On Windows 10, touchpads not only offer a mechanism to navigate the user interface, but over the years they have improved, and now you can also use gestures to perform navigation tasks even faster. However, even with all the changes, many users still prefer the traditional mouse.
Although you can disable the touchpad completely, if you prefer to use a mouse, it's possible to configure Windows 10 to disable the touchpad automatically only when a USB or Bluetooth mouse is connected. This way, if you need to work with your laptop, and you don't have a mouse nearby, you can still move around the OS to get work done.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the easy steps to disable your laptop's touchpad when you connect a mouse using the Settings app and Control Panel.
How to disable touchpad when mouse is connected using Settings
Open Settings.
Click on Devices.
Click on Touchpad.
Under 'Touchpad,' clear the Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected option.
Once you completed the steps, the touchpad will remain disabled unless you disconnect your mouse.
How to disable touchpad when mouse is connected using Control Panel
It should be noted that the option in the Settings app is only available on devices featuring a precision touchpad. If you have another type of touchpad, it's possible to change the mouse settings using Control Panel, or a third-party tool -- usually provided by your device manufacturer.
For example, if you're using a Synaptics touchpad, you can use Control Panel to change the mouse settings using the following steps:
Open Control Panel.
Click on Hardware and Sound.
Under 'Devices and Printers,' click on Mouse.
On the 'Device Settings' tab, clear the Disable internal pointing device when external USB pointing device is attached option.
Flash forward online legendado. Also, note that depending on the manufacturer, the option to disable the touchpad when a mouse is connected can be buried within the support software.
For example, on some Dell laptops, the setting to disable the touchpad is located in the Dell's support software.
Open the touchpad application.
Select the mouse you're using.
Check the Disable Touchpad when USB Mouse present option.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Why won’t the touchpad on my new ASUS laptop work? I just got it. Any ideas?
omg thank you so much FIDELIS I WAS FREAKING out :P i must of gone to mute my computer but pressed the wrong button..
my asus transformer TF101 keypad broke. i just received a new one but the touchpad won't work. how do i enable it. i've looked at the answers, but i don't have a F9 button. please help!
Try using to click fn+f9 if it didnt work maybe u didnt installed the touch pad driver and good luck
Hello, usually with laptops you have to use a function key to enable touchpad. Depending on laptop's brand it can be different. For Asus it should be Fn+F9 at same time.
'BINGO!'
..you GOT IT!
thanks..
flashrob
Thank you, thank you! Touchpad finally works!
thanks dud!!!!
omg! I love you I was trying to mute my computer and guess that is how I turned it off!!
THANKYOUUU
Sometimes touchpad does not work while charging. does it work, when it is not on ac power ?
Start - Control Panel - Mouse - Device Settings Just find the tab that has the synaptics logo enable touchpad should if disabled
try to download a new touchpad driver http://support.asus.com/download/options.aspx?SLanguage=en
thank you anonymous, I could move the cursor but the tapping would not work, I had to go into the settings via the Control panel-Mouse- Device Settings and click the enable on the tapping. Wouldn't have thought of it without your help
Windows 8 had trackpad edge swipes that opened the charms bar and did other things desktop users didn’t care about. Microsoft overhauled these gestures in Windows 10, and they’re now useful even for desktop users.
These gestures have been dubbed “Mac-like.” They are similar to trackpad gestures on a Mac because they’re so useful you’ll actually want to use them for navigating the desktop.
Does Your PC Support These Gestures?
RELATED:How to Use Your Macbook’s Trackpad Gestures
Not all existing laptops that have been updated to Windows 10 will be able to use these gestures. More modern Windows 10 devices should be capable of doing so.
Technically, this requires a “Precision Touchpad.” You can check if your PC has a precision touchpad by opening the Settings app, selecting Devices, and selecting “Mouse & touchpad.” You’ll see the line “Your PC has a precision touchpad” under the “Touchpad” heading here if it does.
You can’t just enable this feature by installing a new driver. Your PC’s manufacturer must have met Microsoft’s precision touchpad specification and been certified by Microsoft. This specification was introduced in Windows 8.1, so some PCs that have upgraded to Windows 10 will be able to use these features. Windows 8.1 Update 2 added some more features.
