XPS 15 (9530) touchpad problem

Hi,

May be problem in your settings. So, try to re-install your touchpad drivers.

Here the link below.

1. http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=Y1YRK&osCode=WB64A&fileId=3289575743&languageCode=en&categoryId=IN&dgc=SM&cid=268757&lid=5107821

Hi,

Try this below link.

http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/277550/%7Bdoclang%7D

Thank you again..

Those links only propose software changes. I am trying to understand if the problem i have is noticed in all models or is it specific to mine. And i think is hardware related.

It is definitely a function of the hardware design. I discovered the same thing as you are describing months ago.

I can begin putting a certain amount of torquing pressure on the chassis and at a specific, seemingly very repeatable, point the left click will actuate, but not release. As soon as I let off pressure just slightly the click will release. 

I discovered it when I had my system propped in my lap where only the back and front edges were touching me.

Hi,

Contact dell technical support. For replace your touch pad under warranty.

Exactly the same problem with my XPS 15. The laptop is absolutely great otherwise but this is frustrating. The problem shows up when I am using the computer on my lap, and resting my hands on the outer corners of the laptop while using the touchpad. In order for the touchpad button to let go, I have to lift my hands up from the laptop surface. If I just push down with my hands quite gently on the corners of the laptop, having it on my lap, I can feel the laptop flex and hear the touchpad click all by itself. Not sure if a touchpad replacement would help - feels like the laptop rather would need a firmer frame.

I have the same problem on my XPS-15.

I am grateful to learn the work-around (support the laptop from the edge).

The problem is related to the XPS-15 touchpad — a new design that is clearly a bad feature of this particular model.

The touchpad does not have normal left and right mouse buttons, like most touchpads.  Instead, the whole touchpad serves as a mouse button, so pressing anywhere on the touchpad produces a faint click and the driver registers this as a button click, depending on whether your finger is on the left or right side of the touchpad.

As others have noted, this can malfunction and the touchpad sticks in the "down" position.  It will no longer click, so you lose all mouse button function and the computer acts as if the left button is pemanently depressed.  As others have noted here, the problem is related to whether the laptop is supported from below at the edges.

I actually had a technician visit me this morning to try to fix the problem under Dell's warranty, but the laptop was resting on a table and the problem would not occur.  He left, and I sat down on the couch to work on the laptop.  The problem immediately showed up and I couldn't get the buttons to work except by prying the touchpad up gently with a blade — after which it would click once and then stick again.

But this string gave me the clue:  all I have to do is uncross my legs and I can see the button release on the screen.

Wow.  Really bad design.  Dell, it seems to me, trashed a very fancy and expensive laptop by providing a badly engineered touchpad that is getting all kind of complaints, and by providing no numeric keypad and no separate PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End keys and no separate Function keys, even though there is plenty of room on the laptop for all of that.  A fast machine that really slows you down. 

Thank you for the responses..

At least I know now that it is not a problem of my laptop but is general to the model. Its a pity because it is a really expensive machine which should have been tested thoroughly.

I hope someone from Dell reads this and actually does something.

Another clue.

A Dell tech came by this afternoon to try to replace the touchpad (but discovered that Dell had not sent him the touchpad).

He did, however, discover that two screws were missing from my laptop — the two philips-head screws that you will find (if you have them) under the little door in the middle of the bottom of the computer, the door that hides the service tag number, etc.

When he replaced the missing screws, the touchpad problem definitely got better.  Not perfect, but definitely better.

This makes sense, because those two screws help hold the bottom of the computer to the top (palm rest), so they would help to keep the whole machine from flexing.

So if you have the problem of the touchpad buttons freezing when you try to use the machine on your lap, you might check to see if those screws are missing.

Hello NeilFro and thank you for the response...

I cant imagine what the behavior of your touchpad was without those screws! I anyway checked and on my machine they are in place

Those screws are in place on my laptop too.

Thank you Neil

You motivated me enough to re-open the case with Dell Netherlands. I will post when i have an update on my part.