# Are laptop touchpads normally turn off-able? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939 "2020-04-03T08:27:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939/21 "2020-04-06T14:12:09Z")
It _may_ be possible to disable the touchpad in the system BIOS, in which case it won’t even appear in Windows. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939/22 "2020-04-06T14:25:12Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I sure hope that neither Apple nor any other manufacturer ever built another model with this abomination. The “touchpad as button” has been a feature on Apple laptops since they were white. I have always found Apple’s touchpads to be of vastly superior quality than any other I’ve ever used. At the very least, they make it easy to disable if you have an external mouse. In most cases the touchpad is automatically disabled when you plug in a mouse (if not there’s a checkbox in the settings). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939/23 "2020-04-06T14:40:34Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > > [@dropzone](#): > > > > That’s where the heels of my hands go when I type. And touchpads were created by Satan. > > What’s the brand? Not sure if **bardos** was asking about the brand of computer (which the OP clarified was an RCA computer, so not a major brand) or touchpad but if **bardos** meant the brand of touchpad, it’s a good question. I know that Alps and Synaptics (and probably others) are manufacturers of OEM touchpads used in well-known name-brand notebook computers. There may be software from the touchpad manufacturer that isn’t available from the manufacturer of the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939/24 "2020-04-06T16:10:50Z")
As a Levono laptop owner this how… > **[How to enable or disable ThinkPad Touchpad - Windows 7, 10 - Lenovo Support US](https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/HT075599)** > > How to enable or disable your ThinkPad Touchpad - Instructions on how to enable or disable the touchpad on your system My other driver is an HP … > **[hp touchpad settings - Bing](https://www.bing.com/search?q=hp%2Btouchpad%2Bsettings&form=EDGEAR&qs=LS&cvid=85f84594647d4d4aa634578de410ea97&cc=US&setlang=en-US&DAF1=1&elv=AXK1c4IvZoNqPoPnS%21QRLOMq9T0Z75Gixn0tn5jicUlyhEizVVua9przUFiq9UIMrKZPglJupdUD9gnffuTGlvvBMHwnZDqTCAjdE8Y*aeBW&plvar=0&PC=LCTS)** > > Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you. You need to describe your nOS , make of laptop, etc. Others here will steer you wrong and make it into a brick with attached keyboard. Your local refuse collector will thank you. Or… just buy a new one, like I did. (I jest). I hope my of-the-wall advice doesn’t offend. PEACE, stay calm and stay focused. . ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939/25 "2020-04-07T00:39:07Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > With every laptop I’ve had, you could set it to automatically deactivate the touchpad when mouse was plugged in (and reactivate when the mouse is unplugged). First thing I set whenever I get a new one. Didn’t think to check that, thanks. Hopefully it’ll stop me unintentionally firing when gaming. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-laptop-touchpads-normally-turn-off-able/850939.md?page=1)