How to Disable Touchpad With Mouse in Windows 11
Disabling your laptop’s touchpad when you connect an external mouse in Windows 11 is a common need, and this guide will show you exactly how to do it.
Open Settings by pressing ⊞ Win+I, then go to Bluetooth & devices, and select Touchpad. Uncheck “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” to automatically disable the touchpad when a mouse is plugged in.
Why This Matters
If your laptop has a built-in touchpad and you use an external USB or Bluetooth mouse, you can make Windows automatically turn off the touchpad when the mouse connects. This stops accidental touchpad touches while you work.
What Happens
When you enable this setting, your touchpad will turn off automatically when you plug in or connect a mouse. When you disconnect the mouse, the touchpad turns back on.
Reference: Precision touchpad tuning (touchpad-tuning-guidelines)
This information relates to how touchpads are managed and tuned in Windows 10 and later versions.
Option 1Use Settings
You can disable your touchpad when you plug in a mouse using the Windows 11 Settings app. This helpful option stops your touchpad from interfering when you’re using a separate mouse. Open Settings, navigate to Bluetooth & devices, and then click Touchpad to find this setting.- Open Settings by pressing
Win+I. - Click on Bluetooth & devices on the left side.
- Click on Touchpad on the right side.
- Click on Touchpad to expand it open.
- Check the box (on – this is the default) or uncheck the box (off) next to Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected. Choose what you want.
- You can now close Settings.
Option 2Use Registry
Administrator rights (permissions needed to make system-wide changes) are required to change touchpad settings. Open the Windows Terminal application with administrator privileges (as an administrator). Then, type and run the specific command provided to disable the touchpad when a mouse is connected.
Turn On Leave Touchpad On when Mouse Connected
This is the default setting.
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v LeaveOnWithMouse /t REG_DWORD /d 4294967295 /f
Turn Off Leave Touchpad On when Mouse Connected
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v LeaveOnWithMouse /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Summary
Disabling your touchpad when using a mouse in Windows 11 can be done using either the Settings app or Device Manager.
How to turn off touchpad when using mouse 🪟 Windows 11?
Open the Settings app to automatically turn off your touchpad when you connect a mouse in Windows 11.
How do I disable the touchpad when using a mouse?
Navigate to the Windows 11 Settings menu to disable your touchpad while a mouse is connected.
How to force disable touchpad?
Open the Settings app and go to the Touchpad section to force disable it in Windows 11.
How do I turn off my touchpad permanently?
You can use either the Settings app or Device Manager to permanently disable your touchpad in Windows 11.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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