The definitive guide to the Envy trackpad

NOTE- the settings I post here are tweakable. You can change any of them to suit your preferences. The ones posted are merely what several people and I feel work the best.

Also, I'm pretty sure the drivers and applications will work for all of the Envies, but has only been tested on the Envy 14.


THE DRIVER:



Synaptics recently released their latest driver, version 15.2.7 . However, when they posted it, they posted a "broken" version of the driver. This broken version treats the trackpad in the Envy as one of the newer ClickPad IS series 3 trackpads. The 15.2.7 drivers that Synaptics has on their website is the fixed version of the same driver. This is bad.

You can download the broken version here: Synaptics_v15_2_7_C_XP64_Vista64_Win7-64.exe

THIS IS NOT THE SAME DRIVER AS THE ONE FOUND ON THE SYNAPTICS WEBSITE. THE ONE FOUND ON THE SYNAPTICS WEBSITE WILL NOT WORK. IT IS THE SAME VERSION, BUT LARGER. (In case you haven't gotten it, you want the broken version.)

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Uninstall your current drivers, then install the HP stock ones (this is for maximum compatibility, you may not need to uninstall)

2. Install broken ones

3. Update to latest.


TO GET TAP TO DISABLE WORKING:

Although the driver is broken, it's much more desirable than the fixed drivers. Because it incorrectly identifies the trackpad, many more features are unlocked.


Features of this driver:
- Clicking by pressing down anywhere on the trackpad surface
- Pixel-level two finger scrolling with rudimentary inertia (Inertia still doesn't work too well IMO)
- Ability to use one finger to hold down the click, and using another finger to drag the cursor around to highlight things. This works anywhere on the trackpad, provided your fingers are not too close together
- Automatic cursor disabling when typing (this could be a drawback if you game with the touchpad, because this behavior cannot be changed)

Some drawbacks:
- All lines are disregarded on the touchpad. This means the only way to right click now is to set the Synaptics settings so that a two-finger click triggers a right click OR a corner click triggers a right click
- Because of the inherent design of the touchpad, it will be hard to depress the button towards the upper 1/3 of the pad.

Third-party programs:

Reil's envyTouchpad.exe-

DOWNLOAD: envyTouchPad.exe
(you may need visual c++ 2010, see here: Download details: Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) )

These are some settings that many people feel work the best:



I have scrolling in Windows set to 1 line at a time for smoother scrolling. If you're using the default 3 lines at a time, you'll want a scrolling speed in the 60s.

For two finger scrolling, either use Synaptics' scrolling or use Reil's. Reil's = choppier scrolling with verrrrry smooth inertia. Synaptics = pixel-level scrolling with horrible or no inertia.

Make sure to disable the 1-finger tapping in Reil's. If you leave it on, then both the Synaptics drivers and Reil's will trigger a click when tapping, inputting 2 mouse clicks per tap.

Also, be sure to start up envyTouchpad either with Administrative rights, or turn UAC off. Leaving UAC on or not starting it with admin rights will prevent you from two finger scrolling in applications requiring admin rights.

If you want to leave UAC on, use this to create a startup shortcut with admin rights: Run Applications with Administrator Rights without UAC Prompt- Elevated Shortcut

Reil's app values-
Scroll speed- self-explanatory
Acceleration- how much the scrolling will accelerate
Maximum Z threshold for scrolling- how much pressure the pad senses, so setting the Z threshold all the way up will allow you to scroll with any hardness and if you have large fingers, will allow you to scroll as well.
Delta ratio threshold- not sure what this one does. there are 2 delta values and I suppose it would be to determine how straight your scrolling needs to be until it starts scrolling sideways.
Single tap interval threshold- interval between when you tap 2 or more fingers. For example, if you set it to 150, then when it sees 2 separate tap events within 150ms of each other then it'll trigger a 2 finger tap action.
Maximum finger travel distance- I think this is how wide your fingers can get before it stops recognizing the tap as 2 fingers together
Maximum W threshold- finger width threshold, this is also used to determine whether the tap is intended to be a multi-finger tap or separate repeated fast tap actions.
Maximum Z threshold- pressure threshold, can be used to tell between a palm hitting the touchpad and only having two spots hit (does not trigger multi-finger tap event) (palm = large Z value) and two fingers tapping (smaller Z value)


Final note: this has only been tested on the Envy 14. YMMV. The linked driver may not work or be finicky on other Envy trackpads. If you tried the new driver, please reply and tell me if it worked and the model of your envy (13, 14, 15, 17 and generation).

