TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

zacariaz · 2013-07-03 16:45:18

Got my new Y500 just yesterday, and so far I'm amazed how few troubles I've had, but there is one that I cannot live with, and need to be fixed somehow.

The trackpad is one of those where the buttons are parts of the active surface, if that makes any sense at all. In short, the problem is when I click either mouse button, the cursor moves, and it annoys the hell out of me.

I cannot believe this is then intended functionality, but regardless I need a solution.

I've been reading a lot about X11, synaptics and whatnot, but all I get is a continuously increasing headache.

I suppose that what I really need, it to make the lower 2-3 cm inactive, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how, or if it's even possible. I need to know either way, so that I can return what I'd call a broken product. (in case it cannot be fixed.)

Thus, if you're able, please do help me out.

Best regards.

Last edited by zacariaz (2013-08-28 19:23:39)

mychris · 2013-07-03 16:56:47

I have the same problem with my ThinkPad Edge, it really sucks...
I have solved it for myself by resizing the area of the touchpad. You can do this by modifing the xorg config file. There is a BottomEdge Option, see synaptics man page.
It is not the best fix, because (i think) it is only the edge where the touchpad gets active, so if you move the mouse with one hand and try to click with the other, the mouse moves like before.

If anyone has a better solution, please provide it, I'm also interested in a better fix...

EDIT: forgot to mention, on my laptop the value for BottomEdge is set to 4500. Just play around with it to find the right height.

Last edited by mychris (2013-07-03 16:59:29)

zacariaz · 2013-07-03 17:05:29

Very nice. thanks.

zacariaz · 2013-07-03 17:35:31

Well, as luck would have it, there was actually a useful comment I had overlooked in 50-synaptics.conf

Option "AreaBottomEdge" "82%"

I may wish to lower that value just a bit, but so far it works, so thanks a bunch. this one is solved.

Best regards.

mychris · 2013-07-03 17:40:05

Ok, that Option handles the issue better than BottomEdge, changed it on my laptop and works pretty well, thanks for the information.

zacariaz · 2013-07-03 17:43:32

mychris wrote:

Ok, that Option handles the issue better than BottomEdge, changed it on my laptop and works pretty well, thanks for the information.

No problemo. Without your input I probably wouldn't have thought to look.

zacariaz · 2013-07-17 20:35:59

I still have issues with this solution.

Somehow, the area with the buttons still recognize being touched, regards if a button is clicked or not. This sometimes, though not always, make such things as drag and drop, and similar, to work, as it prevents the cursor to move.

I've been trying to figure this out, but no luck so far.

soramimo · 2013-08-28 02:16:27

zacriaz, thank you so much for sharing this solution so far. I'm having exactly the same problem on a Lenovo Ideapad y510p.

Setting BottomEdge eased the pain, but there is still a problem with drag and drop. What works for me is keeping the right hand moving and clicking the "hard button" second to drag and drop. If I first grab the to-be-dragged item with the left hard button and then attempt to move it using the right hand, it does not work. Have you found a solution to this in the meantime?

zacariaz · 2013-08-28 06:26:18

soramimo wrote:

zacriaz, thank you so much for sharing this solution so far. I'm having exactly the same problem on a Lenovo Ideapad y510p.
Setting BottomEdge eased the pain, but there is still a problem with drag and drop. What works for me is keeping the right hand moving and clicking the "hard button" second to drag and drop. If I first grab the to-be-dragged item with the left hard button and then attempt to move it using the right hand, it does not work. Have you found a solution to this in the meantime?

I am aware of this "solution"

And no I haven't found a solution, though I do have plans, at some point, to simply cover up the area in quiestion, with some sort of thin film, or similar. Shouldn't be to hard to do..

zacariaz · 2013-08-28 09:37:32

Just tried the film solution. Didn't work out...

soramimo · 2013-08-28 18:51:06

Heh, sounds like we've reached a considerable degree of desperation ("there, I fixed it") . Does anyone know, if this problem is specific to Levnovo / Archlinux or does it occur with any "clickpads" on linux? If it's the latter, there just HAS TO BE a solution to this. I'm considering to return my y510p, if I don't get this fixed and just keep using my good ol' Vostro 1500, for which all hardware works like a charm by now.

Edit: Is there a way to unmark this thread as "[Solved]"?

Last edited by soramimo (2013-08-28 18:52:54)

zacariaz · 2013-08-28 19:23:15

soramimo wrote:

Heh, sounds like we've reached a considerable degree of desperation ("there, I fixed it") . Does anyone know, if this problem is specific to Levnovo / Archlinux or does it occur with any "clickpads" on linux? If it's the latter, there just HAS TO BE a solution to this. I'm considering to return my y510p, if I don't get this fixed and just keep using my good ol' Vostro 1500, for which all hardware works like a charm by now.
Edit: Is there a way to unmark this thread as "[Solved]"?

Well, if it's an Arch or Lenovo issue, really depends on your point of view I think, but regardless it is a crappy trackpad. In my case however, it really isn't a big issue, as I prefer my trackball instead.

In any case it is a bother and I'll be happy to mark this as unsolved; for now.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-07-03 16:45:18

TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#2 2013-07-03 16:56:47

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#3 2013-07-03 17:05:29

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#4 2013-07-03 17:35:31

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#5 2013-07-03 17:40:05

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#6 2013-07-03 17:43:32

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#7 2013-07-17 20:35:59

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#8 2013-08-28 02:16:27

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#9 2013-08-28 06:26:18

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#10 2013-08-28 09:37:32

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#11 2013-08-28 18:51:06

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

#12 2013-08-28 19:23:15

Re: TrackPad issues on Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

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