This post is more than 5 years old
7 Posts
1
578703
Dell M4800 Touchpad keeps turning itself back on
Having a strange issue with the Touchpad on my Dell Precision M4800. When I disable it using the Dell software or using the Fn+F5 hotkey, it has a tendency to come back on after a random interval of time. I want it to stay turned off permanently, as I prefer to use the Pointstick exclusively.
When using the Fn hotkey, I get a notification onscreen as well as a popup in the system tray saying "Touchpad notification: Your touchpad has been disabled." If I manually disable it through the Dell Pointing Devices software, I get the same effect, but without the notification. In either case, this works great... for awhile.
But then the Touchpad inevitably turns back on. I often don't notice until suddenly my mouse cursor is behaving erratically, at which point I try to swipe my finger on the touchpad and sure enough, it's become enabled again.
However after some further experimenting it turns out the "random" aspect of this is not totally random and I can reproduce the issue quite reliably by furiously scanning my finger back and forth across the Touchpad for a few seconds. Inevitably, the touchpad will turn back on, and I will get the notification "Your touchpad has been enabled." No buttons or hotkeys are pressed, all I have to do is move my finger on the touchpad surface rapidly and within seconds of starting to do that, it will re-enable itself. Again, there is also a notification that it has been re-enabled when this happens, so the software is detecting my finger movements somehow, perhaps I am accidentally performing some "magic gesture" that compels it to re-enable the touchpad.
If I don't intentionally try to cause this, it still turns on eventually, but can take a long time, half an hour or more before it becomes enabled again. I assume it's the activity of my palms resting on it that will accidentally turn it on again in the same way as swiping my finger intentionally across the disabled touchpad. It makes no difference whether the Dell Pointing Device software is open or closed and this will happen when any application is open.
All I want is for the touchpad to be truly disabled permanently and not accidentally turn on in the middle of my work. But at the same time I'd prefer to leave the pointing stick enabled, so I can't simply remove the driver. So far I've been using an external mouse and disabling all internal pointing devices, which works ok, but like I said I am fond of the pointing stick, I'd prefer to be able to leave it on with JUST the touchpad disabled.
System specs: Dell Precision M4800 with qHD screen
CPU: Core i7 4800MQ @ 2.70Ghz
Graphics: nVidia Quadro K2100M
OS: Factory-installed Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
Dell Pointing Devices software version v.8.1200.101.134
Driver Dude
4 Posts
1
March 3rd, 2017 11:00
@cecilkorik Have you tried the following?
1. Open the Dell Touchpad Properties by double-clicking the touchpad icon in the system tray.
2. Make sure Touchpad is selected on the top.
3. Make sure Sensitivity is selected on the left.
4. Click Tapping (on the right, just below the Cancel button).
5. Clear the check box labeled Enable touchpad by ZigZag gesture close to the bottom of the dialog box.
6. Click Save.
kjmoroney
1 Message
4
January 30th, 2014 06:00
I had the same problem. I believe this is a "feature" in that it allows a person who, let's say forgot their travel mouse, to turn the touchpad on again. The problem is that its too sensitive. Here's the solution.
(I found the part of the solution here: http://geekswithblogs.net/dbutscher/archive/2009/09/14/dell-touchpad--enablingdisabling.aspx)
Hope this helps!
cecilkorik
7 Posts
0
January 30th, 2014 09:00
Thanks, this answer has helped a lot. I haven't had enough time to confirm that doing this has completely resolved the accidental re-enable issue, but it seems so far like it's working. Very odd feature, and very odd solution... I'm just glad I'm not the only one experiencing it!
To anyone from Dell, please consider adding an actual setting for this. Mouse or no mouse, I will never have any interest in re-enabling the touchpad by swiping on it when I have a perfectly functional pointing stick just inches away. And thanks to this "feature" I've become intimately familiar with using Fn+F5 to switch pointing devices on and off on a regular basis now so I think I could figure it out even with both of them disabled.
aki009
4 Posts
0
February 5th, 2014 15:00
I've had this same problem for some time. I have applied the same solution and will see if it works.