Thanks to magus, reil, and the other people that tested this driver out.

 

Oi.

You can disable and re-enable the touchpad now.

You gotta go run windows update and install that over these drivers, set up tap to disable, then reinstall the mediafire drivers over the windows update ones.


'course my double/triple click anywhere won't work for the context menu (secondary click) anymore. But hey, that's what corner click is for. It DOES work for secondary click still.

 

Added this thread to the 1st post of the Owners Lounge.

 

Updated with new installation instructions

 

Nevermind.

just noticed that the ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp50501-51000/sp50661.exe (same driver type as the one from windows update) is larger in size than the one from windows update.


so...*shrugs* This might overwrite the click anywhere stuff by accident. Don't use this, just use windows update

 

had to reinstall it twice but its working for me


I am happeh!

cant disable my touchpad but that doesnt matter i never use that feature..

thanks!

 

This really is the missing link the envy needed IMO. I can't believe how much nicer life on this computer is now. So thanks guys and great work at going way out of your way to sincerely help us. Especially you EAFD and MAGUS. You guys rock.

 

I'm just glad I got the tap to disable to work again.

 

Let me see if I get this.... So, if I install these "updates" to the touchpad on my Envy 17 3D there is a good chance that when I want to use a USB mouse and disable the touchpad, the touchpad will not be able to be disabled???? Lol, that's a mouthful.


KJ

 

If you follow the updated instructions, you should be able to disable your touchpad.

Also, the disable has to do with the double-tap in the left upper corner. Disabling still works when you plug USB mice in.

Edit- without following the updated instructions (because I still want two finger right click), when you toggle the setting in the control panel, the orange light will turn on and your trackpad will auto disable itself when a USB device is plugged in.

 

doesn't for me eafd.

You'd have to have turn that option on before re-updating to the mediafire link.

('course then you can never turn that option off until synaptics releases a version of these drivers that doesn't get rid of the ability to turn that stuff on/off. At least it remembers what you were set at)

 

I just went from stock > these drivers, and it turns the orange light on when you turn "Disable trackpad when USB device is plugged in" and you plug a mouse in.

Yeah, this driver business is annoying

 

eafd thanks. I'll approach this with caution, since I'm not big on using the touchpad on its own much and just use a mouse 99% of the time. If I ever get the taste of playing with my touchpad I'll consider these updates.

KJ

 

Thanks for this great topic.

I'm wondering how the cursor behaves with two fingers on the touchpad with these drivers (ex. thumb in bottom left corner on LMB spot, and index finger moving the cursor). Does the cursor move as smooth as if only one finger was on the touchpad? Or is it like with stock drivers - the mouse accuracy is lower with two fingers?

 

If you mean having your thumb stationary on the lower left corner of the pad and using another finger to scroll then yes it is very smooth. Exact same as using 2 fingers to scroll in my opinion.

 

I think he may mean "lay thumb on left click button, pray to the clickpad gods that the other finger will just move the cursor"


The answer to that, is no. Or at least no with reil's two finger scroll turned on.

with it off it's glitchy and depends on how much of your weight you're pushing down on your thumb/how far across the thing it is.

Soooo...yeah. not that good still

 

That's what I meant. Sorry to hear that. Maybe I could do that Clickpad transplant in the near future

 

For me it's fine, even with two finger scroll. You just can't start off with your fingers too close together, or reil's will think you're trying to scroll :/

 

Any1 tried this on an Envy 13, thinking about snapping up a refurb on the cheap.

 

I just did windows update to get service pack 1 and realized i updated Synaptics - Input - Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad

Installation date: ‎3/‎23/‎2011 12:57 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Optional

Synaptics Input software update released in September, 2010

will this mess up the drivers EAFD posted that allow for touchpad awesomeness? i can't tell a difference but it is really late and i just installed it.

 

all that will do is let you turn on the disable on tap stuff and the "disable when mouse is plugged in stuff.


you also won't be able to change any of the click anywhere settings (turning on/off double or triple click anywhere and picking what those do) since you'll have the old synaptics settings thing

 

Would there be any way to temper with the installation files of newer Synaptics drivers to enable this "wrong recognition"?

