XPS 13 - One of the worst touchpads ever

I think it defaults to being located by pushing the Ctrl key and holding it down. If it doesn't default to that, you can definitely set it to do that in the Synaptics trackpad control panel. Good luck.

 

Where is the Synaptics trackpad control panel for this laptop? Are you sure you're on the right thread?

 

Yes, I am on the right thread and I'm not high, but I might be wrong about the control panel for Synaptics trackpad in W8. Even if there is no Synaptics control panel it may be possible to click on "Mouse" from the Windows Control panel and, from the Microsoft trackpad control panel there's a decent chance there's a user-controlled option towards the bottom of the MS cp for the mouse to to invoke a signal as to the location of the cursor by pressing on the control key. Seems to me that may have been a function created in that 2006 MS generic touchpad driver, which should still exist even where the MS/Synaptics coordinated "Precision" touchpad has done away with the vendor-created control panel.

Or maybe not.

 

It doesn't exist on windows 8. I don't know what os he's using.

 

I few people installed Windows 7 and found some incomplete/buggy Synaptics drivers for Win7. I'm assuming he's one of them. Unfortunately, Microsoft stripped away almost all custom features form the trackpad control panel in Win8.

 

It's a little weird that you guys keep referring to me in the third person ("he" vs "you"). As I said, I don't have a Win 8 machine with the MS" Precision" trackpad but I do have two Win 8 machines with Synaptic and Elan trackpads and for both if you click on MS Control Panel>Mouse>Mouse Properties >Pointer Options at the very bottom of that screen you can check or unchek: "Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key." Im quite certain this is Windows feature, available on both W7 and W8 and it is selected before you get to where you could go into the touchpad vendor's ctrl panel (had there been one) and I would expect it to be accessible even with the new Windows Precision touchpads that have no independent touchpad vendor control panel.

Let me know if this works - not for the problem of the cursor moving when you take your finger off the trackpad but for locating the cursor when it seems to disappear. It was "Digital Moe" who posted about this.

Still not sure why you would question if I am in the right thread when I quoted a post from this thread in my initial response. If MS has even removed the most rudimentary OS "mouse" (controls trackpads too) controls from the Precision trackpads such as the 2015 XPS 13 has, they really have blown it. Even the best trackpads need some user controls just for basic preferences.

I hope I've clarified for "them" what "he" was referring to when "they" questioned whether "he" was in the right thread or knew what "he" was talking about. I'm sure "they" meant no offense, lol

 

People are confused whether you're in the right thread or not with your reference to the Synaptic control panel - strangely the XPS 13 has no user accessible settings for the touchpad at all, it just shows as a basic mouse.

I don't have the XPS 13 any more to check but I know the option you mean and it should be there on a machine with just a basic mouse drive.

 

Just to clarify, LoveLaptops, Jeff, "you", whatever you like to be called

The 2015 Dell XPS 13 did away with Dell's usual Synaptic software/drivers and allowed Microsoft to impose it's own drivers. A lot of owners are complaining because Microsoft's driver/firmware implementation is turning out to be pretty bad and they've given us no way to customize it outside of the most basic windows mouse and touchpad properties (yes, the CTRL key option is there).

We're just confused because you referenced software that we've been desperately looking for (Synaptic control panel) and didn't realize you don't own a 2015 XPS 13. I mean you no offence, really, and sorry for my weird use of pronouns.

 

I get it. I should've made it clear I did not own the newest XPS 13 from the start. As per below, the function to find the cursor is still available, just not on the [non-existant] Synaptics CP.

Yup, I get it now. See my response to Richhy, above, as applies to you as well. I see why you thought I might have thought I was in the 2014 XPS 13 thread, as it did have the formerly conventional Synaptics track pad CP in addition to the MS Mouse CP. Actually, being called "him" is a step up from what a lot of people have called me in the past, so I shouldn't complain ! No offense taken.

