Permanently disable broken TouchPad on HP laptop

0

I have an HP Folio13 laptop which includes a Synaptics TouchPad. I'm running Windows 7 Home.

I want to permanently disable the TouchPad since it doesn't function properly so I use a mouse or keyboard nav instead, but I'm constantly hitting the TouchPad with my wrist.

  • In Mouse Settings:

    • ClickPad Disable indeed disables it, but only until I reboot.
    • Disable internal pointing device when mouse is plugged in doesn't help me when the mouse is not plugged in.

  • In Device Manager:

    • the context menu doesn't have a Disable option like other devices.
    • If I Uninstall the driver, it auto-reinstall soon after.

  • I saw this answer but the fixes are specific to Dell so,

    • I don't see an option in BIOS, and,
    • I don't have the option to disable in the Mobility Centre.

Surely I'm missing an option somewhere, to avoid having to open up the laptop and physically disconnect it?

Thanks!

img

ashleedawg

Posted 2018-11-05T13:10:26.967

Reputation: 395

Open up the laptop. Inside you will have a molex that connects the touchpad to the keyboard. Disconnect it. Tape the end of the molex to protect against shorts. Close the laptop. – Ricardo S. – 2018-11-05T13:57:51.020

Thanks - although I was trying to avoid having to open it... One would think there'd be a software method, or at least prevent drivers from auto-reinstalling for a specific device. (Hmm, I wonder if it would be bad for me to intentionally corrupt the DLL...) – ashleedawg – 2018-11-05T14:52:48.027

aren't tongue in cheek comments the best? :P your approach is solid but you forgot a critical step. you need to remove the drivers from your drive store. – Ricardo S. – 2018-11-05T15:05:58.960

@RicardoS. -that wasn't actually intended as tongue-in-cheek, so I tried it, and my problem appears to be solved! :-)

– ashleedawg – 2018-11-05T15:28:34.557

Answers

1

...after I thought about it more, I simply backed up the driver specific to the TouchPad (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\SynTP.sys) and then replaced it with a random file (I just renamed a jpg.)

After rebooting, the TouchPad is completely disabled, and there doesn't appear to be any other ill-effects, plus I didn't even get an error - except, of course, when I check the Status of the driver:

img

...ahhh, that's better!

ashleedawg

Posted 2018-11-05T13:10:26.967

Reputation: 395

That's creative :) I'm afraid that Windows Update may break it, though. – gronostaj – 2018-11-05T15:45:54.927

Windows Update has run without a problem... maybe since this driver is from the laptop's OEM rather than Microsoft...? – ashleedawg – 2018-11-08T01:08:22.560

It will run fine, but at some point Synaptics may release a new driver and WU will try to install it, replacing your broken driver with a real one. I don't know about Synaptics, but ELAN touchpads get WU updates a few times per year. – gronostaj – 2018-11-08T07:07:34.887

Asked: 2018-11-05T13:10:26.967

Viewed: 80 times

Active: 2018-11-05T15:26:48.413