Lenovo Trackpoint Not Working
I have a Thinkpad X120e, and the touchpad and trackpoint are acting strange.Often after booting Windows, the touchpad and trackpoint will not work. Other times it will, as long as it is not after the laptop has awoken from sleep.This started happening a few days after Windows 10 January 2017 update. From my examination, I think the update was not the cause, because the touchpad and trackpoint do not work in Ubuntu either.I use SSD, and disabled hibernation, but it still does not startup fast.Here is what I have tried:.I try to check the BIOS, and confirm the menu in BIOS to enable/disable touchpad and trackpoint is enabled. However, the option is greyed out.I already tried to uninstall, update/downgrade the device driver using Lenovo, and using the generic driver from Synaptics.I already tried to revert the version of BIOS as well.I read in Lenovo forum this can happen because the touchpad is in flash programming mode. To fix the problem, it need flashing firmware program from Lenovo (unfortunately not available for may laptop).I tried seeking an answer from the, but there are so many responses already, my question got buried.My questions,.How can both pieces of hardware break at the same? The touchpad and trackpoint are separate devices, with separate cables to the motherboard? Is it because of a controller chip malfunction in the mother board?.Can Windows 10 update cause this?.Please suggest what must I do to solve the problem, or any work around?
(I am using Unified Remote app in my android phone and NeatMouse as mouse for on 'lap' work now)Also, I know my laptop isn't supported by Windows 10, and gets rather hot (90 degrees Celsius). I had the same issue with a Lenovo X201.Removing the device driver with the subsequent reboot solved the problems (stutter and non-responsive touchpad).The touchpad works surprisingly smooth now, similar to a MacBook Air, even though it's much smaller. It even scrolls like an Apple, but that's something you could alter.In the bottom Windows 'mouse settings' page you find 'extra mouse options' and in the last tab of this 'mouse properties screen' called 'UltraNav' you can finetune many functions.
In several models like W540/T540 etc. Lenovo has replaced the hardware-buttons for the Trackpoint with a big Touchpad. It looks like this:I own a W540 and as a hardcore-Trackpoint-user it’s really a pain not to have the hardware-buttons. 50% of your left-clicks are a middle-click by accident.
Thinkpad Mouse Buttons Not Working
This happens because you only have that single big Button. Also you need to move your thumb very far to the left/right to do a left/right-click.
I often create Powerpoint-Presentations for my talks in the train as I travel quite a lot. When I want to select items in my presentation, those items are suddenly moved by accident as the “big button” thinks I’m using the Touchpad, but I’m using the Trackpoint. I solved that last issue by disabling the Touchpad in the Bios.
But still all the other problems are here, that big single button is so annoying and – not mentioned yet – it’s also very noisy.In the newer W541-model, Lenovo brought the hardware-buttons back. And the model looks completely the same as the W540. But for sure I don’t want to buy a new machine just to get the buttons back. So I contacted Lenovo if they support that part for the older machines. But I never got a response: Twitter, Lenovo forums (see this thread: ) etc. Not even a “We don’t know” or “Sorry, we can’t answer this yet”.
Just nothing. Ignored.So I was deeply disappointed with Lenovo. I used a T43, a T61, a T520 and a W540. And before the W540 I never used a mouse. But with the W540 it’s impossible without a mouse. The Trackpad is just crap if you use it with the Trackpoint.Some weeks ago on Ebay and on other sides the new W541-Trackpad appeared, for around 70$. I decided to order that one and to try it in my W540.
I ordered the one in the picture below from here:It took around two weeks and today I got it. And I successfully use it. Let me explain the steps to put it into a W540. 1/4 Remove the Keyboard, the Keyboard bezel and add the new TouchpadFirst you need to remove the keyboard and the keyboard bezel. The “hardware maintenance manual” shows you how to do this. You can download it for the W540/T540 here:The part of your keyboard below the keys can be moved up, then you find different screws to unwind, six in total. Here you see two of them:After unwinding all the screws, you can remove your keyboard.
Be careful, as there are two cables connected. You just need to rotate the keyboard towards yourself, then disconnect the cables by lifting up the small black connectors. (I recommend using a small plastic-knife for this).Now after the keyboard is removed, you need to remove the keyboard bezel.
First you need to disconnect the cable for the power-button. You find a detailed description how to do this in Lenovos hardware maintenance manual. In the next step you remove 7 screws from the backside of your notebook:Then turn it around again and lift up the keyboard bezel. Be careful again, as the Touchpad is still connected with two cables.
Like for the keyboard, you just need to rotate the keyboard bezel towards you. I had Mickey Mouse with me, giving me some advice.;-)You don’t have to disconnect the cables of the keyboard bezel from your notebook. Instead unwind 5 screws (red arrows) for the Touchpad and disconnect the single cable (green arrow).To disconnect the cable from the Touchpad you need to lift up the small black part – like for the other cables.
Now you can remove the Single-Button-Annoying-Nerve-Costing-Touchpad. Here the old and the new side by side.Now place the new Touchpad with the hardware-trackpoint-buttons in the keyboard bezel.
Note that the new Touchpad just needs four instead of 5 screws. Don’t forget to connect the cable as well.Now go all the steps backwards again.
Put keyboard bezel back on your notebook. Connect the cable for the power-button. Add all the screws to the back of your notebook and mount the keyboard back again.
