0

Laptop is a Dell Inspiron 7437. The problem appears in any operating system I install (running Windows 10 right now). So, most of the times, at startup, the touchpad works okay, but then sometimes after I move the laptop, or fold the screen, the touchpad just dies. This happens randomly, and sometimes I don't have touchpad response even at startup. Other times the problem manifests in the touchpad triggering clicks and double clicks, making it almost impossible to operate the machine due to it pressing everything on sight. What I do most of the times is just turn the touchpad off.

I have tried disabling the drivers and changing the drivers to a generic version (Synaptics). Despite me disabling the drivers all the time, these turn back on somehow, and I notice because the double clicking behaviour just kicks in out of nowhere. In the small touchpad icon I can see that when this happens the whole area of the touchpad appears green intermittently, suggeting it's triggering all the features rapidly.

Due to misinformation, I didn't get the chance to return this thing before my warranty expired. This laptop has given me problems with the touchpad from the get go (the model got even taken away from sale shortly after I purchased it...).

So how would I debug this issue? I just don't wanna go through buying and installing a replacement part just to have a faulty motherboard connector or something like that be the cause. Is there ways to find out if the whole touchpad piece is damaged measuring the flex cable current somehow?

3
  • I suspect the problem to be with the cable between the touch pad and motherboard but the only way to know is to open it up and verify/replace it. Jul 8, 2016 at 5:25
  • Any advice on determining if the cable is good, or if the connector is at fault?
    – jjcastil
    Jul 13, 2016 at 5:28
  • It would normally be visually apparent but a multi-meter may be needed to be sure. Jul 13, 2016 at 8:08

0

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .