Laptop help please

Is there anyone that can help me please? I don't have much hair left as it is, so I could do without pulling out any more .

I bought a new laptop the other day which has Vista on it (I don't think that is this problem, although it is still a crap operating system). The pad you use to move the cursor has been enabled to be a tap screen. I am moving pages, adding spaces, navigating away and all sorts where I accidentally touch the screen .Does anyone know where the setting is to turn the tap screen off? I have been looking unsuccessfully now for 3 days .

It's an E System machine if that helps.

Thanks

Mark

Thanks for all the replies. My touchpad is not a synaptics device and downloading generic drivers from the synaptics website fail to install, Vista marks them as corrupt. Googling, it seems that some none synaptic devices cannot be tap disabled. It seems I may have to disable the screen altogether and use a mouse. So much for making computers easier .

Mark

I can't live with it, I disabled it on my old laptop as it was too much of an inconvenence. I don't want to use a laptop, poking the keys like a puppet. I am just loathe to phone the 50p minute helplines to get what should be a relatively easy fix.

Very annoying.

Mark

Hi Mark

I have pm'd you with some suggestions I found on the internet, it seems you are not alone in this problem. One suggestion was to cut a piece from a postcard to cover the touchpad and tape it over it - simple, not scientific, but could be effective.

Best of luck in sorting this problem, I am lucky that I have been able to disable mine on my Acer by changing mine not to run on the startup menu. 

Have you tried e-mailing e-machines with this problem? http://www.emachines.com/support/product_support.html#

Hi there, normally, the touchpad can be disabled in the BIOS. Reboot the machine and hit F1 (could be another key on your machine but it will say which key to go into BIOS or setup). From there, you will find options to disable/enable hardware. Hope this helps.

Hi Marksfish,

have you tried going to 'my computor section' then 'appearances & themes'  there is a mouse pinter option you can change from there. I haven't got Vista but a friend of mine suggested this. My son has Vista, I will double check with him and get back to you if this doesn't work.

Yeeeeeessssssssss!!!!!! I found a driver . A bit more googling found a page on the PC World/ Dixons/ Currys support site that has loads of drivers. I wasn't sure it would work as the driver is signed for XP. It turned out to be a Synaptics driver, even though my touchpad isn't a Synaptic device and I can now type away without fear of navigating away from the page I am viewing or the type ending up somewhere else on the page because my hand has caught it.

Thanks to everyone that took te time to PM me or reply in the htread, it was much appreciated.

Mark

I'm glad you sorted it out  - I did ask my son (a lap top whizz) and his answer was.........and I quote "He should have got xp not vista....vista's total c..p!"

Don't your kids make you so proud? 

I totally agree with your Son . I've had the laptop less than a week and it is continually crashing. I have thought about buying a copy of XP, but will presevere for a while longer to see if it gets better with use (I think I know the answer to that one ).

Mark