Windows 10 Tip: Disable the Touchpad when a Mouse is Connected
Tired of accidentally moving or clicking the mouse while typing? This tip will help.
Windows 10 includes several new multi-touch gestures you can use with your touchpad on a laptop or Surface Pro. However, some people prefer to use a traditional mouse instead. While you could disable the touchpad completely, you might want to switch between the touchpad and a separate mouse. If so, you might want to have Windows turn off the touchpad when a USB or Bluetooth mouse is connected. Here’s how to do it.
If you aren’t sure if you have a precision touchpad, go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad, and if you don’t have one, you’ll only have a few options.
Here is an example of a laptop without a precision touchpad. Notice there is only one option for its behavior.
But if you do have a precision touchpad, you’ll see a lot more settings to configure.
Disable Touchpad when a Mouse is Connected
To set this up with a precision touchpad, head to Settings > Devices > Touchpad. Then uncheck the “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” option.
If you don’t have a precision touchpad, you can open Mouse settings from the classic Control Panel in Windows 10 or by clicking the icon in the taskbar’s notification area if you have it enabled.
Speaking of disabling the touchpad on your laptop, there are other methods you can use, too. For instance, if you don’t want the pointer or cursor moving all over the place while you’re typing, check out TouchFreeze. Or, you can get similar results using the PC manufacturer’s touchpad utility.
Each system’s software will vary, so you might have to hunt around a bit and look for something that says it will disable the internal pointing device when a mouse is attached.
Do you prefer to use the touchpad on your laptop, a separate traditional mouse, or both? Leave a comment below and let us know. And for more conversations about Microsoft’s newest OS, check out our Windows 10 Forums.
7 Comments
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dan
July 12, 2017 at 9:34 am
You can disable the touch pad under mouse properties, touch pad settings.
CINDY VYBORNY
August 5, 2020 at 2:05 pm
I only have the touch pad working but I want the mouse working too. Please help!
Thanks!
Laura
July 12, 2017 at 11:05 am
Hate the touchpad, love my mouse! The touchpad is awkward while the mouse is just so much easier and I feel I can do more precise movements.
Ron
July 13, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Respectfully, thank you so very much for sharing this priceless tip: “Disable the Touchpad when a Mouse is Connected.” Love the mouse in lieu of a touchpad!
Arturo Rodriguez
July 13, 2017 at 4:47 pm
I use the touch pad, the mouse, And touch screen! Can’t do without them!
Harvey Stanbrough
February 22, 2018 at 9:03 am
Microsoft just gave me one of their patented updates as a suppository, and now my touchpad is active the whole time, whether or not my mouse is connected. I prefer the mouse, and there is no longer a way to disable the touchpad. I even tried deleting the driver. Didn’t work.
Bailey
September 14, 2019 at 1:55 pm
Go to Device Manager (Rt click on start)
Expand “mice and other pointing devices
Disable “Synaptics piniting device”