Why the restrictions? Well, Apple can control exactly which touchpads are in a MacBook and ensure they all work properly with gestures, but Microsoft can’t control which touchpads are used in Windows PCs. Historically, many touchpads in Windows PCs have been of poor quality. While they work okay for moving the cursor around, they wouldn’t necessarily be capable of providing accurate data about multi-finger gestures. This also ensures those trackpads don’t “misfire” and accidentally trigger gestures when you’re just trying to move the cursor around.
Microsoft doesn’t require PC manufacturers provide a “precision touchpad,” so not all Windows 10 PCs will have one.
Windows 10’s Touchpad Gestures
Here are the gestures you can use if your PC has a precision touchpad:
Click: Perform a left-click by simply tapping on the touchpad. You don’t have to to press it down or click a button.
Right-click: To perform a right-click instead of a left-click, tap with two fingers on the touchpad. You can also tap with one finger in the lower-right corner of the touchpad.
Drag and Drop: To drag something — as if you were clicking and holding the mouse button down while moving it — perform a double tap and move your finger. Release it when you’re done.
Scroll: To scroll around in a document, web page, or anywhere else you might use a scroll wheel, place two fingers on the touchpad and move them either horizontally or vertically.
RELATED:How to Use Virtual Desktops in Windows 10
Zoom In and Out: To zoom in and out, place two fingers on the touchpad and pinch them together or stretch them apart — just like you’d zoom in or out on a touchscreen.
Open Task View: To open the new Task View interface that displays your open windows and virtual desktops, place three fingers on the touchpad and swipe them upward. You can then move your mouse cursor over a window and tap the touchpad to switch to it. Swipe down with three fingers to leave Task View without selecting a window.
Show the Desktop: To hide open windows and show the desktop, place three fingers on the touchpad and swipe them downwards. Swipe up with three fingers to restore the minimized windows.
Switch Between Open Windows: To switch between open windows — a bit like Alt+Tabbing — place three fingers on the touchpad and swipe them left or right.
Activate Cortana (or Open the Action Center): To quickly activate Cortana, perform a three-finger tap. From the touchpad settings screen, you can switch this gesture to open the Action Center where you can see notifications and access quick shortcuts.
Configure the Gestures
These gestures can be configured from within the Mouse and touchpad section of the Settings app. Each individual gesture above can be disabled if you like, although they’re all enabled by default.
Aside from choosing to enable or disable gestures, you can choose whether a three-finger tap opens Cortana or the Action Center. That’s the only way these gestures appear to be configurable at the moment.
However, you can also control other settings from here, such as the cursor’s speed and whether the touchpad automatically disables itself while you have an external mouse plugged into your laptop.
That’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway. In practice, some PC manufacturers may resist Microsoft’s precision touchpad specification to save money, but bundle their own drivers and utilities that activate similar touchpad gestures, too.
If your PC doesn’t say it has a precision touchpad in the associated settings screen, but some of the gestures do seem to work, you’ll need to find a touchpad settings utility somewhere on your PC. You can discover and control your touchpad’s gestures from there.
If you care about having the best touchpad experience on Windows 10, you may want to check if a PC has a precision touchpad or not before purchasing it.
Image Credit: N i c o l a on Flickr
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Windows 10 provides you an option to Adjust Taps Sensitivity so that you can manage the finger gestures for precision Touchpads. But most users often find problems with PalmCheck as the cursor doesn’t move while typing. So, here, we will show you the ways including steps to Enable / Disable PalmCheck on Touchpad in Windows 10.
Sometimes, this touchpad feature causes mess up by moving cursor unnecessarily. However, disabling is not a good idea as it increases the sensitivity with every touch of your palm. But when you enable PalmCheck on Touchpad and set it to maximum, and decreases the sensitivity. If you are a regular and basic user, you can opt for Mouse Properties to manage this. In case, you are an advanced user, go with Registry Editor.
2 ways to Enable / Disable Palmcheck on Touchpad in Windows 10
Way-1: Using Advanced Settings of Touchpad
Step-1: Make a combined press “Win+I” hotkeys to launch Settings in Windows 10.
Step-2: Click Devices category on the main interface of the application. Select Mouse section on the left column of the following page.
