Disable Synaptics Touchpad - IMPOSSIBLE!!

[ShellyLouie]

As the title suggests I have found it impossible to disable the touchpad on my laptop.

I have spent hours on the virtual chat with HP and even more hours chatting with an HP agent and also with Microsfoft agents.

I have spent hours trawling through help pages and can see loads of people have the same issue. I can't believe that nobody has a solution to this problem.  

The amount of times I have followed instructions to open this, open that, disable this/that - when there are no tabs available to click on to disable - restart the laptop - all to no avail.

If anybody has actually solved this problem - please, please let me know. 

I really only want to hear from people that have actually solved this problem - not suggestions on how to solve it - I really can not go through any more to get the same result - i.e. nothing!

I won't be holding my breath on this one!!!

[Dragon-Fur]

@ShellyLouie 

You are assuming there are a large number of people that want to disable the TouchPad,

• That a significant number of interested people are reading your post (quite possible),
• That a number of those people have the level of interest in the subject to have exhausted the possible avenues that you have tried (unknown - no context),
• That at least one of those people will create an account and give you the solution that has been tested, has not harmed the user of the device, and is known to do what you want without adverse consequences.

It could happen, that is, you might get the answer you seek.

Why it might not happen...

One of the reasons it is difficult to do is that disabling the Touch Pad cripples an Input used to control the notebook.  Should the keyboard fail for any reason (and this can happen in spite of the many reasons why it should not), the Touch Pad would normally allow you to start an onscreen keyboard and at least log into the computer to run troubleshooting or at least access your data.

In other words,

If you disable one of the main input features of the computer, you might lose control over the computer.  You might lose control over your data.

Our mission, part of it, is to not do any harm.  We are not doctors, of course.  On the other hand, loss of data can make people sick.  In a sense, then, the well being of those we help is based on our not suggesting anything we know might harm our community members.

What to do?

I suggest you look outside of the Community.   The solution may not be brand related.

I suggest you reconsider your quest.

I suggest you use a workaround to remove the TouchPad from accidental touch by covering it with a small piece of plastic.

Can't stand it?

Try / Consider

First,

Make sure all your critical data is backed up to other than the computer.  Do this.  If you cannot log into the computer, if you have disabled key elements of that control, if anything breaks, if anything goes wrong or fails, it will be too late to backtrack.

The following is exactly not that for which you asked - it is a suggestion based on what is in the Device Manager.

If you have tried this, ignore the suggestion.

If you dislike that the suggestion is not tested, ignore it.

If you try it and it does not work, ignore it.   What??  We don't know what you have tried it doesn't matter to the world whether your list is longer by one.  No one will know.

Control Panel > icon view > Device Manager

View > Devices by Container

Under the name of your computer,

Scroll down> Right Click on the HID-compliant touch pad >

Tab Driver > Disable

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 I do not know if the suggestion will work because I would never do this to my workstation or any notebook.

I suggest you do not disable key elements meant to keep your notebook functional.

I suggest you do not risk your data using any method that might impact your ability to access that data.

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