Problem with touchpad

I posted this at another forum and got zero responses. Hopefully someone here can help. This is actually more of a hardware issue, but because of the image I link to below it does have something to do with Windows.

I have a week-old HP laptop, Win7, with a Synaptics touchpad. It works great except for one glitch. Sometimes if I tap just a little bit too hard the pointer will freeze and an icon with a red slash through it pops up. If I press the off button and release, the screen goes blank then pops back on and the pointer will move again.

There is a very thin line between tapping hard enough to activate a link and freezing the pointer. There must be an adjustment somewhere but it doesn't show up anywhere in the touchpad options.

Here is the window that popped up last night when this happened. I had not see this before and have no idea what it means. I googled MS NET framework but it didn't help any, way over my head.

Hmm, I see we can't post images here, so here is a link, referring to the above paragraph:

 

The error in the image seems to suggest a software problem & not a hardware issue.

If you think its a hardware issue, have you contacted HP ?

 

Pete thanks for the reply.

I had already monkeyed with that adjustment but it doesn't help.

Here is what I have found out since I first posted this problem. It starts out when the cursor seems to "stick." This may be very slight, but in 5-10 minutes it will become worse. As I rub my finger over the pad, the cursor may move erratically or drag. Then it gets worse and may not move at all. The more frustrated I get the harder I tap, then it locks up because I'm (apparently) tapping TOO hard.

Once it starts dragging, rebooting usually fixes it for the time being. Trying to work with image editing is almost impossible, as the cursor often just moves where it pleases.

Ideas?

 

Try a real mouse and see what happens.

 

It works ok with a mouse. But if I have to use a mouse then there is no point in having a laptop.

 

Well, I don't have an answer for you as to how to fix it but, until you find the fix, you can disable tapping in the setting for the mouse pad. I have a laptop with the same mouse pad and disabled mine a long time ago. Never liked it myself. I was always accidentally opening things I didn't want to open. Adjusting the sensitivity didn't help. Anyway, it's a work around for you until you do find an answer.

 

Where did you buy your notenook.

 

I didn't say you had to use a mouse. I said TRY A REAL MOUSE.

 

Bruce,
Have you contacted HP about the possible cause of the problem?
The unit as you say was a week old at the time, I think I certainly would have gone to Hp well and truely before posting! as if it is causing you so much grief then I would call it a warranty issue!

Jac

 

Touchpads are the spawn of the devil. The dumb-butt that invented them should be boiled in oil.

Go buy a wireless mouse (we have a Dynex on DW's netbook). As long as you have a lapdesk with space for a mouse, you'll never use that stupid touch-pad again. The space would be much better used for a bigger keyboard.

 

I can agree!

I remember an old IBM R40 I bought my wife, the touch pad was what brought me to join BBS, and I only just last night repaired the receiver for her wireless mouse that we used on it & the 2 laptops she has had since, it is a BenQ & I just bought a 2nd wireless for mine even though I don't really need it!

regards Jac

 

I'll ask again. Where did you buy your notebook. PeteC if you are following I'm pretty sure you know where I'm heading with this. I may have found the commom denominator. Remember my post: Error Message Dialogg box Microsoft .NET Framework?

 

I think the problem may lie between Microsoft .NET Framework and Geek Squad Best Buy Installer Software. Not Sony. It depends on where Bruce L. bought his notebook.

 

Sorry I haven't checked back here guys, but here's the latest.

If I have to use a mouse then I don't want a laptop. I had a Dell laptop for over four years and the touchpad worked flawlessly. For doing photoshop image editing, it worked better (more accurately) than a mouse.

My laptop goes all over the house and even on the porch during warm weather. This is why I pay the extra money for one over a desktop.

I live in mortal fear of ever calling any company that is involved with computers or software. Years of total frustration of talking to foreigners who 1) cannot speak clear English, and 2) don't necessarily know that much has left me a bit jaded.

I did try to contact HP online, and I am not really clear on this, but I think they want money in order to help with their junk product. I bought it at Radioshack. I had first bought a Gateway from them, but it was so bad I couldn't use it so I got this one instead.

Back to the touchpad: I have noticed that when the mouse pointer starts to "stick," if I hit escape it will clear it, for the time being. What is really frustrating is it seems to have a mind of its own, especially maddening in photo editing. I'll be free selecting an area, trying to enclose an area and suddenly the point will zip off to the side of the screen and I have to start over.

I guess I will have to call them and see. Often times throughout life, my anticipation of insurmountable problems are much worse than the actual problem turns out to be.

 

If your notebook is less than a year old HP should provide tech support free of charge. They are big on full system recoveries. The best time to call them is between 7AM-1PM. During that time frame you'll have a better chance of speaking to a english speaking tech.

 

The cursor position of my old notebook jumps like teleporting. I suspect it's the touchpad problem.

I was suggested to "Control panel==> Mouse==> Device Settings==> Settings, and disable the touchpad" if Microsoft Vista was used. But I'm on Windows 7 and no touchpad is there. I checked Device Manager > Mice and other pointing devices, not there as well.

How can I disable the touchpad?

 

If you go into mouse control panel you should be able to make the required adjustments in there. I had a problem with my laptop (a Dell) where the cursor had a mind of its own and would pop anywhere it felt like at times in the document I was working on. I found a program called "touchfreeze" that helped somewhat. It is supposed to turn off the touchpad if you are using a mouse (which I do) and you experience this problem. I ended up switching off the touchpad entirely when my mouse is connected. No more problems.