Touchpad - how to turn it off or toggle it

Lauren66
Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
edited November 2023 in 2019 Archives
I did what it says on us.answers.acer.com and, not only didn't it work, one time I got a warning in red type that said it was experimental and might damage the computer. I would really like to be able to toggle it but wouldn't mind turning it off altogether. I'll tape a piece of cardboard over it if I have to. Has anyone been able to accomplish this?

Answers

  • brummyfan2
    brummyfan2 ACE Posts: 28,470 Trailblazer
    Hi,
    What's the model  name of the laptop?

    Acer Predator PT516-51s Performance Results - UserBenchmark

  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    CB3-532. It's a Chromebook 15.
  • harrym
    harrym Member Posts: 2 New User
    Same problem as Lauren66.  Tried to turn off touchpad in settings.  doesn't work.  May have to try the piece of cardboard too.  Can't be this hard to disable it.
  • harrym
    harrym Member Posts: 2 New User
    Lauren - after much checking, I discovered that the developers of OS omitted the ability to turn off the pad.  Pad us exactly the size of a 3-1/2 x 5 photo,  Wasn't thick enough - pad still reads.  So I took your suggestion - cut a piece of cardboard that size.  Works great.  Thanks.  (also glued a photo to the cardboard-looks nicer than plain cardboard).
  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    Harrym - I wonder why they give instructions for doing it. I'm going to give them to you and maybe you can try it and see if it works. (I also can't change the icon beside my name on this site, even though the directions are simple, so maybe (hopefully) it's me because being able to toggle back and forth would be nice.)

    1. Open web browser.      2. Enable the option "Debugging keyboard shortcuts" then restart.     3. Press search+shift+P  at same time to toggle touchpad off or on.      I had to Google the debugging option because I couldn't figure out where that was supposed to be. It gave this:
    chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts     (Why would that url be an option somewhere on a web browser???)     I now think that the "experimental" warning that came up one of the times I tried it may be connected to one of the 3 operating systems on Chromebooks: beta, dev, or stable - obviously not the stable one. 

    Yeah, the cardboard works fine. I've done it on another computer, too. I used a Kleenex box with a pattern I liked and used two layers of the cardboard. I didn't think about adding a photo but the blue painters tape kind of ruins the appearance anyway.
  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    I just spent an hour on the phone with Acer support. Nice people but  . . . .      I was given the same instructions that we talked about here - even got the red warning again - and I told him that none of it works. Search+Shift+P is supposed to work, too, but of course it didn't. Now I just have to find an empty Kleenex box.
  • Manny-Acer_Retired
    Manny-Acer_Retired Newbie Posts: 4,453 Guru
    edited August 2019
    Hi Lauren66 and harrym,

    I am very sorry to hear that you're unable to toggle the touchpad of your Acer Chromebooks. Have you tried to reinstall (Powerwash) Chrome O.S. and then try the steps again?

    What chrome OS version you have installed?
    Can you post the screenshots of the red warning?

    I have tested 2 different Chromebooks units with the same specifications and was able (with no issues) to toggle the touchpad on/off with the following instructions:

    https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49988/

    Thanks,
    Acer-Manny
  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    This is the warning:  

    Experiments

    76.0.3809.102
    WARNING: EXPERIMENTAL FEATURES AHEAD! By enabling these features, you could lose browser data or compromise your security or privacy. Enabled features apply to all users of this browser.

    Interested in cool new Chrome features? Try our beta channel

    Manny, there is one big difference between your instructions, and the instructions that I found online and the ones that I was given by Acer Support. Only your instructions say to restart the computer before trying the search+shift+P - a significant difference! I'm nervous about the warning. Is there some reason that I shouldn't be? (I won't be available tomorrow, so if you answer me be prepared to wait until Sunday for a response.)

  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    I was wrong, Manny. I just looked up my notes about this and it did say to restart. I tried this more than once (I can't remember if the warning always showed up - I'm surprised I tried it if it did) and it didn't work. But I really would like to understand the warning. 
  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    harrym - I hope you're making out okay with the cardboard over the touchpad. I just tried something a little bit different today and thought I'd share it. I have a "rubber band" of sorts that came with something I bought - I don't know what it was but I liked the band and kept it. I got it out today and found to my joy that it would fit easily around the computer from left to right, so, right across the touchpad. I have a piece of cardboard that I can slide under the band if I want to use the mouse, or that I can slide right back out again if I want to watch a movie and don't want to have to fool with the mouse. IOW, I arranged my own method of toggling it on and off, and this works! For what it's worth.
  • Manny-Acer_Retired
    Manny-Acer_Retired Newbie Posts: 4,453 Guru
    Lauren66 said:
    I was wrong, Manny. I just looked up my notes about this and it did say to restart. I tried this more than once (I can't remember if the warning always showed up - I'm surprised I tried it if it did) and it didn't work. But I really would like to understand the warning. 
    Hi Lauren66, thanks for replying and sorry for the delayed response (long weekend holiday), i really don't have any other ideas as i tried the steps with 2 Chromebooks (same and different specs) and it worked with no issues (i didn't get the message or warning), so if you already powerwash/reset the O.S. and is not working, my recommendation is to contact your local Acer support center or if you don't have warranty check with a local technician for better assistance. 

    Check with Google Chrome support: https://support.google.com/chrome/?hl=en#topic=7438008
    Try this version of Chrome OS:


    Sorry for the inconveniences,
    Acer-Manny
  • Lauren66
    Lauren66 Member Posts: 45 Troubleshooter
    Thanks for trying to help with this, Manny. There were a couple of other little things that seemed off to me so I returned the one I had to Best Buy yesterday and got another one to try. I haven't even opened the box yet but I'm hoping things will go more smoothly this time. I guess you noticed that harrym had the same problem and resorted to the old cardboard trick, which made me feel better because at least I know it's not me. I did powerwash the other one a couple of times and the first time it popped up a window saying that it was in developer mode, which I thought was kind of an odd way to sell a new computer, but it automatically changed it to the stable channel. (Does "same specs" mean "same model"? Just wondering if there's some reason it can't be done with this model - Chromebook 15 - CB3-532. The cardboard and the rubber band will work fine anyway and is no doubt a quicker way to "toggle" it than doing whatever I would have to do if it actually worked.)

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