I’ve always had problems using the Dell built-in laptop pointing device. The one with a square with two buttons under it that’s the mouse.
Navigation isn’t a problem.
My problem is the way XP handles the pointer is different from a real mouse. If you pause on an icon, it grabs the icon. When you move, the darn thing drags the icon. It’s trashing my desktop. :eek: Often this thing tries to auto open a link if I pause on it.
The most dangerous issue is file explorer. I’ve had the pointer grab folders and drag them inside other folders. All because I paused for a couple seconds. I’ve nearly lost critical files because of this. :mad: It’s even grabbed bookmarks in Firefox and dumped them into subfolders.
I have been using a usb mouse with the laptop. But, the cord usually gets a short after a year of being dragged in/out of my laptop case. I’m tired of replacing the mouse.
Is there some way to make the pointer act like a real mouse? Stop auto opening links? Stop grabbing stuff I pause on?
Or, if I can’t stop it. Then how do you live with this crazy thing? How do you keep it from trashing your desktop?
I think what you need to do is go into Control Panel, then Folder Options, and select “Double-click to open an item (single-click to select” instead of “Single click to open an item (point to select).”
You can also find the Folder Options in any Explorer window, on the tools menu.
I think the “Single click to open . . .” is the default on XP. It sucks. I turned it off as soon as I got the computer.
It may also be that every time (or some of the times) that you put your finger on the mousepad, it gets interpreted as a click. You can probably turn off this behavior (so that only using the button counts as a click) in the Mouse options in Control Panel.
I assume you’ve looked at the mouse/pointer settings in the control panel and didn’t find anything. My next guess would be to check the accessibility options/ease of access center. Not having to click on something to select it seems like it would be one of the settings designed for people that don’t have good dexterity in their hands. Take a look through all those settings and see if anything is checked.
Up at work, in 2005 I purchased wireless keyboards and mice for all the staff. The wireless usb adapter was 2 1/2 inches long. A month later I needed to replace a defective cd rom drive. By habit, I flipped the desktop case on it’s end to reach the case screws. Snapped of the adapter and broke the usb port. Learned a hard lesson that day. Always check for thumbdrives and other shit in the usb ports first.
Some touchpad drivers also have a special function to make drag and drop operations “easier” (as you have seen, that isn’t always true)… check the settings in yours (usually somewhere in the Mouse control panel) to make sure this is disabled.
ETA: If you can’t find it, let us know which Dell model you have and we might be able to look it up.
I made a break through with the pointer pad.
I discovered that raising your finger up/down on the navigation pad is the same as left clicking a mouse.
That explains why I mysteriously had links executing and programs running. As a mouse user, I raised my hand slightly without even thinking about it. It’s a nervous tic.
I’m going to get this bugger figured out yet. At least now I know why links are executing when I didn’t left click the button.
Just as a heads up what I think you are talking about is “tap to click”. This is a very commonly used setting, and I always set this “on”. Reaching my fingers over and using the actual L & R physical click buttons next to the touchpad would drive me batty.
Having said this you can turn “tap to click” off if it’s so sensitive the “left click” is happening without a definitive physical tap on the touchpad. If you are inadvertently physically tapping the touchpad and engaging the left click mode then that’s your issue not the touchpads. Turn off “click to tap” if the sensitivity of the “tap” cannot be moderated to your liking.
Yip. I’ve had to do that on every pad I’ve ever owned. I’m just not consistent with the level of touching, and I can’t use it without lifting up my finger, as either it doesn’t go all the way across the screen, or is too imprecise.
BTW, all you do is keep your thumb on the buttons. It’s not like you actually have to move your hand.
The driver for the Synaptics pad on my laptop has something called dwell virtual click too - where it assumes that you want to click on something (something clickable) just because you stop the pointer there. Fortunately it can be turned off, as it’s really difficult to get used to.
At least now I know why links are executing when I didn’t left click the button.