On 2/19/2012, J. P. Gilliver (John) posted:
In message , W. eWatson
writes:
On 2/18/2012 12:34 PM, SC Tom wrote:


"W. eWatson" wrote in message
...
Often I use the pad on my laptop to move the cursor. However, I began
using the mouse more recently. I have a Gateway MX6453 laptop about 4
years old. My thumbs often accidentally hit the pad while typing, and
the cursor goes to some random place where I'm typing, brings up a new
window, or to a lot of other unintended places. How do I turn off the
pad?
[]
Ah, touchpad, not keypad. OK, I went there are no Device tabs. Pointers,
Pointer Options, Wheels, Hardware. OK, I'm on Hardware. I've looked here
before. I an HID-compliant mouse and PS/2 Compatible Mouse under devices.
No touchpad.
[]
If you see (I presume the word "see" is missing from the above!) "an
HID-compliant mouse and PS/2 Compatible Mouse", after plugging in your mouse
(you say you are using "the mouse", so I presume you are plugging one in),
then one of those probably _is_ the touchpad; after all, for most software,
it functions as a mouse. Try disabling each of those! (I suspect it'll be the
PS/2 one.) [Don't disable both - that includes making sure the re-enabled one
has started working again - if you find it's the wrong one, unless you're
familiar with how to use the computer without a mouse; it's usually possible,
but many people these days don't know how to.]

Alternatively, and you'll kick yourself if you have something similar: on
this Samsung NC-20, Fn-F10 toggles he touchpad on and off ... (-:

Here's another algorithm for that:

Unplug the external mouse. Disable the only remaining mouse. Plug the
external mouse back in and reboot (with the Windows key if necessary).
Or one could disable the trackpad, shut down, plug the external mouse
in, and power on.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)