How to turn off the touchpad on HP laptop, Windows 10 version 1903 won't allow it

[morlaine]

I have an HP 64-bit laptop, 12gb memory, 2T harddrive.
Windows 10 version 1903 just installed on my laptop without me asking for it. Three full days to download, hogging my entire bandwidth, I guess, because I had no other internet access during that time and then six and half hours to install. I timed it. So now I'm trying to put everything back to the way I want it to work.

How do I stop, delete, uninstall the Touchpad on my laptop? I tried using Device Manager, uninstalled it, rebooted it, and it's still there. Then again in Device Manager, I uninstalled it, Removed the software, rebooted, and it's still there.

So how do I really uninstall it so it stays gone?

This is almost as bad as killing Cortana after your last update. After I get this problem fixed, I guess I'd better check to make sure she hasn't arisen from the dead.

As always, thank you for your help and patience with my frustration.

 

[BigFeet]

I don't know what the issue with 6+ hours to install. It took me a little over an hour to download and install the 1903 upgrade on all three of my desktops, and around two hours on my older laptops.

On most laptops there's usually a keyboard combination that turns on/off the touchpad. Usually the fn key + some other key. It's different depending on model. It's fn+F7 on my two Acer's

 

[Regedit32]

It would help to know the model of your HP laptop.

However, there are two methods for disabling Touchpad that I am aware of.

Option 1:

If your laptop touchpad has an led light in the top left corner, that will glow when the mouse cursor is stopped.

Simply double-tap that top left corner to enable touchpad again, or vice-versa to disable it.


Option 2:

1. In your search bar type mouse
2. In search results click Mouse Settings
3. Now click the hyperlinked sentence: Additional mouse options
4. A dialog will open. Select the Touchpad tab
5. Select disable and apply change

Regards,

Regedit32

 

[Bighorn]

Or if your HP is like mine with the Synaptics touchpad, it has a Disable in the Mouse, Device Settings tab [has a Synaptics icon]. But I use a Wireless USB mouse so have something similar plugged in first to keep from being totally locked out.

 

[morlaine]

Sorry about forgetting the laptop model number it is HP Laptop Model 15 bs188cl. And I forgot that I had already tried what Regedit32 suggested for turning off the mouse. It worked great when I was on version 1803. With 1903, it doesn't work. It circles around and takes me back to the driver screen where I had turned it off before. See the screenprint attached.

I need this touchpad turned off because I am on the computer all the time, writing something or other all the time. I edit books and write books and I don't look at the keyboard or the screen to see where I'm writing, so if I accidentally touch the touchpad with my thumb it places the cursor, god knows where, and that's where I'll be typing instead of where I should be. I can't do any work until I get this fixed.

 

[ClippyBeer]

Doesn't look like there's any way to turn off the touchpad with keyboard hotkey for your model. If it's Synaptics like Bighorn suggests there should be a way to turn it off from Device Settings or System Tray icon.

I know how you feel about the touchpad, It's very easy to hit it with your thumb as you're typing, very annoying. I use my Dell with external mouse. My Dell does have a keyboard combo for turning off touchpad like BigFeet's Acer.

I was in an electronic shop the other day an noticed that none of the newer laptops had hotkey combos to disable the touchpad

Guess I'll be using this Dell till it dies.

 

[morlaine]

Holy cow! I've written this three times and this damn touchpad keeps erasing it.
What would happen if I remove references to the touchpad in the Local Machines section in the Registry?
Would that work or would it just reinstall itself when I restart the laptop.

 

[Bighorn]

Have you tried the Disable in Device Manager? Years ago an extreme measure I used was cutting cardboard to fit then using clear package tape to hold in place. These new touchpads with the gesture feature are causing users issues.

 

[morlaine]

Hi, Thanks for responding. Yep, I tried Disabling it in Device Manager. And everywhere else I could find to do it. I even went into Devices and Printers and double clicked on the Computer to open it, and then in the drivers for the computer I disabled the Touchpad and disabled the Touchpad driver. Neither one of which worked.

