Windows 7: Disable Touchpad...

....if a USB mouse is present?

My users have Dell Latitude D630s with Synaptics Touchpads. They run Windows 7 Pro x86, and I was wondering if there's a setting/option/app that will disable the touchpad if a USB mouse was connected to the system. Many moons ago, the touchpads would be disabled when a PS/2 mouse was connected, but I haven't come across that functionality with USB mice.

I'm assuming the option isn't being displayed under:

Control panel> Mouse > Device Settings tab > Check the "Disable internal pointing device when external USB device is attached"

It depends on what Synaptics driver software is installed for that option to appear though.

Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick

You can use the

1

2

3 Click OK to save the settings and close the window

Search the registry for this: DisableTouchPadIfMousePresent

If it is there, try changing the value from 0 to 1. See if that does the trick. If not immediate, restart, and see if that helps.

- Mike

I guess since this was brought back from the dead, I should post a solution. I ended up finding the option in the Synaptics Touchpad app to handle it for me.

I was looking more towards the 'mouse properties', and couldn't even see the option to disable the TouchPad until I changed the DisableTouchPadIfMousePresent config in the registry.

I then restarted, and checked the mouse properties. BAM! Right there; the
checkbox to disable it suddenly appeared.

Either way; as long as it 'can' be disabled. Thats the main thing. At first I was
frustrated to no end, but glad it's working now.

TouchPad can't hurt nobody any more.