On a related noted, it is so disappointing that Dell did such a crappy implementation of the trackpad - partnership w/MS or not, they didn't have to use that non-driver. I said this somewhere else on the thread but it bears repeating: Dell (like Sony, my former PC "love"), has this annoying tendency to make a superb product and screw up a couple of absolutely fundamental executions. Among the unforgiveables in my book: 1) Screen (used to be too low resolution, now it's too high (1), or not bright enough, or truly awful colors and or contrast; 2) Keyboard: I can tolerate a small amount of flex, somewhat shorter than ideal key press distance, less than ideal backlighting, but until 3 years ago, 90% of all keyboards flunked 1-3 of these, if they were backlit at all!

 

For two finger scrolling issues in Chrome, try removing "hardware acceleration"

Advanced options -> under "system", -> uncheck "use hardware acceleration when available".

It's still not perfectly smooth as compared to IE, however I've found that two finger scrolling is much smoother and removes some of the stutter affect that plagues Chrome and Firefox with this touchpad.

 

I haven't posted in a while. I lurk every now and then, but haven't posted in about 5 years. Anyway, just here to say that the Touchpad is HORRIBLE. I have the same problem as most people: when I let go the touchpad, the cursor moves slightly. Makes it impossible to work on Photoshop or anything that requires precision. And Microsoft & Dell call this a Precision Touchpad? C'mon!!!!!

On top of that, when I use my Logitech Anywhere MX mouse, it's a little bit jittery too. Latest driver and software. It's not the hardware (mouse) because it still works perfectly in my Acer laptop.

So I ended up buying a Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Mouse (Bluetooth). This is actually a really nice mouse.

Anyway, I hate the Touchpad. I need a solution ASAP. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of vent.

 

I'm hoping Windows 10 will fix the software for the touch pad. I'm using an external mouse for now.

 

Anyone care to venture a guess as to why so many consider this the best laptop ever made yet so many consider its touch pad unusable - certainly enough to topple it from top honors to, er, honorable mention. I mean, the major appeal of this laptop is its portability - along with otherwise superb quality - but if you need to drag out a mouse - particularly if you have a non-touch screen - it's hardly what I would call "convenient." I'd much rather it weigh 3.3 lbs and have a regular 13" form factor and have an excellent touch pad - actually, quite like my Samsung Ativ Book 9+, which I was strongly considering replacing with the new XPS 13. Not now though.

Are the touch pad problems intermittent, or do they only effect a small % of the units made? Because otherwise I'm at a total loss for the near universal accolades, despite its having some excellent attributes. Kind of like a great car with really lousy brakes. What do you all think?

 

What pisses me off most about Microsoft is why do we have to wait until a new operating system comes out for a hope that they might address the touchpad issue? No community feedback, no acknowledgment of the problem, nothing.

Dell should really step up and get us some new Drivers. It's their laptop and their reputation on the line after all.

 

I experience no problems with TouchPad. It works very smooth. Scrolling in Firefox + Acrobat Reader is very nice.

Three-finger gestures don't work, because current windows drvers do not support it. For the rest I don't have any complaints.

For two-finger scrolling you need to put your two fingers in the middle and not in corners, but that makes sense...

 

Maybe I should install Windows 7 on it instead? Could that solve this issue?

 

I would not recommend that. There is a thread in which user Dellianware installed Windows 7 and had huge problems with the touchpad calling it the worst ever...

 

Dell #Fail.
Microsoft #Fail.

If the XPS 13 wasn't so pretty, I'd just return it. Good thing I use it like a desktop 97% of the time; it just sits in one place and I use a mouse with it.

 

I jumped into this thread on Dell's forum.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19616659

Maybe if more of us post there we can get some response from Dell.

 

I requested a RETURN for my computer. Since posting on this thread, the jumpy cursor is all I can think about when using my Dell XPS 13. It's been just under 30 days since invoice date.

