touchpad/mouse not working

Peter Hansler,

That is definitely a strange issue but from what you stated it sounds like the other harddrive is somehow causing the problem, possibley a bad connector?


I would just replace the old harddrive and stop using it.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

I am having a similar problem  I have a inspiron 7000 running XP Pro.  I formated the harddrive and installed XP Pro.  After the installation the touchpad does not respond or show up on the device manager.  When I try to connect a PS/2 mouse to the mouse port it does not work either.  I then connect a USB mouse which finally works.

 

Is there a problem with the touchpad and Windows XP Pro?  I need the touch pad so saying just use the mouse is not an answer.

There is not an issue with the mousepad and XP Pro, because the mousepad was working before I did the correcting on the other hard drive.  I think I forgot to mention that my version of XP is Professional)

The mousepad is also essentially for me (attaching and carrying USB mouse is a nuisance in the work I do), so I will continue to look for an answer and will let you know if somethiong comes along.

 

I have EXACTLY the same problem.

Have an Inspiron 7000, and have just re-formatted the hard drive and installed Win XP Pro. All seems well apart from the mouse/touchpad.

I can't get a ps\2 mouse to be recognised. (in fact Device Manager seems to think it's a ps\2 keyboard!!!!!)

Touchpad is dead, even though i've loaded the XP drivers for it from the Synaptics website.

USB mouse is recognised instantly.

I would have thought that there would be some sort of variable to set in the BIOS, but there's hardly any options for anything at all in the BIOS. Very sparse.

(Note: i have also flashed the BIOS to the latest version.)

someone help pleassssssssse?

I tested the dell diagnostic disk to check my touchpad.  The test was successful and I was able to move the cursor around and run all the tests.  I also noticed that the touch pad or Ps/2 mouse did not appear in the device manager. 

 

I tried to download the newest driver for the touchpad.  The install will only copy the drivers if a touch pad was detected by device manager.  Any one have any clue on how to handle this.  .

 

One clue the might work that I have not tried was in this message

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_input&message.id=6711&highlight=touchpad+windows+Xp#M6711

Solution:

Load system BIOS (F2 when Dell splashscreen appears)

Reset system defaults (F9)

Save (F10)

Reboot

Thanks for a final solution. Had EXACTLY the same problem that all have been writing about. Tried all that everyone said, and then... reset the BIOS config. Worked like a charm.. Disappointed that Dell did not/was not able to suggest that. As a retired person, an owner of a few thousand shares of Dell stock and a son in Austin, TX, I will be at the next shareholders meeting and get placed on the agenda for Michael Dell to hear about his service!

Hi all. Tried resetting the BIOS to defaults. Everything now works fine.

Thanks for your help. Such a simple solution to a nightmare problem.

Shame Dell support pages didn't mention anything.

I have an Inspiron 8200 with the same problem but I don't seem to have an easy F9/F10 key combination in my bios.  The only reset I know of is removing all power sources and holding the power button down for 15 seconds.  the next boot complains that the setup is incorrect.  you go in, save and leave, then reboot and it goes into WinXP -- but mouse and speakers still won't work.  any ideas?

turns out it was likely a lose connector for the touch pad and speakers.