It would save us having to install stock and then overwrite ...etc!

 

This is the latest version of the Synaptics drivers.

Synaptics released a broken version that has been fixed, but the fixed version is still the same version number but larger.

The driver installation sequence is to prevent older versions of the trackpad driver from interfering with the new ones, and also enables tap to disable.

 

How do i tell if i still have the broken ones? I accidentally let windows update update my synaptics drivers.

 

Oh, in that case, reread the instructions, because I've updated them.

Can you still click anywhere? Magus says that reinstalling will fix it

 

Thank you and i've read them every day just in case something new has been posted. Everything seems the same i just don't know what was downloaded since it seems that everything is the same (click anywhere and all that). Oh well it's not a big deal just a little confused.

 

I'm sort of confused Which drivers is best for Inertia scrolling and disabling tap for the touchpad to function like a mac because i find it useless to have a clickpad if one doesn't even need to click on it to use it...

I just want to be prepared for when my Envy 14 arrives hopefully this week

 

Reil's is an app written by a fellow e14 owner for inertia scrolling.

The driver is for clicking.

 

So I should install both?

 

Wait that was a stupid question...lol

 

Just follow the guide and do what it says. If you don't like it after that then i'm sure EAFD can figure something out for you.

 

Hey guys I received my Envy today, and I really want to fix the touchpad asap, but i'm not sure how? I currently have the September drive do I still have to uninstall the drive, and if so how? Also how do I get the stock drive?... The rest I believe I can do

Thanks in advance...

 

@eafd I followed your guide .. didnt work for me ... still left and right click and most painful ... no pointer movement if my finger is below the lines on the trackpad ... my trackpad is still recognized as synaptics clickpad v7.4

 

You must have something wrong because it works for me. Make sure you downloaded the correct synaptics drivers and then make sure you used the correct settings.
Once you know that EAFD will have an easier time helping you.

 

This might help to the above two people:

http://www.mediafire.com/?aj0jboxxmf4dm4q

Those are the absolute stock drivers found in the swsetup folder. Uninstall your current drivers. Install these stock drivers, then finally install the drivers previously linked to.

If you need the tap to disable function, use windows update to update the drivers (which will actually downgrade them), then install the alternate drivers over them.

 

I can't download reil's, a notice pops up stating that I have to download .Net framework 4.030319. I also downloaded the Visual C+++ 2010

 

Install Visual C++ and this : Download details: Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (Web Installer)

Then try to run reil's again

 

Got it... Thanks Eafd

 

Something is wrong with my pinch to zoom, Its lagging

 

Pinch to zoom is not smooth like apple's pinch to zoom. It can only zoom in largish increments. Is this what you're talking about, or does the zooming actually lag? If the zooming actually lags then it's the performance of your computer, the drivers only send Ctrl+ or Ctrl- to the application you're pinching in

 

Ha i didn't even realize Ctrl +/- did that HA thanks.

 

ctrl + mousewheel can do that too (depends on the thing).

 

What settings should I have for the Tapping in Reil's

 

I have the default (I think)...

You can check against this screenshot: TinyGrab - Simple. Screenshot. Sharing.

 

Do I have to install the App every time I sign on??? or am I doing something wrong

 

It doesn't need installing. Just check start with windows

 

And Ctrl 0 zooms to normal/100%

 

This works an absolute treat on my Envy 13.

Thank you!

 

Wow, this works like a charm!
I was wondering if there was a way to change the scroll lines depending whether I use the touchpad or the mouse scroll wheel? when i have it scroll 1 line at a time, it is painfully slow using the scroll wheel on my mouse, but I like the smoothness of scrolling 1 line at a time with the touchpad.

 

My previous issue: Red light always on on clickpad (trackpad) after latest Synaptics update

Solution: Remove latest driver, restart, reinstall older driver.
Issue: No click anywhere

Better solution:
(Click anywhere, no red light issue, tap to disable working)

Remove all drivers through windows uninstall, restart
Install latest driver, restart
Install Windows Update driver (Other older drivers wont work), restart (If you cant find it you may have hidden)
Set up tap to disable in Windows Update drivers
Reinstall newest drivers, restart

All should be working

This is just like the first post minus a step, but essentially Im letting you know that it fixed the red light issue as well as gave me click anywhere and still lets tap to disable work.

Thanks to eafd.