Funny you should mention the cardboard because, after spending 17 hours yesterday on this, my last act last night at 2am was to find an old steno pad, if you even remember what those are, and cut two pieces off the back cover to fit. I taped them together because one thickness wasn't thick enough even with the sensitivity option turned to the least sensitive. I taped it over the touchpad and so far so good. But I am concerned that it may damaged the screen if/when I close the lid. I'll have to find something soft to act as a cushion.

I hope Microsoft comes to its senses and fixes this obviously novice mistake. Makes you wonder what criteria they use for hiring their project managers and systems analysts. Maybe a warm body. Or maybe not. Maybe a computer is writing these programs. That would explain a lot because the quality of applications has greatly declined over time.

When you're writing novels and editing other people's work you certainly don't have time to look at the keyboard or need to keep track of where the cursor is every second.

Have a great day. Thank you for your suggestions. I'll keep looking for a better solution to this but no more 17 hour days for this issue.

Now on to my next problem as to why my scanner doesn't work after the 1903 update. I really have more fun things to do and would like to get back to them.

 

[davehc]

I have a seldom used and no longer young HP Laptop. In the Mouse settings, under advanced options, there is a tab "Click Pad Settings"
In the window associated with the tab, is an item "Disable pointing device when a USB device (mouse?) us detected.
Maybe?

 

[morlaine]

I had that Pad Settings on my current laptop when I was running Windows 10 Version 1803 and I used it to turn off the Touchpad. But sadly it was relegated to the bit bucket during the 1903 upgrade. They should have called it a downgrade.

I think with my next computer, I'm going to start from scratch with an operating system other than Windows. I have a friend who hasn't used Windows for about 15 years and wouldn't go back to it. I could ask him for pointers. Better start saving my money.

That cardboard suggestion is working. I haven't had one problem with typing this post. Yay!!
Have a great day!

 

[Bighorn]

Glad to have helped anyway possible.

As for a different OS, I have a 10-year-old HP Notebook, a 3-year-old Dell 11" 2-in-1 Notebook and an older Dell Inspiron Desktop running Linux Mint 19, just Upgraded to 19.2, no problems.

 

[morlaine]

It sounds like you are the one to ask. What would you suggest for another laptop that is going to last for a long time. I don't want to have to replace it every two or three years. I had a Toshiba that I liked and had for about five years but most people would have replaced it at three years. By the end of its life, I had to prop the screen up because the hinges broke, the keyboard worked somewhat so I used a USB external keyboard, the power cord continually fell out of the socket so I taped it in place, the fan took spells of sounding like a playing card on bicycle spokes that caused it to run hot, and the screen was cracked.

Now, with all that said, I know it's hard to believe but I do not mistreat my laptops, except that I rarely turn them off. I've never spilled anything on them. I'm extra careful about that. They sit on a table next to my recliner except when it is not on my lap. I don't take it with me anywhere. I download a lot of instructional videos from Youtube because my connection is too slow to watch them online. The cracked screen I do get to blame on my little boy kitty as he bit the corner of the screen and that model didn't have a bezel for protection.

But I would like one that isn't going to fall apart like that. Or do they even make them that sturdy anymore?
Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Bighorn]

No, Notebook/Laptop machines have lost a lot of their "sturdy" in the quest for better portability/lightness and thinness such as leaving out the ODD/Optical Disc Drive and the VGA port in favor of HDMI and USB.

 

[BigFeet]

The only sturdy laptops you can buy are expensive gaming laptops. I rarely ever recommend laptops anymore. Most mainstream laptops are very short on connectivity like Bighorn says. The most inexpensive lack enough hard drive space to perform a Windows version upgrade.

 

[morlaine]

Thank you for the input. I was afraid of that. They don't build them like they used to, really holds true in this case.

I could never justify an expensive gaming laptop because I don't play a lot of games and certainly none like those multi-player ones that I hear about. I play a few of those five or six dollar games from Wild Tangent or Big Fish. The biggest resource hog that I have is one called Cities XL 2011. Don't laugh I know it's old but I could easily become addicted to it, so I don't play it often. I have other things I need to be doing.
Again, thank you guys for trying to help me. You gave me a lot to think about.