Windows 10: Left and right side of touchpad does not react to tapping after typing

If you use Windows, your touchpad works this way.When you tap anywhere on the touchpad, it emits a left click. However, after typing text on the keyboard, only the middle 50% of the touchpad can emit a click. Tapping on the left or right 25% has no effect. The sides can still move the mouse pointer, but tapping will not emit a left click. If you touch the middle 50% move the mouse pointer or tap, the two sides regain their tap to click ability.The same goes on with two-finger tapping. Normally it emits a right click anywhere. However, after typing, the two sides lose their two-finger tap to

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Left and right side of touchpad does not react to tapping after typing





When you tap anywhere on the touchpad, it emits a left click. However after typing text on the keyboard, only the middle 50% of the touchpad can emit a click. Tapping on the left or right 25% has no effect. The sides can still move the mouse pointer, but tapping will not emit a left click. If you touch the middle 50% (move the mouse pointer or tap), the two sides regain their tap to click ability.

The same goes on with two-finger tapping. It emits a right click anywhere. However after typing, the two sides lose their two-finger tap to right click ability. They regain it after touching the middle 50%.

If you don't know this, you might think, that your touchpad sometimes does not register a tap, but there is a clear pattern of this behaviour, like I described.

You can try this on your laptop with the following steps:

• Open a Notepad, Word, a chat window, a search bar, or any app in which you can type.
  
• Move the mouse pointer where you want to position the cursor after typing.
  
• Type something.
  
• Tap on the left or right side of the touchpad. Nothing will happen.
  
• Tap on the middle of the touchpad. The touchpad will emit a left click, therefore the cursor will be positioned there.
  

Remarks:

• Office apps and Notepad hide the mouse pointer while typing. In the last two steps where you have to tap, the mouse pointer might be hidden, but this does not affect the issue.
  
• Tap to click can be configured in Windows. See Settings > Bluetootn & devices > Touchpad > Taps > ☑ Tap with a single finger to single-click and ☑ Tap with two fingers to right-click. Default is on for both. If your touchpad does not do tap to click, check these settings.
  
• Most touchpads have a built-in switch. You can actally hear and feel it click, if you press it hard. However in this issue we are talking about tapping and not pressing.
  
• I tested Windows 10 and 11 laptops of various brands (HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Acer, etc.). All of them had this issue. Apple does not suffer from this, and I don't know about Linux. In Apple macOS tap to click is off by default. You have to turn it on first to test it.
  

• On some HP laptops (e.g. HP Pavilion) the bands on the left and right side that lose the tap to click ability are narrower, say 15%.
  

My guess is that this behaviour is meant to prevent accidental tapping with the wrist, while you are using the keyboard. But I tried, and I was not able to tap with my wrist, so I see no reason for such protection. At the same time it is annoying, that you cannot use the sides of the touchpad. After typing you usually position the mouse pointer somewhere and click.

The sad part is, that this behaviour cannot be configured in Windows. If there would be an ☑ Ignore tapping on the sides of the touchpad after typing, would you turn it off? I certainly would. Or would you keep it on? Tell your opinion.

 

Left-handed touchpad tap and double-tap is not working.

I have gone to my mouse settings and switched it to being left-handed. I also made sure that "Switch primary and secondary buttons" is checked in the "additional mouse settings". The "touchpad settings" only has a sensitivity option.

The buttons on the bottom of the touchpad have switched correctly, but now when I double-tap the touchpad to open something it acts as if I clicked the secondary button instead of opening what I clicked on and if I just tap it once nothing happens, so I have to actually click the bottom button to even switch tabs or X anything out. I tried switching it back to right-handed and that one works as it should, but on left-handed, the double-tap and single-tap response is still incorrect.

How can I fix this?

 

Left handed mouse when docked and right handed touchpad when undocked

Hi,

I realize that you want the left handed mouse when docked and right handed touchpad when undocked. I will try to help you with this issue.

• 
  What is the make and model of the computer?
  

You can configure the mouse settings for left hand and set the touchpad for normal use.

Follow these steps to configure the mouse settings:

• 
  Press Windows key + I to get the Settings screen.
  
• 
  Click on Devices and then click on Mouse and Touchpad.
  

Keep us informed to help you further.

Thank you.