Left touchpad button (and tap) stops working

[maven]

I just bought an HP Pavilion dv6-7020us on Monday, and I'm already having problems with it.  I fixed some minor issues with the function keys, but I can't figure out a problem with the touchpad.

Every so often, the left touchpad button stops working.  Tapping on the touchpad instead of a left-click also doesn't work.  If I plug in an external mouse, that works just fine.  I tried disabling and re-enabling the touchpad, but nothing changed.  Restarting, or sometimes waiting 15-20 minutes, usually fixes it, at least temporarily.

I have updated all the drivers and BIOS, and even reinstalled the touchpad driver, but it still keeps happening.  It seems to be intermittent, or at least I can't see a pattern to when it happens.  Tech support (via chat) suggested I do a system restore, and if that fails, to return it, since it may be a hardware problem in that case.

I haven't done the system restore yet, but my question is, if that doesn't work and I do exchange this for a new machine, what are the chances that I'll run into this problem again?  I see a number of posts about similar touchpad issues, so I'm wondering if this is a known and ongoing issue, either with the drivers or the hardware?

Thanks in advance.

[Kyle_W]

Here is a document for using and configuring the touchpad:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01876141

Some sections I would look at are "Configure the left and right buttons", "Adjust single- and double-tapping" and "Adjust touch sensitivity." If after making adjustments to those settings are you are still having issues with the touchpad, then it is very likely that it is an actual hardware issue. Something such as this is pretty rare, so the odds of it happening to you again are pretty low.

[maven]

Apparently the chances of getting another laptop with a touchpad issue is 100%!  I just received a replacement from the retailer, and the touchpad keeps conking out as well, and more frequently than the last one.

I'm still doing updates to the system, but, honestly, this is ridiculous.  Is this just a known driver issue, and, if so, when will it be fixed?  It's making me wish I had stuck with Dell for this new laptop.  This is my first HP, and it hasn't been a very positive experience so far. 😞

[callmevegas]

Yes - I have the same problem.  I've had my HP laptop since July, and I've started having left touchpad issues (it stops working) starting about a month ago.  The only that works is to restart the computer.  Also, my hard drive crashed on me (multiple greenscreens over a four month period) and I sent the laptop back for repair a few weeks ago.  Too bad they didn't check the touchpad for a hardware issue.  Now I have to send it back once again.  Arrggg!!!

[maven]

callmevegas -- Have you noticed any patterns around when this happens?  Any particular programs that you're using when the touchpad stops working?

I ask because it seems like sometimes it happens when I'm using a web browser, possibly running for awhile or encountering a heavy page, like with Flash.  I haven't figured it out entirely, because it doesn't happen all the time.

This must be a known issue within HP, because I got a replacement laptop and that one did it as well.  It did seem to get better after I installed all the updates, but it still happens once in awhile, and only a restart fixes it.

[nutmeg2002]

I have the same problem but can't find a solution anywhere on the internet.  Mine's intermittent like yours, sometimes I have a problem where the left click only highlights before it stops working, sometimes accessing the task manager gets the left click to work properly.

It's a huge pain in the rear and HP needs to address it.  I don't need to do a system restore or reload the operating system, or turn in my model and purchase a new one, that's all crap.  I just got my notebook in October and shouldn't be having these kinds of problems.

Either it's a hardware issue, or it's not.  By its very nature, it seems to be a software issue, because if it were a hardware issue, there's no good reason why the left click should randomly start working again.  That means the hardware was never broken in the first place.  Mine appears to be tied with browser use as well, and I use firefox, so maybe that's the problem.  Someone needs to figure it out though, because I'm sick of this being a daily occurence.

[callmevegas]

I had to return it to be fixed.  It was a hardware problem - HP replaced the entire touchpad.  However, about three weeks after I got it back, the headphone jack stopped working.  I called HP and they were able to walk me through this convouluted process for fixing it (uninstalling the driver and reinstalling it).  HOWEVER, now sometimes when I'm listening to music on my headphone, when my system makes an event noise (e.g., I get new mail in Outlook, or I get an error dialouge box), that noise will come through my headphone, but the music I'm listening to will come through my normal laptop speakers for about a second or two.

So let's recap:  (1) Five green screens within four months, the first one coming just a couple weeks after I bought the laptop.  HP replaces my hard drive. (2) Left click on touchpad stops working a month or so later, HP replaces touchpad.  (3) Headphone jack stops working about three weeks later, "fixed" but now my house music comes through my laptop speakers at work when my system makes an event noise. 

Oh, and I forgot, the laptop comes with the Beats product installed, however, I've been seriously underwhelemed about the quality of the sound.  My music sounds exactly like it does on my other laptops.  Plus, the purpose of the Beats product is to only work through the earphones - not the laptop speakers.  So, when I listen to music without earphones, the quality of the music is garbage, so much so, it's irritating even trying to listen to music through the laptop speakers.

And one more thing, on this laptop, HP changed the hiarchary of some of the function keys in relation to when you have to push the function (fn) button.  For over 20 years, I've been doing copy and paste by pressing ctrl+ins and shift+ins.  However, HP moved the ins function to above the prt scrn button, so now you have to press the fn button to activate the ins button.  So my copy and paste becomes:  ctrl+fn+ins and shift+fn+ins - which is too awkward to do smoothly.  Also, in applications like Word and Excel, I regularly use the F4 button to repeat a task.  However, on this laptop, HP moved the F4 function to above the function for switching the screen to a projector.  So to repeat a task now, I have to press fn+F4.

So, my overall grade for this laptop is a D.  The only thing that saves it from being an F is the fact that the keyboard lights up.  So, needless to say, I will not be buying another HP Pavilion m6.  In fact, I'm going to copy and paste this text and write a negative review of the product on Amazon.