SZ Touchpad Problem

Hey folks,

about a year ago I bought a Vaio SZ61WN/C here in Germany. A few weeks ago I noticed some problems with the touchpad.

Sometimes, when pressing the left touchpad button only once, the touchpad performes a double-click. For example if I click a folder on my desktop once to mark it, the computer opens the folder instead. This phenomenon espacially occours when I press the upper-right part of the touchpad button.

This can get quite annoying. I hope you guys can help me. Might this be a driver problem? Is there any new Alps touchpad driver? I didn't find one on the Sony website. I don't know if the problem existed when I bought the laptop because usually I'm using an external Bluetooth mouse.

Thank you for your help in advance!

~ Andy

P.S.: I hope my english is understandable! ;-)

 

I have the same laptop, and the same problem. I don't know if it's a driver problem or a hardware problem...

 

Hello Andy,
there were some strange things with the SZ's mouse...
(Cursour jumping around and so on...)

Didn't notice any of that until at some point with a bluetooth mouse I think it did...

I suppose it will boil down to adriver issue.

However, I'm not too familier with all these "special functions", on previous medion laptops I had something called (in German) "Tippbereiche", I don't no if the Alps touchpad device has anything like that.

Then there is the issue of let me say "double clikc time" maybe thats to "fast" try "playing around" with the settings, this my solve your problem.

All the best, or should I say
Schöne Grüße!

Detlev

 

So this only occurs sometimes? There is a setting in the control panel that opens folders with one click - maybe you have that enabled?

http://freeware-reviews.blogspot.com/2005/07/single-click-to-open-programs-and.html

 

Hey guys!

Thank you very much for your answers. Well, I played around with the touchpad settings a little bit the last few days but I didn't solve the problem. :-(

I think it's a hardware issue. I contacted Sony and they told me to recover the system but that didn't help. I also checked my Windows folder settings to see if folders are supposed to be opened with a single click but that feature was disabled.

Because the problems occours only sometimes I think it really is a hardware issue. So I guess I'll have to send the laptop to Sony for repair. :-(

Thanks for your help!

~ Andy

 

Same problem here with VGN-SZ71VN since two days ago - most (but not every) clicks on left-hand button register as double clicks. Makes it tricky to move files. Very annoying! I've only had the computer 2.5 months. I'll take it into Sony when I get back from my current travels.

In meantime, would be grateful if you could keep us posted if you learn anything.

K.

p.s. It seems to be a new problem - this might be because the model is fairly new, but I wonder if there has been a Sony or Windows update I didn't notice which has screwed this up (though I keep check on downloads, and don't think I've installed a new update for a month or so).

pps. I wonder how widespread it is? This seems to be the only discussion of it on the web. If indeed so rare, perhaps points to hardware problem ...

 

Hi Andy,

I have had the exact same problem that you describe. It has been driving me mad. I could work OK for a while and then every click would become a double click which made it impossible to work. I had this in addition to the problem widely described where everything suddenly seems to be clicking and the laptop has a life of its own.

A bit of history - I got my SZ61 preinstalled with Vista - I hated this as the disc drive was always busy thrashing and had frequent stops of 20 - 30 seconds where I could not do anything. However the mouse pad functioned as normal. Not surprisingly after a few months of disc thrashing the disc drive failed. I have never had this problem in 10 years of laptops and would not expect this on an expensive Sony laptop. I blame Vista for this.

Anyway - Sony were very efficient at collecting the laptop and returning with a new disc drive. I took the opportunity to 'downgrade' to XP. This was very easy - but this is when the mousepad problems started.

As you can guess - Sony support asked if I had followed their XP installation instructions in the correct order - yes. So then you get the usual support response to do a recovery! Really helpful - NOT. I think this standard answer by PC manufacturers is a disgrace and wastes so much of their customers time. I was even considering doing this and reverting to Vista hoping this would solve my problem - until I read there are still problems with the mousepad when running Vista. When you search the web you realise there are major problems with this laptop and Sony just waste users' time with 'recover' your laptop advice. This is disgraceful.

Anyway - the reason for my reply is that after months of pain I have finally solved this problem. I did this with a combination of recommendations from the internet. Firstly I installed the Alps drivers from the DELL website. I think it was the Alps driver from here:
http://support.euro.dell.com/suppor...D=LATITUDE+PRECISION+M65&hidos=WW1&hidlang=en

This made an improvement. I then disassembled my laptop and took out and cleaned the mousepad components. See: http://doube.org/sztp.html

The mousepad had seemed to have a lot of paper dust around it since the disc drive was replaced and one of my colleagues had commented on this. Anyway, both of these actions have fixed the problem.

