Disabling the Touch Pad

Earlier on another site I wrote an how-to article on disabling the touch pad on a Windows-based laptop. Since then I have found a much simpler way in which to accomplish this task. In this hub I will actually describe both methods of disabling the touch pad.

The simplest way to disable the touch pad on a laptop is by using the FN (function) key. Providing that oem software is still installed. By pressing and holding the FN key you will see several functions can be performed by pressing the FN and a F?(number) key at the top of the keyboard. One of those functions is to disable/enable the touch pad. This is a great feature that allows you to quickly disable the touch pad while writing a document on your laptop. The drawback being that you will have to use the directional keys to reposition the cursor when needed.

The other way in which to disable the touch pad is by going through the control panel and changing the device control setting. In order to use this method, the device driver from the manufacturer should be installed. Windows' generic device driver does not allow for the disabling of the touch pad. The following steps should be performed:

1. Open the Start Menu and select Control Panel
2. In the upper right hand corner type in the search box, Mouse (the touchpad is viewed as a mouse)
3. Once the Mouse Properties box pops up select the Device Settings tab
4. Select Enable or Disable
5. Optional check the box that will allow you to automatically disable the touchpad whenever an external mouse is plugged into a USB port.
6. Click on Apply and then Ok
7. Close the Control Panel box and you are done.

The simpler method should be more desirable especially if there is an external mouse present.