# touchpad **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922 "2015-01-15T19:23:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stosh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@stosh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/1 "2015-01-15T19:23:29Z")
Hi Guys, I have an old “Dell” computer (latitude D630 ). I had a problem and had to erase the hard drive. I had the touch pad disabled but I don’t remember how I did it. I want to disable it again. I have an external mouse and the pad is a pain when I’m sending an email. Dell service is no help and I wondered if any of you guys have any ideas to help me ? ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/2 "2015-01-15T20:20:48Z")
I used to put three post-it notes over the touch pad (1 and 2 weren’t thick enough). This “disabled it” against an accidental touch, but I could use it if I wanted to. I’d assume you can disable it through control panel, but as I’m on a desktop, no touch pad choice even shows up for me to check. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/3 "2015-01-15T20:26:48Z")
If you go to the Dell website and search for drivers for your computer, you should be able to dowload the driver for the touchpad and that should allow you to disable the touchpad, perhaps automatically when an external mouse is connected. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/4 "2015-01-15T20:29:46Z")
if in Windows the Control Panel will have mouse functions where you can disable it or specify that it turns off when an external mouse is detected. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/5 "2015-01-15T20:29:46Z")
I think that I partially disabled a laptop touchpad (disabled the click part, not the move around part) by using the control panel. There was something about mice or pointing devices. On my current laptop, I couldn’t find out how to disable that for the longest time. Finally found out that there is an icon on the little up arrow in the bottom right portion of the task bar at the bottom of the screen (assuming that you have your task bar there). It is the little arrow that opens up a list of other auto-installed software. One of them is for “Synaptics Pointing Device” which you can open to disable features that you don’t want. Other than that, I got nothing. Well, google, but other than that, nothing. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/6 "2015-01-16T03:38:37Z")
I have an old Dell that has the disable/enable of the touchpad as a toggle in the BIOS. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/7 "2015-01-16T04:24:28Z")
Just checked on my old Inspiron 1200. Press F2 when boot is starting to get into the BIOS screens. Mouse/touchpad is under POST Behavior on the Inspiron, not sure where it would be listed on a Latitude. The factory default on mine is “Leave the integrated touchpad enabled when an external mouse is present.” I believe this directly touches on your issue. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/8 "2015-01-16T05:51:12Z")
I can’t believe some people are suggesting going into BIOS to disable touchpad functions. Talk about using a hammer to kill a fly. I agree with johnpost to go in to Control Panel, find your touchpad device there under Mouse, open properties and disable it there. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touchpad/709922/9 "2015-01-16T06:46:51Z")
I was wrong.