EDIT: Never mind. I'm going to keep the computer. Despite the Touchpad hiccup, the rest of the computer is so beautiful that I will keep it. Since I use the mouse 98% of the time, I am willing to overlook the Touchpad for now.

 

This all sounds like when you install a fresh OS and no touch pad driver at all, its behaviour. Once you install a touchpad driver everything is good to go.
If this is the only way it can be used with only OS control, this is a seriously flawed product. Totally unacceptable!
Who is the manufacturer of the touch pad, can the drivers be not used directly from whom ever they are?

 

I have worked with worse touchpads in the past. Its no way close to a MacBook. Only issue I have is sometimes it left clicks on its own and most of the time I have to press left click hard to register. Going to try to update drivers and see if it helps if anyone knows where the latest drivers are located. Side note theres a bit of keyboard lag typing from the flash animations. I like the size of this notebook but its got a few kinks that make me hesitate...

 

I am guessing they offered you a good deal to keep it?

 

As far as I know, there are no proper drivers for this touchpad. If there was this thread probably wouldn't exist.
I believe the hardware itself made by Synaptics.

 

Perhaps this is old news, but you can always install the Synaptics driver instead of the Microsoft one if you prefer that. Get it here:

http://www.synaptics.com/en/drivers.php



Didn't really give the Dell/MS one a chance since I've read about all the complaints, but used it for perhaps an hour before switching to Synaptics and I get the feeling this one is better and works without any "resistance" compared to the Dell/MS one.

Edit:
This is on a XPS13 2015 modell that is, but I would assume it might be the same for older versions as well if they use the Dell/MS driver. Also, I recommend creating a System Restore Point before if you need to rollback.

 

Cant get the driver working, how did you do it?

 

Anxiously awaiting the installation instructions. Just tried it, also with uninstalling the existing drivers first, no luck.

 

Sorry for the delay, has been busy. I did quite a bit of experimenting as I knew I was to reinstall the OS anyway (as I always do, kind of a control freak) so I'll try to remember how it was done and exactly what worked and what didn't.

When you say that you can't get the driver working, do you mean that the TouchPad still use the MS driver (check in device manager if unsure) or that it has switched to the Synaptic driver but that you don't get the "Synaptic settings" in the Mouse control panel (as my image in the previous post)?

 

i could install the driver but cant open the synaptics control panel

 

Ok, will see if I can do it again and let you know how. That being said, I never got the full Synaptic settings in the control panel as you could see from the previous image. Might be possible with other drivers though.

 

Hey guys, haven't logged into this site in ages but when I read about the touchpad errors I wanted to see how to fix it. I ordered 3 different xps 13's mostly hoping to sell 2 of them so I opened one of them to keep. After playing around with the touchpad, I got really frustrated with it. When I left click and drag a window it keeps bringing me back to the same spot. Also, the touchpad would suddenly just stop working and just not do anything after moments of two finger scrolling. So I put it back in the box and decided to go on my day.

Next day, I decided to open another one just for kicks to see if the touchpad was the same since I was going to return them all. When I boot this laptop, i try to do the same things as usual. Oddly enough holding the left click and dragging a window was not as bad and would only occur when I move the touchpad in a certain way (which I've gotten used to) and the touchpad never had any issues with stopping to work after scrolling or any other odd issues I had before. In fact, this touchpad is much much more precise than the first, like I can't even fault it moving around just to play. Between the two touchpads, I think this one is a bit more glass feeling and I'm not sure whether that affects it, but the second laptop is miles in difference in using that trash can touchpad on the first. I updated both with the latest firmware so in my case, I don't think it was the firmware. Maybe it was just a trashy touchpad that might need to be re-rolled a few times, but definitely there is a difference. I really like the laptop now .

 

My touchpad was ok for awhile, but for some reason my left mouse clicks by clicking on the pad aren't registering as well. I am not sure if the hardware is having issues. I need to depress it past the click for the click to register on the top portions of the pad. Anyone getting this?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...3-will-gladly-pay.775614/page-2#post-10003144

 

I just wanted to chime in that the new BIOS update, A04. improves the the touchpad performance for me. So much better. Not as good as other laptops, but definitely an improvement.

