Share via

Disable Touch Pad in Windows 8 (Laptop: Dell Inspirion N5040)

Anonymous
2012-12-31T05:01:54+00:00

Hi; upon installing windows 8, I cannot disable the touch pad like I did in windows 7; (Dell said b/c windows 7 was already installed at the time of purchase, so the feature was available. It is no longer a Dell issue since the upgrade, but a Microsoft one now). 

Now, if I go into device manager and expand mouse settings, the only options available are HID compliant and ps/2 compatible. No disable feature is displayed nor a touch pad option; just options to uninstall. What do I do? Thanks

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Email and communications

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

5 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2013-01-01T03:00:54+00:00

    Hi Robert,

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community!

    I am sorry to hear that you are unable to disable Touch Pad in Windows 8.

    I can understand the inconvenience you have experienced. I will certainly help you out with this issue.

    Let’s try these methods and check if it helps.

    Method 1: Download and Install the latest touch pad drivers from the manufacturer’s website and check.

    You can install Windows 7 drivers in compatibility mode if there are no Windows 8 compatible drivers.

    Follow these steps:

    a)      Press the ‘Windows + W’ key on the keyboard.

    b)      Type compatibility in the search box and then press enter.

    c)      Click “Run programs made for previous versions of Windows” option from the list appeared in the left side.

    d) Select the drivers and install.

    Once you update the latest drivers, try to disable touch pad.

    Method 2:

    Press ‘Fn’ + ‘F3’ key to disable or enable the Touchpad on your computer.

    a. Click “Start” and type Device Manager in “Start Search” to open the “Device Manager”.

    b. In Device Manager, click on the arrow beside “Mice and Other Pointing Devices”.

    c. Right click on “Dell TouchPad” and click on “Disable”.

    d. Select “Yes" if you receive a warning message.

    e. Close the “Device Manager” and check the issue.

    If the issue persists or you have any further questions on Windows, please do not hesitate to let us know. It is our pleasure to be of assistance.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-24T20:54:57+00:00

    I have been using the Windows 10 preview builds for a while and was able to disable the touchpad after each installation preview installation 10074 and 10162.

    Now that I have installed the windows 10 10240 RTM build, the touchpad no longer shows anywhere in the device list or the control panel "mouse".    It can no longer be disabled using any of the Fn+F3 on my Inspiron 5400 model.

    Thought it might be one of the new HID devices in the device manager, but disabling all of them except the USB mouse I use does nothing.

    Beginning to think that Microsoft in it's ultimate wisdom has made the touch pad a integral part of the Windows 10 OS as part of the Touch Self revolution....

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2015-04-13T17:38:13+00:00

    I have the same problem.  Somewhere in recent updates it seems that the option to "disable" the stupid TouchPad has been removed.  This makes typing school papers nearly impossible because I don't desire to have to hold my hands over the area that is supposed to be for resting them on so that I don't accidently "click" on another area of my paper and continue typing in the middle of a previous paragraph.  This is  a HUGE issue for me.

    What is going to be done to REPLACE the disable option????  If this minor thing cannot be done, I will be forced by frustration to go with an apple product because they are not so incredibly stupid to remove an option like this. 

    Come on Microsoft, get your game together here!!!

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-10T07:29:57+00:00

    Hi,

    I would suggest you to contact the manufacturer of the laptop and check.

    If the issue persists, we would suggest you to create a thread of your own in order to avoid confusion.

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2013-03-10T02:54:51+00:00

    I have the same problem. Everything was completed as you suggested. It did not work. I uninstalled the drivers involved and the touchpad is still activated. I hate the touchpad!!

    0 comments