Step-3: Shift to its corresponding right pane and click the link namely Additional mouse options (See snapshot).
Step-4: Now, from the Mouse Properties popup, go to the Device Settings tab. Here, perform a click on the Settings button as shown in the given image.
Step-5: Once the Properties for Synaptics TouchPad opens, expand “Pointing” and hit click on the cog icon beside PalmCheck-Enhanced.
Step-6: From the following window, move the slider under PalmCheck to Off position. Finally, click Close button from the bottom to Disable PalmCheck on Touchpad in Windows 10.
Step-7: But to enable PalmCheck on Touchpad in Windows 10, move the slider towards Max but it is advisable to keep the pointer somewhere in between.
Lastly, head back to the previous window, hit the OK button to save the changes.
Way-2: Via Registry Editor
Note – This method involves the modification of registry keys that might affect your Windows if anything goes accidentally wrong. Therefore, you need to be extra careful and export Registry Editor on Windows 10 before proceeding to the task.
Perform a click on the Cortana search box and type Regedit in it.
With Registry Editor appearing at the top, select it to proceed. If a UAC prompt shows up, click Yes to move ahead.
On the following window, navigate to the following paths in the left navigation pane one after the other.
Slide aside to right side and make a double-click on the DWORD PalmDetectConfig to edit.
Once the popup appears, change the value from 0 under Value data and hit the OK button to save the modification.
Note – Before changing the value, keep a note of the default value somewhere safely. Doing so will help you to enable the feature later on by inputting the default value.
Therefore, you can enable or disable Palmcheck on Touchpad in Windows 10 using Registry also.
That’s all about the ways to Enable / Disable Palmcheck on Touchpad in Windows 10.
This week’s Tip Of The Week – How to Turn Off Touchpad On Surface Pro Tablets:
We’ve had some of our readers ask this question, so I thought I’d write it up as a quick tip.
You may wonder: why in the world, would you want to disable the touchpad?
Well, if you’re using an external mouse, for example, you may not want to have the touchpad enabled at the same time. I personally like the touchpad but I’ve heard others say that they don’t and they just want it off, in lieu of the mouse. I usually leave both on because I find that some things are easier to do with the mouse but others work better with the touchpad – so basically, it’s a personal choice.
How To Enable Touchpad Scrolling
In this post, I will cover the following:
How to turn off touchpad on a Surface Pro
What to look for if you’re having a problemwith the settings being ignored and touchpad coming back on.
Turn off Touchpad on Surface Pro:
It turns out that disabling the touchpad on Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and Surface Pro 3 is actually pretty easy.
Note: For this procedure to work, you must have one of the newer type 2 or touch 2 covers or a Surface Pro 3 cover. This procedure does not work with the first gen covers or RT devices.
1. Attach keyboard cover to your Surface Pro.
2. Go to Settings – Windows key + I (see my posts about Windows 8.1 Useful Shortcuts).
3. Select Change PC SettingsPC and devicesMouse and touchpad
4. Under Touchpad section, you can turn off touchpad permanently by sliding the Touchpad setting Off or you can turn it off only when a mouse is connected by setting Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected to Off – the latter is the one I recommend.
How To Enable Touchpad Without Mouse
That’s it. If you’d like to turn the touchpad back on, simply repeat these steps and turn the touchpad slider back to On.
Problems with Touchpad turning back on:
If the touchpad keeps coming back on occasionally, even if you turned it off in settings, you may be experiencing a couple of different problems: the keyboard cover may not be attaching properly (and it thinks it’s not attached, when it really is) or the mouse is not being recognized. To troubleshoot try the following:
Restart your Surface Pro – that’s always the first step in troubleshooting.
Check your keyboard connector as described in our post on Keyboard Problems.
Make sure your mouse is properly connected via USB and there are no obstructions in the USB port.
If you have a Bluetooth mouse, make sure your mouse is properly paired via Bluetooth and that you do not have interference. We found that when we have our ceiling fans on, the Bluetooth device can be “flaky” and Tim thinks it’s because the fans are old and put out a lot of electromagnetic interference.
Hope you find this helpful. There is a different procedure for turning off the touchpad on the RT Surfaces; I will write that up for you soon.