Touch Pad Setup in Windows

I have the touchpad on my MBP set up for tap-to-click. However I can not find a way to configure it this way when operating Windows XP on my machine. Is there a way to add this functionality when working with Windows?

Jack

Anybody?

Basically, this is an Apple issue - their windows drivers for the mouse pad don't support tap-to-click. It's only suported in OSX. So, unless and until Apple (or some third party) releases an updated windows driver for the mouse pad it's not possible.

OK, I will live with it. Thanks for the input joec .

I am far from a genius when it comes to either OS X or Windows... However, my tap-to click works perfectly in Windows XP via Fusion. I did not set it up intentionally to do so, but after reading your post, I went in to see if it were the case. Not sure what to check in settings, but mine works just fine in default set-up. Good luck and keep trying!

Um, for my dell, i go to control panel-> mouse and keyboard, and set the tap to click thing from there……

macearly said:

I am far from a genius when it comes to either OS X or Windows... However, my tap-to click works perfectly in Windows XP via Fusion. I did not set it up intentionally to do so, but after reading your post, I went in to see if it were the case. Not sure what to check in settings, but mine works just fine in default set-up. Good luck and keep trying!

Click to expand...

If you're running Boot Camp, it's running as a PC and there is no support for the tap to click. If you're running something like Parallels it may work as these run under OSX.

How about support for right click?

greggebhardt said:

How about support for right click?

Click to expand...

that works:

place two finger on the touch pad and click...
--
or of course you can control click...

Thanks, will take some getting used to but the 17" screen on my MBP is simply the best I have seen and worth any new learning curve!

I am also looking at getting a wireless mouse? What are MBP users using the Apple mouse or getting a wireless fro a 3rd party user like Logitech?

Thanks for all the help!

It does seem ridiculous that I can turn on tap-to-click in Apples software but not in Vista via bootcamp. So far my largest dissapointment with the MacBook Pro 17. It just seems like a simple thing to have the driver modified.

Mouse for the MBP

greggebhardt said:

Thanks, will take some getting used to but the 17" screen on my MBP is simply the best I have seen and worth any new learning curve!

I am also looking at getting a wireless mouse? What are MBP users using the Apple mouse or getting a wireless fro a 3rd party user like Logitech?

Thanks for all the help!

Click to expand...

I was looking for a solution for the lack of a tap in Windows XP under Boot Camp... seems like there isn't a solution, but just knowing that will save me some time, so I appreciate the answers here.

I agree with you about the MBP... I have the 17-inch model with the glossy screen... chosen after 22 years on a variety of PCs. I couldn't be happier. There will always be compromises on any OS and I'm willing to adjust (may stave off Alzheimer's in the bargain).

I bought the Wireless Mighty Mouse so I would not have to use a dongle for a Microsoft or Logitech mouse. I like the mouse, but... it's slow. I might have to search for a program to speed up its tracking ability. I like the little scroll ball... very cute. And of course you have the left and right mouse clicks you're used to. But the feel is a little different because the entire front of the mouse is going down rather than just a single button.

So at work I've returned to my Logitech MX Revolution, the most expensive (and best) mouse I've ever used. A wide variety of setup options and you can even customize it to work differently in each program. I'm a writer who needs to switch rapidly between open documents, so I've programmed the mouse's tilt wheel to go to Next or Previous Document. Very slick.

And the click scroll wheel turns into a smooth scroll wheel simply by pressing the scroll wheel like a button. But more impressively, you can use the click scroll wheel for normal use (which I do), but when you flick the wheel to speed your way down a long webpage, for example, there's a clutch inside the mouse that disengages the click motion and freewheels you to the bottom of the page... or at least closer that six or seven flicks of a normal wheel. And then you can do it again if need be. This sounds arcane, but it works beautifully and you get used to it in about 30 seconds.

I paid $125 in Hong Kong for one of them (wondering how crazy I had become)... and loved it so much, I bought another so I'd have one at home and one at the office. And you can purchase them for about $80 in the U.S., I believe.

As long as I'm waffling on, I'll mention one other problem I had with the Apple Wired Keyboard. The number keys wouldn't work as navigation keys in Windows XP (or in Mac OSX, for that matter)... an oversight that surprises me considering the attention to detail that Apple has paid to making the MBP comfortable for Windows users.

