There's gotta be an app to disable the trackpad!

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Dan The Man

Dan The Man

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Jul 20, 2006
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Hey Guys,

I'm looking for an app suggestion. What kills me is I used to have an app on my Vista laptop that did just this but cannot remember the name of it for the life of me.

What I need is an app that disables my laptop's track pad with a key combo. Typing on my laptop is driving me batty! My hand strokes across the track pad and the cursor winds up every where I don't want it to be.

99% of the time I'm using a Bluetooth mouse. I could disable the track pad via device manager but that's isn't a good idea lest I forget to pack my mouse one day. I'd be left trying to navigate Windows and get into device manager with just the keyboard.

Ideally the app would sit in the system tray and have a key combo to enable/disable the built in trackpad on the fly.

Thanks,
Dan
 
Dan,

I don't have my laptops in front of me, but look at the function keys, there's an Alt+F key that will disable the pad. That's how I disable the track pads on the gig machines.
 
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DJ SVO said:
Dan,

I don't have my laptops in front of me, but look at the function keys, there's an Alt+F key that will disable the pad. That's how I disable the track pads on the gig machines.
Click to expand...
Thanks Doc. Every other laptop I've used has a Fn key combo but not my Lenovo for some reason. Maybe they think their trackpad is just that good but it sucks!
 
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On my Lenovo, it's Fn F8.
 
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On my Lenovo Fn F8 is WiFi on off. It seems like the e-series is really the bottom of the barrel on the ThinkPad line.

Not the best of pics but here's what my function keys look like:

2014-12-22 13.53.08.jpg

I may have found a happy medium. The trackpoint software allows me to set the red track point as the only thing that moves the cursor and the trackpad itself as the buttons only so my hand swiping against it has no effect. Works for now.

Edit:

Urgh looking at that pic shame on me where's my can of compressed air!
 
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Big Dan said:
On my Lenovo Fn F8 is WiFi on off. It seems like the e-series is really the bottom of the barrel on the ThinkPad line.

Not the best of pics but here's what my function keys look like:

View attachment 28272

I may have found a happy medium. The trackpoint software allows me to set the red track point as the only thing that moves the cursor and the trackpad itself as the buttons only so my hand swiping against it has no effect. Works for now.

Edit:

Urgh looking at that pic shame on me where's my can of compressed air!
Click to expand...

I have mine leaving the trackpoint on ... this way, if I forget to bring my mouse when traveling (I prefer the mouse), I can still navigate the screen to turn on the trackpad.
 
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ittigger said:
Here you go Danno.

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkP...ble-both-touchpad-and-trackpoint/td-p/1368585
Click to expand...
Thanks Tig! Found that last night while Googling like a mad man. :)

steve149 said:
I have mine leaving the trackpoint on ... this way, if I forget to bring my mouse when traveling (I prefer the mouse), I can still navigate the screen to turn on the trackpad.
Click to expand...
Good idea. That's what I figured out last night. Now I can type on my laptop with out raising my BP by 20 points. :D
 
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kittmaster said:
on my lenovo.....FN F3
Click to expand...
That's my volume up button. The E series seems like a totally different beast than other Lenovos wish I'd known about that before buying.

The best was I trying to work with Total Commander last night - it requires the use of the function keys. I couldn't figure out how to turn off the function lock - probably a BIOS setting that I really shouldn't change because I'd be confused as hell when I was to hit mute and it didn't work. :banghead:
 
Big Dan said:
That's my volume up button. The E series seems like a totally different beast than other Lenovos wish I'd known about that before buying.

The best was I trying to work with Total Commander last night - it requires the use of the function keys. I couldn't figure out how to turn off the function lock - probably a BIOS setting that I really shouldn't change because I'd be confused as hell when I was to hit mute and it didn't work. :banghead:
Click to expand...

I edited my post, should be FN F6! Sorry.
 
want the manual Dan ?
 
Just a recommendation... next time look at the Thinkpad line. it is worlds higher quality than the Lenovo consumer line!
I have no idea on the touchpad problem, but I've never had that issue on any of my thinkpads, but apart from that they really are night and day difference.
 
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DjDennis said:
want the manual Dan ?
Click to expand...

I got all the manuals even found that service manual online That's one good thing about Lenovo. :)

awdj said:
Just a recommendation... next time look at the Thinkpad line. it is worlds higher quality than the Lenovo consumer line!
I have no idea on the touchpad problem, but I've never had that issue on any of my thinkpads, but apart from that they really are night and day difference.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I thought any Lenovo would be up to the same quality standards but obviously not. The Edge series is the bottom of the line but I have to say the only gripe I really have is the touchpad and Steve, Tig, and I figured out a solution.
 
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