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The Synaptics touchpad in my new laptop doesn't scroll at all in a number of applications, including Steam and Zune.

I've narrowed the problem down to Synaptics not sending mouse wheel messages, but rather manipulating scroll bars.

I'm only looking into one-finger side-of-touchpad scrolling, not two-finger scrolling.

Is there a way to make it send wheel messages so that it is compatible with all applications?

Configuration:

  • Windows 7 64-bit
  • Dell XPS 14
  • Latest Synaptics driver (have tried both from Synaptics and Dell)

My Synaptics options window looks like this and I've tried moving all the options to no avail:

enter image description here

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5 Answers 5

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After almost two years, I FINALLY found the solution!!

As explained in this article, it's as simple as editing the registry and adding a DWORD at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Synaptics\SynTPEnh with name UseScrollCursor and value 0 and restarting SynTPEnh.exe.

This fixed the problem in Steam and Zune flawlessly, with both edge scrolling and two-finger scrolling.

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  • I use this tip for few years with outdated Dell XPS 17 702x. Upgrade to Win 10 isn't supported, but I did. One of the problem with update is missing official Synaptic package from Dell (to get two fingers scroll). Recently I found that scroll icon displayed and the most annoying sometimes this icon stuck at screen and hide below view unless I killed SynTPEnh.exe. I found that Microsoft or Synaptic delivered new version of Synaptic package at 27Feb and registry tweak was removed, so I reapplied it again.
    – gavenkoa
    Jun 30, 2017 at 19:15
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There is a suggestion in this thread :

The problem imho is not caused by the driver, but it's the SynTPEnh.exe, which is responsible for the scrolling and other features (kill the process in TaskManager, and two finger scrolling won't work an more in any application).

If you manage to run this tool with elevated privileges, two finger scrolling should work even for applications that were started as administrator.

One way to do this is to create a task in the task scheduler, that will start SynTPEnh.exe with highest privileges at logon.

Question: Did you install drivers from Toshiba's website? Or did you let Windows 7 automatically install the drivers?

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  • I don't want to disable scrolling, I just want it to work in all applications (it doesn't work in Steam, Zune or TortoiseHG, for example). I killed that process and it just disables it completely. Also, I want regular side-of-touchpad one-finger scrolling, not two-finger scrolling. My driver is the lastest one from Synaptic's site. Jan 25, 2011 at 15:13
  • Did you try to restart it with "Run administrator" ?
    – harrymc
    Jan 25, 2011 at 15:30
  • The apps don't scroll not because they're run by administrator, they don't scroll because they have custom scrollbars that the Synaptics software can't manipulate. Sending regular mouse-wheel windows messages instead of manipulating scrollbars would fix this. Jan 25, 2011 at 17:38
  • There is no "manipulation" of scrollbars in Windows. Devices such as the touchpad send scroll messages directly to the active window. However, some products in search of sexier scrollbars simply paint their own scrollbars and handle themselves all mouse clicks. Since as far as Windows is concerned these windows have no scrollbars, the touchpad messages will never even be sent. If that's your case, then there is no possible solution.
    – harrymc
    Jan 25, 2011 at 20:05
  • But Alps touchpads and normal mice scroll perfectly in these types of Windows... Jan 27, 2011 at 15:56
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+50

This thread suggests going to Control Panel, then Mouse, then Device Settings until you see something like this:

screenshot of Properties for Synaptics TouchPad

Then, two things to try:

  • Untick/uncheck Enable virtual scrolling
  • Click the [+] to the left of Virtual Scrolling and change from "Scroll selected item" to "Scroll item under pointer"

If those options don't appear, can you post a screenshot of your settings? Maybe there is an option to use a different scrolling mode or to exclude certain applications.


Otherwise, there is a program called TwoFingerScroll that sounds like it might help.

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  • 1
    Thanks for the answer, but my options window looks nothing like that (here's a screenshot: i.imgur.com/YqVVY.png ) I don't have the "Virtual scrolling" option, just "Scrolling". Turning it off disables scrolling completely. I don't want two-finger scroll, just right edge one-finger scolling. Jan 25, 2011 at 2:32
  • I tried the TwoFingerScroll program and it works! It send regular wheel messages and scrolls in all applications. If only there was a way to make one-finger side-of-touchpad scrolling work like that... Jan 25, 2011 at 15:19
  • I'll give you the bounty because it's the only solution that sort-of worked. The TwoFingerScroll program scrolls in all apps, but it's not really the one-finger edge scrolling I was looking for. Jan 30, 2011 at 22:18
  • Release notes for version 6.7.3.4: "Due to this change, "Scrolling selection" option on the touch pad Properties panel was removed." download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/6hgx31ww.txt -- does that explain the difference between Mikel's screenshot and Juliana's?
    – Dan
    Jan 31, 2011 at 15:56
  • I just updated my driver from 15.0.18.0 to 15.1.19.0, and now I can scroll in some programs I couldn't scroll in before.
    – Dan
    Jan 31, 2011 at 16:20
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I had the same issue on Windows 10 with edge, it was fixed by updating my synaptics driver.

This specific driver should work http://drivers.synaptics.com/Synaptics_v16_2_21_C_XP32_Vista32_Win7-32_XP64_Vista64_Win7-64_Win8.zip

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  • That is just a driver download direct link... A better answer would have been something like "I had the same issue on Windows 10 with edge, it was fixed by updating my synaptics driver."
    – Cestarian
    Feb 22, 2016 at 4:10
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I've used solution for synaptics driver 19x version Windows 7 SP1 x86 on my old Toshiba satellite a105 and it DOESNOT work.

Finally managed by installing Synaptic drivers 14x version and everything works as a champ. All newer 16, 17, 18 also doesn't work for me.

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