This looks (and is) like paradise on earth for Trackpoint users2/4 Install the driverNow your hardware is mounted. The next step is to uninstall the drivers for the Synaptics Ultranav from your machine. After a restart install the driver n10gx25w. That one works fine for me on Windows 8.1. I tried some other drivers that didn’t work – for example the one for the W541 notebook. After the driver-installation you need to restart again and now you can use the hardware-buttons. 3/4 Adjust the settingsEverything worked fine on my machine from the beginning – except scrolling / the middle-button.
When I clicked the middle-button while the cursor was above a hyperlink, that link was opened in a new tab of my browser. But instead I wanted to scroll. Scrolling only worked when the cursor was not above a hyperlink. That’s a bad behaviour of the system.
So I opened up the Mouse properties in the Control Panel. With the driver installed, you should see a tab there called “ThinkPad”.
On that tab, set the Radiobutton below “Enable Middle Button” from “Use as middle click” to “Use for scrolling”.With that setting my Trackpoint and the hardware-buttons are working like a charm. Like it should have been from the beginning for such an expensive machine. 4/4 EnjoyNow I can enjoy my machine and work with fun without a mouse while traveling, while at home, while working onsite for customers, yes, I don’t need my mouse at all! Like I would have expected it from the beginning. About LenovoNo one is perfect.
But I think it’s really a shame that Lenovo does not officially make a statement to this whole mess. To say “We don’t know yet if we’re going to support the older W540/T540-series with that hardware” or even to say “we won’t support older series with the new hardware-buttons” would be still by far better than just being silent, not answering questions and saying nothing at all. That isn’t good marketing and isn’t the nice way to your long-years-customers and Trackpoint-fans. Many might switch to other OEMs in the future, because Lenovo wants for example the W540-owners to buy a new W541.
That’s a shame, as the small replacement-part would be sufficient for a lot of them, and the W540 isn’t old. Mine is just 7 months old Lenovo brought the hardware-buttons back on the new devices, this shows that they know it was a bad idea to remove themIn my opinion Lenovo should support all the W540/T540 and other Thinkpad users with the missing hardware-buttons with a cheap and supported hardware-upgrade. That’s the way how to keep customers happy, and that’s the way how those customers will buy a Thinkpad again instead of another device. Bottom lineI’m happy now. If you want to do the same, be aware that you’ll loose your warranty with the steps described above. But having the buttons back is just awesome.Cheers,Thomas.
Hi Thomas,thank you very much for this interesting and helpful article!I’am in the same situtation: started with a T30, than had a T43, T61, W510 and now got a new T540p.I never needed a mouse nor a touch pad – just the trackpoint and the three mouse buttons.A small difference is that I need the middle button for paste (on Linux) – and it is not so easy to perform a middle button click on the new touchpadI will order the new touchpad and let you know.Best Regards, Robert March 28, 2015 at 9:45 pm. Hi Thomas,Thank you for the information.My company spent over AU$6000 on my fully loaded W540 (including NFC) reader), fantastic machine, but when it arrived (downgraded it to Win7 ultimate) it was almost unusable with the hopeless trackpoint it came with.I have owned many Lenovo/IBM W units in the past and have been very happy with them.The W540 trackpoint is simply a joke.I ordered one of the new pads with buttons as you show and have fitted it as per your instuctions.Everything works perfectly (only no NFC antenna in the new button pad. The processor pcb is still in my W540, but not connected to an antenna now))I may keep an eye out for a new trackpoint button version that contains the NFC reader too (should have the logo ‘two squares with a dot between’ on it like the stock one)The W540 is now a joy to use, just like it should have been from the factory.Keeping the old TrackPoint just incase the laptop needs a warranty return in the future.Looks like Lenovo will not be top dog for long with these products and lack of customer (business) support by ignoring important questions put to them. April 16, 2015 at 5:25 am. Right that is how it should behave. Both finger have to touch at same timeI am just frutrated right now trying to resolve this. After i unistall the original driversi even turned off wifi to prevent windows 10 jumping to install some other version of a drivers.
I immediately execute the n10 drivers but still cant seem to replicate the results. The original lenovo thread you posted into mentions some talk of a registry edit and running a command. (this is a mystery to me) June 23, 2017 at 8:03 pm. Thomas,Wow – Did that work great! With Windows 8.1, the PS2 default driver does all my low-needs fingers need. I can’t thank you enough!!!!!!!!!I started with a Thinkpad 770 17 years ago and until I purchased a T540p a few years back, I have been their biggest supporter and evangelist.
That quit with the joke of a trackpad that the 540 had. Since then I spared no effort swaying folks away from them.
I get that everyone makes a design mistake. But, not owning it and working with your loyal customers is inexcusable.If you are ever in the Las Vegas area, drinks are on me. July 1, 2017 at 9:21 pm. Hi Thomas,Thanks for the help. I have a W540 and I changed the track pad to the new one. I have Windows 10 and I tried to install the driver you posted. I noticed that the driver does not support W540.
Lenovo Trackpoint Not Working Windows 10
I dont know if that is a concern or not. My problem is that the system does not fully recognize my new installed track pad. Only the physical left and right buttons work, but not the track pad it self. I don’t know if I should settle for it like it is or there is something that I did wrong. I am currently hauling an external mouse where ever I go, so you can see I am not found of the track pad. Thanks in advance August 6, 2018 at 10:34 am.