 

Have you guys tried it in Windows 10 and checked if they added any new configuration options there?

 

Nop .. WDs 10 upgade won't change ..
But new BIOS helps a lot ..
Actually I'm ok with it ..

 

When mine arrived it had A04 on it and I still returned cause the touch pad was horrible could it be cause my daily go to computer was a macbook pro retina and they have the best touchpad ?

 

If the main issue is the lack of configurability, why wouldn't Windows 10 be able to help?

 

In terms of performance:
I installed Windows 10 last month. I see no difference.
I updated the BIOS today, from A01 to A04. I see no difference.
My touchpad isn't as annoying anymore; just got used to it.
My biggest beef was how the pointer jumped a few pixels when I let go the touchpad.
Still does that.
I don't have such problem on my other 3 notebooks:
Mackbook Pro 13, Acer Chromebook, 4 year old Acer 3830T.

As for configuration options on the Windows 10, I don't see anything different than Windows 8.

 

MS propably won't fix it ....
Wait for chrome comes up with new V that works with Precision touch pad ..
and Dell to do there share ...if we whine hard enough ...
Actually , my new pxs 13 "picked up on saturday came with wds10 , I still have to tweak it to make it it workable ..

 

I have found a solution that has dramatically improved touchpad performance in Windows 10 (for Dell XPS 13 - 9343).
It does not require any Synaptics drivers (trust me, I have manually updated the driver many times from 3rd party websites, the solutions didn't work)
This requires registry changes:
1. Run - regedit
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> PrecisionTouchPad
3. Change the "CurtainDismissDistance" and "CurtainDismissTime" to 0 (this will eliminate any lag or delays)
4. Change the "GestureScrollMaxDistance" to your liking (I set it as 40 (hexadecimal value)
5. Restart

It works in Windows 10. You may want to create system restore point before doing the above. Cheers

 

I just tried this and the performance of the touchpad scrolling is better. It is now acceptable. Thanks for the tip!

 

Thanks and repped

 

What do the two CurtainDismiss settings do exactly? I made both changes (and rebooted just in case), and I see no difference.

 

Thanks Pro , It works on my HP Envy360 too ..

 

I think this is a touchpad issue: After waking from sleep, the tabs I left open in google chrome are stuck and unable to scroll with the trackpad. Was wondering if anyone else had this issue and if there was any way to fix it?

 

Unfortunately this fix isn't working for me. I run Windows 10 Home on an XPS 9343. I changed all the variables above, both to extremely low (0) and high (1000) values, restarted, without any noticeable change in the lag of the cursor behind movements.

Is there any way to get Windows or the driver to recognize my registry changes?

 

This helped a bit on the late 2015 model, but it's still an awful touchpad..

 

My XPS13 9350 (early 2016 model) has been delivered with a quality defect in terms of a sticking trackpad button.

I have been playing around with the machine this evening as it is being collected tomorrow to see if I would get another one or just get a refund.

The size of the machine, the feel of it in your hand, etc are excellent.

What an absolute disgrace the touchpad is on this machine though. Gestures on it are utter rubbish. Two finger scrolling bounces around and often does not work at all.

I have an HP Spectre x360, the touchpad on which works absolutely seamlessly with all Windows 10 gestures

It is totally unacceptable on such an expensive machine. I have installed the synaptics driver as per another thread and whilst it is better, it is still pretty ropey.

I notice there are threads around for 3 years complaining of issues with the XPS13 touchpad. It will therefore be going back for a refund.

Typical Dell, get a brilliant concept and then nearly get it right but ruin it with poor elements of execution.

 

There's a new driver out on Dell's site. Not tried it yet.

http://www.dell.com/support/home/au/en/audhs1/product-support/product/xps-13-9350-laptop/drivers