Lost touchpad so cannot disable it

My touchpad, which I NEVER use, has been reactivating itself recently. It's normally disabled via ControlPanel>Mouse etc. I've had to keep disabling it but then I got this when clicking on Mouse in Ctrl Panel:



I X'd it out and accessed box to disable Synaptics Pointer, but each time I needed to do so (because touchpad would reactivate itself) I got the same "Unable to..." message so in the end I complied and uninstalled driver.

Short version, I now have an active touchpad and no access to relevant box to disable it, as when clicking Mouse in Ctrl Panel I only get the actual mouse box up.

Plus, Device Mgr was showing 2 HID-compliant mice so I disabled one of them but that's made no difference (this is without the Logitech pad):



With Logitech pad:




Am a touch-typist so changing hand position is very difficult, letters are shooting all over the place. Have had a number of mysterious glitches lately and am going off my rocker, so guidance with this problem would elicit hero-worship.

Sudden thought - recently got a Logitech laptop pad with speakers which plugs in with USB and the timings might tally, do you think the drivers may have interfered? I've added the extra Device Mgr shot above.

 

I once had a similar problem with an old HP Envy. What I did to fix it was uninstall all keyboard and mice drivers, did hard reset (turn off computer, remove battery, and hold power button for 10 seconds), turn on then reinstall drivers from the provided HP cd. Hope this helps

 

Thank you "ThatOldGuy" from "ThisOldWoman", who's taped a credit card over the touchpad so the emergency side of things is over ;-)

Just for now I'm going to read a book!

EDIT - OMG the touchpad is working thru the card - I don't believe it!!! Just accidentally brushing it with a thumb sets the mouse cursor flying. Weeping here :'(

 

i think what could be the problem is you by un_installing the drivers made windows install stock ones which don't have the feature to disable it. I'd suggest to download dell driver for the touchy pad(i think that one has the disable option) install that, reboot and see what that gives you.

 

It gives me the touchpad - already disabled - YAY!

I had seen the A01 driver whilst Googling for a solution but was scared to go ahead with it. Thank you very much un4tural.

 

just adj the sensitivity. "Palm Check" and "TouchSensitivity" are what I see in my synaptics panel (V7.2)

For systems that dont have the setting you can install synaptics software to get the features

 

Thanks, G I don't see any mention of PalmCheck or TouchSensitivity so will look for the software - just in case I have to use the touchpad in a dire emergency, but it would have to be dire!

 

I'm pretty sure this option is avail in the original R1 config. I dont think installing the MS intellipoint added any touchpad features to my system.

Its the same place you would select to "Disable internal pointing device when external etc"

This is roughly found here:
control pnl / hardware / mouse / "device settings" tab / "settings..." button
from menu, expand "Pointing" then expand "Sensitivity"

 

Yes, it didn't catch my eye cos it's greyed out. Re-enabled and adjusted the PalmCheck a bit - but my palms rest either side of the touchpad, not on it. Never mind, I ought to get familiar with my device settings even if I don't use them, so this is a step in the right direction. Thanks again, G

 

You could reinstall the driver from Synaptics, just find an older version. I couldn't disable mine with the new driver for some reason there was just no option.

The drivers for the Logitech touchpad might be interferring. So just try reinstalling the synaptics touchpad driver first.

 

It's fine after following GNandGS's advice I think it must have been the Logitech driver that interfered (although Windows installed it automatically, it doesn't come with its own drivers).

Something that the Logitech is not responsible for, cos it was already happening and driving me nutz, is that Microsoft Security Essentials is no longer starting automatically on start-up. And nearly every time I adjust the relevant settings in services.msc back to Automatic, they change themselves to either Automatic (Delayed Start) or Manual, take your pick :-/

(Nothing to do with M11x, just me letting off steam while I wait for Microsoft to get back to me yet again )

 

The palm check is a good tool as most cases have flex and can cause this. Im using ext kb and mouse for work so haven't bothered. You can use both settings to essentially disable the pad

Since MSE is free you might try removing and installing again

 

Microsoft seem to want to get to the bottom of the changing settings but I may well do as you suggest, G, see if it does any good