To any Dell people reading this: how about fixing this "helpful" feature. Ignoring a user setting is bordering on the moronic and makes the product seem broken.
cecilkorik
7 Posts
0
February 7th, 2014 19:00
The above solution ultimately did not work for me. I am continuing to hope this gets fixed or made optional in future updates. I agree it makes it seem broken -- I was worried I had received a defective laptop at first.
Thanks for your comment though I'm glad to hear at least I'm not the only one continuing to have this problem.
aki009
4 Posts
0
March 18th, 2014 05:00
The fix doesn't work for me either. It also seems to have gotten worse with the latest BIOS upgrade.
ngb222
8 Posts
0
July 6th, 2014 20:00
This is driving crazy!! I am a writer and web designer and I cannot have this pad turning on all the time. It ruins my work. I do not use it and the point stick. Nothing seems to keep it turned off.
How can they make this so hard to turn off. I have done the bios, and all the suggestions and it is not working!
cecilkorik
7 Posts
0
July 7th, 2014 15:00
Well it is at least good to know we're not alone! I too am still having this problem. I have just gotten used to hitting Fn+F5 every five minutes or so, but it is silly and it shouldn't have to be that way. It certainly is a disappointing distraction in an otherwise wonderful laptop.
Hopefully we can get this fixed in a driver or BIOS update someday.
ngb222
8 Posts
0
July 7th, 2014 17:00
Dell does not know why it does this, and I had a two very helpful CS tech reps try to fix this and they could not. It is something Dell needs to fix. In the meantime I am so happy that I found something I can use until Dell adds the ability to permanently turn off the touchpad and stick It is called touchpad blocker.
I have not had any words and sentences jump since I installed it.
When you are typing it stops the touchpad, and it seems like it blocking the stick to from being activated. Only while you are using the the keyboard.
At least I am able to work right now and not wasting time having to keep using "undo" when my words jump and sentences get ruined.
This should have a permanent solution though. It is crazy that we cannot turn this off.
Dell please fix this.
cecilkorik
7 Posts
0
July 23rd, 2014 12:00
Good advice when using an external USB mouse, but unfortunately doesn't help if you just want to use the pointing stick only and NOT the touchpad.
greenrr
1 Message
4
July 23rd, 2014 12:00
Lori1230
1 Message
1
November 17th, 2014 06:00
I have the same issue with my touchpad. It activates all by itself even though I have it turned off. Interestingly enough - the hot button function to turn it on or off DOES NOT work at all. I put a shortcut for the touchpad controls on my desktop so I can deactivate it faster as this problem happens very frequently and drives me nuts because it messes up whatever I'm working on by relocating the pointer. I prefer to use the external mouse. Also - when I open the touchpad software - the settings actually show my touchpad is set to "off". I have to enable it, hit save, then disable it, and hit save again. There is obviously a problem with the touchpad - anyone have a solution to my issue?
scooterkc
1 Message
0
January 16th, 2015 11:00
thank you so much! I've spend tons of time on this, also with Dell Customer Service and they could not come up with a solution.
kytumba
1 Message
0
May 4th, 2016 09:00
This problem not solved in latitude E6500 also.
Driver Dude
4 Posts
1
March 6th, 2017 11:00
@cecilkorik
I have just realized that your driver version 8.1200.101.134 may not have that feature control implemented in the control panel.
In that case, open the registry editor and search for the ZigZag_enable value under the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
key. You should be able to find two occurrences of this value: one under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e96f-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\....\APF\T3B
and one under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\ACPI\DLL05CC\...............\Device Parameters\APF\T3B.
Set all occurrences to 0. If you find more occurrences, set all of them to 0.
After you reboot the computer, the ZigZag feature will be turned off.