Dell Latitude touch pad drifting problem fixed !

I just got Dell Latitute C610 and it seems to have a serious mouse drifting problem, after checking several source It seems that it is long known that the Latitute series suffers from this problem, It is even mentioned at the dell support forum.

As I nearly gave up I found a quick solution for the problem:

Go into the BIOS (F2).  Press Alt-P until you reach "Page 4 of 7".  Under "Pointing Device" change the setting from "PS/2-Touchpad" to "PS/2".  Reboot.

The touchpad and point stick will still function as long as there isn't a mouse plugged into the PS/2 port.  If the mouse is plugged in, it will override the integrated devices.

Finally I can start working.... :-)

Ohad.

39 Comments

  • My latitude C810 has the same problem - unfortunately I use the touchpad a lot (usually sitting on the couch). The new drivers do help a bit - they make the touchpad a little more jittery as well though.

  • A huge thankyou! I've been cursing this drifting pointer for ages - it's been an intermittant problem but now it's fixed. Thanks for the solution.

  • Bro thanks a bunch...your solution was quick, easy and it worked. Now the touchpad functions like true champ.

  • mate thanks very much for the help. worked a treat

  • Thanks mate good solution

  • Thanks - finally able to use my laptop without much frustration and tabbing!

  • tried to change the setting of the touchpad but it seemed to be locked, how do I get around this?

  • Didnt work for me, it still drifts =[

  • This cutting the wire thing has anybody tried that?

  • Man, thanks so much for that info, this drifting was freaking me out so bad, I hope I got over it now...I was tempted several times to smash my notebook.

    for everybody who´s reading this right now and cant get the mouse to focus, use the little stick in the keyboard, if u really crank it it´ll work for a while (just as Chris said lol)

    thanks Ohad, greetz from Germany

    Layla Tov everyone!

  • I had the erratic, touchy touch pad problem on my Dell Inspiron 5100. Tried all sorts of different settings. Nothing helped for long. I bought a new touch pad from a vendor on eBay. $18.00 including shipping. Replaced the touchpad. Problem solved...my touchpad works like brand new!!!

  • I didn't know that it was called mouse drift until yesterday. My computer started doing this 3 months ago, I thought I was doomed to suffer with this. I stumbled across a web site that recommended cutting the trackpoint cable. Finally at my wits end I looked up the manual on the dell website, located the correct cable (the trackpoint cable) and cut it in half. Problem solved!!!!

  • Awesome! I went into Bios F2 and changed the settings to PS2 and it works! On my Dell Latitude! YA!!!YAYAYAY!

  • There was a mention on a Dell support forum concerning the refresh rate. I found out that to add the option -s 200 to the gpm command solves the problem for me:

    gpm -s 200 -m /dev/psaux -t ps2

    seems to work just fine. This sets the sample rate to 200 instead of the default 100 and seems to control the drift completely.

  • Well Bios changes seems to have fixed it for me, in both XP and in Linux (dual boot). I bought this Dell used at a swap meet and was begining to think that I had been dupped.

    Thanks Ray

  • The number of posts on the internet relating to this topic is stunning! This seems to be a serious issue,common to a wide range of Dell laptops..Changing the bios setting seems to work, if you actually have a PS2 mouse connected, not a USB mouse.In my opinion this seems to be a hardware related issue with the keyboard or touchpad, not a Windows XP driver issue. I have this same issue with several versions of Linux.

    Ray
    MCSE

  • I tried the driverz,worked for some days well but again the mouse started drifting:-(

  • If your Dell is still under warranty, they will fix this if you are persistent. I contacted support about this problem, and over the course of several weeks they had me try every setting and troubleshooting step you can imagine. Nothing worked, so they sent me a new keyboard for my laptop. That didn't fix it, so finally they had me send the machine in to their support center. It came back very quickly, with a note that they had replaced the keyboard and the 'palm rest assembly'. So far the mouse drift problem seems to be fixed.

  • Its a shame, as mots other laptop mfr's have got over the accidental activation of the pad with a simple touchswitch to disable the touchpad when not in use.

    Very handy!

  • I have this problem but on a Dell Precision M60 - how do I switch off the touch pad to stop the mouse drifting? It's driving me mad!

    I tried all the advice above but to no avail...

  • My dell c600 is haveing a serious mouse drifting problem and i try all i could but is not o.k uptill now then what can i do.

  • follow the instructions above and use a PS/2 mouse instead of a USB mouse

  • No not alt all. Now I have 2 buttons not responding. I have returned to original settings and tried other basic settings like those mentioned here. Now I need to switch to the 'mouse buttons not responding thread...thx so much for the help ahab.

  • thanks a lot, I have Dell latitude D430 and it's works very well now.
    thanks

  • finally, i didn't enter to the BIOS, i have just change the mouse driver in yast---> mouse.
    I use PS2-mouse ---> PS2.
    And as i said prevously this works very well.

  • THAnk you now I can go to sleep

  • I have a Dell Latitude D830 with the mouse drift issue. I've logged a support call with Dell (thanks to my org'n's priority support plan) and I will share what I learn to others with the same problem :-)

  • The PS2 thing did not work for me.

    As it was driving me mad - only one option - the permanent fix and cut the cable !

    Works a treat now. Easy fix - only took a couple of minutes !

  • Hey,

    i had the same drifting mouse problem on my Latitude CPX and found your page here about 3 weeks ago. Changed the bios setting and all was well - until yesterday, suddently the problem is back ... DAMMIT! Bios setting is still like i set it, but now the mouse pointer rests on the far lest side and not even the rubber stick can bring it back to the right side. I´m about to cut the wires of that trackstick.. any help? -> kusie15@hotmail.com

  • Dell D 610 latitude refurb with v1.4 BIOS - using a USB mouse and so changing the ps2 setting in bios didn't help. In xp control panel -> mouse, I found options to disable the stick and the trackpad. LO~no more drift!!1eleventy!

  • AMAZING! I'd jz finished repairing my windows using microsoft xp repair and still my touchpad didn't work and i'm planning to reformat my notebook because of this mouse problem but jz in time i've read your solution! THANK YOU SO MUCH! (Maraming Salamat!)More power!

  • How do i get into the bios f2 to start this procedure?

  • ...i have almost thrown away my laptop a few times bcos of this touch pad stuff..thinking it has a demon.thanks a million for this timely solutn.

  • Problem solved!!!!
    The ONLY cure was to install the latest ALPS touchpad driver from DELL. DEACTIVATE the stick, there you go. Now you don~t have to smash your pc anymore

  • another satisfied customer.
    THANKS SO MUCH!

  • I want to disable the touchpad altogether as I use the eraser head in the keyboard. Any thoughts?

  • Ohad, thanks for the excellent solution. It worded like a charm.

  • Dell's updates on new driver's make the problem worse. Whatever driver utilities came with your computer, use those for your touch pad and do not upgrade. Dell has a problems with issuing computer models and upgrading them as they ship to dealers. i.e You may have bought your computer in May but the driver installed as January of the prior year Dell now Has a current driver, but now has the date of April this year. It is hardly likely that the new driver is going to work well on a system that Dell does not know whether they installed a newer touch pad component. Microsoft can't even keep up with those idiots. Use your original driver, go to control panel, hardware, touch-pad, touch pad settings and disable tap click, slow your touch pad, and cursor movements. Problems are solved. If hardware is not available, hopefully you have your original utility disk. go to touch pad extract files and click yes to all. get rid of the new driver.

  • thanks so much, i have had three sleeples nights trying to solve this problem. Now it is solved and up and running after changing to ps2

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