Fortunately I found KeyRemap4MacBook, a small program that solves the problem. Works perfectly and you can find it at:
http://www.pqrs.org/tekezo/macosx/keyremap4macbook/

I tried Windows XP with Fusion but got rid of it after two days -- my Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000, Logitech MX Revolution Mouse, Wacom A5 Wide Drawing Tablet, and WinDVD program wouldn't work on a virtual machine. I switched to Boot Camp and reinstalled Windows and everything works perfectly.

Ok, I'm done now...

Don

The lack of mouse pad controls in completely ridiculous. What's worse is I went into mouse properties and clicked the check box for "Switch primary and seconadry buttons and now all I have is right click capability. Once it's checked you can't uncheck it and now I have almost no usable functions with this pad.

I thought MAC engineers and designers were supposed to be intelligent but after a year with my MAC Pro and this mouse pad aggravation with my MAC Book Pro I'll take a PC over a MAC any day of the week. Fortunately they run Windows which makes sense since most serious applications are windows based.

I know I shouldn't be MAC bashing on this site and then asking for help but anyone know how I can uncheck this box and at least get back the left click functionality. I've tried googling short cut keys to mimic it but as yet have not found anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

your complaint is that running in a 3rd party operating system operation isn't the same?

Not really. My complaint it that when operating in Windows (bootcamp) MAC doesn't provide adequate drivers to make the mouse pad functional. They crossed over to the dark side to gain more market share (make more money) by providing the capabilty to run dual operating systems in order to entice people to buy their product with the expectaton to run windows as they would with any other PC since that's what it is when you boot up in Windows a PC not a MAC but it's a pain to use. Then to make matters worse by checking the that darn check box in the mouse pad set up I'm now locked into right click only as opposed to left & w/o the left click capability I can't find a way to undo it. How they can put a porduct on the market that only allows a right click or left click, not both is completely absurb. The goofy mouse I got with my MAC Pro does left & right clicks in Windows so why doesn't the mouse on my MacBook Pro?

If MAC wants to sell PC's then sell a good PC with normal functionality. I don't think expecting a left & right mouse click is too much to ask for after spending this much money. If they can't make PCs properly then stick to selling MACs not partially capable dual platform crap.

I feel like I'm the one that crossed over into the dark side.

Ok, I figured out how to unclick the the check box and the answer to the problem dawned on me while reading my last post. When I read over the line about my Mac Pro mouse it clicked, plug that mouse into the USB port and then I'll have access to both left & right mouse clicked all be them reversed. Plug it in and both clicks work and I was able to un-check that darn check box. Why that took so long to think of is beyond me. I could have saved a few PSI on the blood pressure meter and whole lot of cursing MAC.

So I'm back to regular inadequate mouse pad operation but at least now it's useable.

So MAC, hows about some firmware or driver updates for this mouse pad to make it equal to the quality products I've grown used to when buying PC's.

joec1101 said:

Basically, this is an Apple issue - their windows drivers for the mouse pad don't support tap-to-click. It's only suported in OSX. So, unless and until Apple (or some third party) releases an updated windows driver for the mouse pad it's not possible.

Click to expand...

The tap-to-click worked for me when I used Parallels. Since it was a virtual operating system, ALL Apple drivers were automatically installed there. I suggest using Boot camp and living with it, though. Parallels totally blows.

Read the Manual... right click is 2 fingers and button

For those who were complaining, RTFM.

The manual for Bootcamp 2.1 on Vista, p.18 "Right-Clicking" says

Place two fingers on the trackpad and click the trackpad button

Click to expand...

If there is one thing I can give to typical Linux and UNIX users, it is that they usually RTFM before they complain. But you guys should really give Apple more credit... if they go through the trouble of moving to Intel hardware and create an app like Bootcamp, they have most likely solved the "right mouse click" issue!

ScienceDada said:

For those who were complaining, RTFM.

The manual for Bootcamp 2.1 on Vista, p.18 "Right-Clicking" says


If there is one thing I can give to typical Linux and UNIX users, it is that they usually RTFM before they complain. But you guys should really give Apple more credit... if they go through the trouble of moving to Intel hardware and create an app like Bootcamp, they have most likely solved the "right mouse click" issue!

Click to expand...

Yes, the right-click function does exist in BootCamp/Windows - it's the tap-to-click that everyone wants. It does not yet exist because there are no drivers for that functionality.

joec1101 said:

Yes, the right-click function does exist in BootCamp/Windows - it's the tap-to-click that everyone wants. It does not yet exist because there are no drivers for that functionality.

Click to expand...

The tap to click feature would be easy for them to put in, however they have chosen not to. My speculation as to why they have not has led to to believe that it is to be awkward and to make you prefer OS x - perhaps this is a bit paranoid?