[SOLVED] Help, cat disabled touchpad and I can't get it working

[JadaKiss]

I have a Alienware Dell computer, my cat jumped on my keyboard and spammed a bunch of buttons and now my touchpad doesn't work. I've tried going into the touchpad to enable it but it's already enabled. It works if I log out of my account, and is only disabled when I log into my user.

Also, I noticed that in the bottom right icons, there's a new icon called "synaptics point device" with a big red X through the icon, if I try to open the properties for it, nothing happens. If I click "about" it says "unable to execute....(it links to a file path)...DellTpad.exe"

Any ideas on how I can get my touch bad working again? I've tried disabling and renabling and tried updating the driver, nothing is working.

 

[velocityg4]

One of the top function keys likely is a touchpad enable and disable key. Look for the likely symbols and try them.

 

[JadaKiss]

One of the top function keys likely is a touchpad enable and disable key. Look for the likely symbols and try them.

I tried all the different functions on the keyboard and haven't been able to get the touchpad to work. After my cat spammed a bunch of different keys, there was a virtual keyboard that appeared on the screen, I don't know if that helps at all.

The big X with the synaptics pointing device makes me think it has something to do with the driver, but it doesn't make sense to me why the touchpad works the moment i log out of my user.

I've also tried restarting my computer which didn't work either.

 

[Colif]

I have a Alienware Dell computer, my cat jumped on my keyboard and spammed a bunch of buttons and now my touchpad doesn't work.

its been a while since i seen a cat story, cats and keyboards are a terrible combo as they can do commands we didn't even know existed.

does touchpad work in safe mode?

1. go to settings/update & security/recovery
   
2. under advanced startup, click restart now button
   
3. this restarts PC in a blue menu
   
4. choose troubleshoot
   
5. choose advanced
   
6. choose startup options
   
7. click the restart button
   
8. choose a safe mode (it doesn't matter which) by using number associated with it.
   
9. Pc will restart and load safe mode
   

that would tell you if its a driver thing or a setting
if it works it could be a driver, if it doesn't it might be a setting on user.

its unlikely you wouldn't have noticed cat randomly type something into search so this probably isn't it - https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...g-or-enabling-the-touchpad-on-a-dell-notebook

if its a user setting, maybe look in Accessibility as it is where the on screen keyboard can be found and you mentioned it appeared while cat "typed"

I can't remember solution in last cat case as it was a few years ago.