After all this - everything worked well apart from the fact that the stupid mousepad 'tapping' was enabled. I was not able to switch this off with the older DELL driver so took the risk and upgraded to the later Sony Alps driver that came with the laptop. Having done this - all still works well.

So I have now had several days of normality. I totally understand your frustration and hope that this helps you resolve your problem.

Regards


Graham

 

Add me as another victim. Bought my SZ750N less than a year ago. The touchpad problem began within the last couple weeks or so. About at the same time as it occured to others. Sounds like an automatic "upgrade" from either Sony or Windows has affected us at the same time. Very frustrating. I'll try the cleaning and/or driver ideas suggested by Graham.

 

Hi all

Sony engineer called today. Said he'd seen this problem before - if intermittent, is definitely a hardware problem.

He replaced the button unit for the touchpad (also with fingerprint sensor).

Easy to do, and cured the double-click problem. However, was very difficult to refit touchpad so it would sit absolutely snugly and wouldn't rattle slightly when tapped. Looks like the new unit fitted is minutely different size, so wouldn't sit firmly. Or design flaw in machine. We noticed that original installation had some sticky tape, seemingly to stop touchpad from vibrating when tapped. So we ended up securing the new one with isolating tape - seems to have done the job.

Altogether, repairing the unit was easy, but refitting it was a nightmare. Also very tricky to lay all the mini-cables under the keyboard in their exact channels, so everything lies flat And to remove the optical drive (which was also broken - after 2 months!!) he needed to take the whole unit to pieces. It will make me think twice before getting another Vaio, though when working, it works very well ...

In short, assume your double-click issue is also hardware.

best

K.

 

Nice to hear t got sorted.

Don't let the seemingly difficult dismantling keep you from getting a Vaio if you like them! You're not doing the repairs!

Also, different models will be different in this aspect, and a ultraportable, or very portable one as the SZ will always be more difficult to take apart than something large.

 

Hey folks!

Some news: I send in my vaio 9 days ago and today it came back. They replaced the touchpad and the mainboard. Now it's all working like a charme! They also cleaned the entire unit and send me a micro fiber cloth for cleaning.

I'm thrilled!

 

Yeah, I have a VGN-SZ780 and the left button on the touchpad is behaving exactly the way as you guys described--randomly acts as if I doubled clicked. I've contacted Sony Support and they first suggested that I reinstall my system with the recovery disc (to eliminate that it is a driver issue). Next, they told me to contact the warranty office. Since I have the 2-year ADH on this machine, they will/should fix my touchpad problem by either replacing it or giving me a new unit.

Will post update after I get my machine back.

 

After a relatively short chat with Sony Support Extended Service Program personnel on the phone, the technician determined that my touchpad issue is due to faulty built (i.e. when pressing the palm rest, it short-circuits the touchpad button and makes it behave badly). For my particular SZ model, he said they just need to replace the touchpad unit. I've seen on the Web do-it-yourself (diy) instructions...which I wouldn't do myself--plus how am I going get the replacement touchpad unit? Anyway, my point is that this is a common enough issue that there are tutorials out there!

I've shipped my machine to Nexicore Services (the company that is contracted by Sony to repair their stuff) as instructed by Sony Support (Extended Service Program group). Again because I have the 2-year extended warranty express shipping w/ ADH, the shipping and repair doesn't cost me extra (I've already paid for it by purchasing the extended warranty when I bought the laptop). The turn around time including the shipping back-and-forth should take no more than 5-7 days. If I get my laptop back on Friday, then they have kept their word.

 

Got my laptop back. Took a bit longer than I thought--they failed to keep their promise of 5-7 work days. Anyway, the touchpad and the touchpad buttons were replaced. Sony included a wipe cloth as a way of saying, sorry you had to get your laptop fixed.

The touchpad is behaving the way it should be. A single click-a single click. A double click-a double click.

I can tell they cleaned the laptop up a bit. None of the finger prints I left are there. I do know this is my laptop because of ding mark I left is still there--also the data and is still all there.

If you have issues with your touchpad, it will be worthwhile to send it in for servicing. If you have a way to get the replacement parts and are the do-it-yourself type, then fix it yourself. It probably be quicker doing it yourself (if you can), since it took almost twice as long as Sony said it will take for it to be shipped out, repaired, shipped back to you.

No warranty? I guess it is ALREADY time for a new laptop?