Disable Touch Pad on HP Laptop running Windows 10.

JosephT71,

   Hope you don't mind but I'd like you to look at what I've comeup with. I want to make sure I fully and clearly present my issue. Plan to post on the HP support forum.  

I can no longer disable the Synaptics TouchPad on my HP Laptop. Prior to the recent Windows updates, I was able to disable it as I much prefer using a mouse. My Laptop is just over 2 years old and running Windows 10, version 1909. Product # 2UE54UA#ABA. Originally I had a legacy Synaptics driver (old style control panel dockable to the task bar), The current Synaptics Driver version is 19.5.35.47. The “disable driver” option is grayed out thus no longer available. Also, the sensitivity level cannot be set and the curser has gone rogue.

This Synaptics TouchPad problem is wide spread based on numerous threads on both Microsoft and HP community forums. All of the “old” solutions presented have not worked. Intel specifically warns about trying to roll back to a legacy driver.

Based on what I have found with help from others, the problem appears to deal with DCH drivers and its associated UWP hardware. Intel's warns about catastrophic failures if DCH drivers are installed incorrectly. The following provides more detail.

https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca/en/support/articles/000031275/graphics-drivers.html

From the Microsoft Store I recently tried to download the "synaptics touchpad" app. The Microsoft Store originally said I “owned the app” and but then it turned to "error" (see screenshots).

Again, the old solutions don’t work to fix this problem. This DCH driver/app installation problem needs to be elevated to an HP technical support person who fully understands DCH drivers. If anyone reading this is an HP front line support person, it would be most helpful to forward this to a HP staff familiar with Intel or Nvidia or Realtek "DCH driver/app" installation problems.

I'm back!

I uninstalled the driver update app and rolled back the touchpad driver to a previous version. Once I re-start, the current version gets reinstalled again. So I think I am back to square 1.

I haven't been successful in installing the precision touchpad driver after that.

JR

The HP Support Assistant software analyses your system and can find and install the correct update for your device (later).

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/

For now a small Registry hack may also help with disabling (if not correcting the other driver/software problem) if the other solution doesn't help yet and you feel secure in using the Registry directly.

First open Registry editor (type RegEdit.exe in Search) and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Synaptics, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Synaptics and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\InstalledOptions\Synaptics, Right-click 'Synaptics' and choose Export to create a backup file with the current settings (3x).

Put this in a text file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Synaptics\SynTPCpl]

"ShowResetButton"=dword:00000001

"RestoreAllDefaults"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Synaptics\SynTPEnh]

"DisableIntPDFeature"=dword:00000022

"TrayIcon"=dword:00000011

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Synaptics\SynTP\Configurable]

"DisableTouchPadIfMousePresent"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Synaptics\SynTP\Defaults]

"DisableTouchPadIfMousePresent"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Synaptics\SynTP\Install]

"DeleteUserSettingsOnUpgrade"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Synaptics\SynTP]

"DisableTouchPadIfMousePresent"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Synaptics\SynTPEnh]

"DisableIntPDFeature"=dword:00000022

"TrayIcon"=dword:00000011

Rename the text file to TouchPadHack.reg, Right-click and choose Merge. Restart your Laptop (or Sign out maybe) to see if this works for you now.

(Maybe more details later.)

Have you retried the suggestion?

Have you tried the setting in the 'Touchpad' tab by clicking Settings > Devices > Touchpad, Additional settings? (Or maybe available in Settings > Devices > Mouse, Additional Mouseoptions?)

Then put a checkmark in the box with 'Disable internal pointing device when external USB pointing device is attached' in the 'Touchpad' tab and click Apply, OK.

(And if you meant that the Touchpad can be really disabled always by pressing the Disable button.)

Thanks for replying. Yes I have tried all those steps numerous times.

My TouchPad setting doesn't look like what you show.

When I click on Additional Settings I get the mouse properties 

Sorry to read that the needed solution wasn't that simple answer to the question for you.

Always keep in mind that you have a HP Laptop with the Synaptics for that HP Laptop preferably.

(The text says Precision may work but isn't neccesarily intended. And Thinkpad may be Lenovo Thinkpad intended.)

Consider installing the HP Support Assistant software too from the HP Support site to update your device (later).

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/

Maybe you can tell us more about your specific HP Laptop and provide a picture of what you see in Device Manager exactly after you clicked View and selected Show hidden devices in the Menu first. You can take a picture by pressing Windows logo key + PrtScrn. (This is saved in Pictures > Screenshots.)

(You should probably Uninstall any TouchPad devices and update later.)

If you search on HP's forum the last few days, there are several threads on this.

So if you want to get attention fast, then START a discussion on HP's forum --- just copy and paste all my writing with all the screenshots --- and then link all the similar HP threads that have started in the last month of so,  and demand the front line staff to direct you to somebody who knows what's going on (and not some vague HP support hotline).