruBo Back In Beige Join Date: 2002-02-06 Member: 172Members, NS1 Playtester
    What kind of laptop do you have anyway?
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  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    edited February 2005
    <!--QuoteBegin-DrunkenBozo+Feb 12 2005, 12:57 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (DrunkenBozo @ Feb 12 2005, 12:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What kind of laptop do you have anyway? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <a href='http://www.evesham.com/PCs/Info.asp?e=3BCEF0E4-5747-4233-A59B-8DA3E63628C6' target='_blank'>This one.</a>

    I can't find a function for turning the L'il Bugger off. There are a few, but they're stuff like mute, hibernate, audio player controls, and one to make the screen blink (not sure what the last one does, really).

    Customer support is a long line. I'll wait if I have to, but...it is a <i>long</i> line. An e-mail's been fired off but I might have to wait a while for that, too. I posted here in the hopes that someone had a similar problem, but had found a way around it. Ah well...looks like I'll have to cover it for now. Thanks for taking the time to reply, though, guys. It <i>is</i> appreciated.

    What's funny is that this problem is badgering me in a coursework on Human-Computer Interaction and Interaction Design. -_-

    EDIT: didn't notice 'Mech's idea. Weird, though - I don't get that tab you have there, just the other ones.
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  • DruBoDruBo Back In Beige Join Date: 2002-02-06 Member: 172Members, NS1 Playtester
    Depending on how adventurous you are, you could pop off the keyboard and palmrest and just unplug the darn thing from the laptop's motherboard. That's probably what I'd do, but I'm a hardware technician by trade.

    I was hoping you'd have an IBM or a HP/Compaq, in which case I could have provided the service manual. Oh well.
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  • MonsieurEvilMonsieurEvil Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 4Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Disabling a laptop touchpad relies entirely on the utility add-on installed. By default, you cannot disable the pointer device through the device manager; unless the driver maker supports it through some GUI interface of their own, you are often screwed. But if your laptop maker offers the drivers, you should be able to run the mouse applet in Control Panel and hopefully have some options. Someone pointed out that you might be able to disable this through the BIOS, and that is a good idea to pursue.

    This is sort of the risk you go with when you use a small manufacturer, as opposed to one of the major players. They don't have the resources to run a complete support website, much less web support staff. Have you tried using their 'bigfix' package for support rather than the phone?
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  • TalesinTalesin Our own little well of hate Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
    Also note that to left-click, many current touchpads allow you to simply tap the pad. Saves a second and some finger-movement. If you're trying to scroll or move, make sure that you don't lift your finger, or on extremely sensitive ones, even jiggle it.

    Beyond that, check the BIOS. Some have an option to disable the on-board pointer device (in this case a touchpad, in the past a clitmouse or even a fold-out ribbon mouse).
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  • ClashenClashen Join Date: 2003-08-22 Member: 20087Members
    i had to deisable my mousepad in the bios. I have a Compaq Armada 110, yes i know it sucks but we got the for free from the school.
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  • VenmochVenmoch Join Date: 2002-08-07 Member: 1093Members
    I think you should stab it with a fork.

    I'm sure that'd fix it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Yeah anyway, don't take PC advice from me. Because I suck.
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  • Cold_NiTeCold_NiTe Join Date: 2003-09-15 Member: 20875Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-Venmoch+Feb 12 2005, 08:22 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Venmoch @ Feb 12 2005, 08:22 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I think you should stab it with a fork.

    I'm sure that'd fix it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Thanks jackass, now I need a new tv.

    ( <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> )
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  • Marik_SteeleMarik_Steele To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
    Though this won't disable it entirely, here's a possible solution:
    Go to the mouse properties in the control panel, and use whatever options possible to set the sensitivity so far to one end that you really need to force your finger down on the touchpad for it to reocognize movement.
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  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    My mouse pointer occasionally moves in one direction for no reason at all, and I'm not using a laptop. Help?
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  • SoulSkorpionSoulSkorpion Join Date: 2002-04-12 Member: 423Members
    Open it up, find the wires connecting the buttons to the motherboard and unplug them.

    Actually, that probably won't work but it's worth a shot <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • ThansalThansal The New Scum Join Date: 2002-08-22 Member: 1215Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Align+Feb 13 2005, 07:17 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Align @ Feb 13 2005, 07:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> My mouse pointer occasionally moves in one direction for no reason at all, and I'm not using a laptop. Help? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    optical mouse?

    as for disabling the touch pad...

    most of that can be done via windows (I could swear) just by disabling the input device via device manager...

    I just killed my usb mouse via that meathod...
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  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    No, ball mouse.
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