Vaio touchpad stops responding to taps

Hi folks,

I have a vaio laptop, model VGN-FS550 running windows xp sp3. Factory recovery discs were just used to wipe the drive and do a clean install back to factory status. I've done some windows updates but have more to go. I installed firefox 3.5, divx & gom player.

The problem is that after I boot up, the touch pad works fine for a short time, but then stops responding to taps. It will scroll the cursor around, but I can't select anything. At that point, the only thing I know to do is use the shut down button on the computer (e.g., NOT the select start shutdown sequence, because I can't select them, but the manual button).

Once I shut down and then reboot, it will work fine for a short time again. I'm not sure what if anything triggers it. It does seem to happen after I've watched some streaming video, but that may be coincidence since I've been watching more than surfing and haven't really used any other programs on the computer yet.

Thanks so much in advance for your help!!

 

When you say that the touchpad "stops responding to taps", do you mean actually tapping the pad itself to make a selection? or do you mean tapping the right and/or left buttons just beneath the touchpad? or is it both of these things? Using an external USB mouse might help pinpoint the problem as to whether it's the touchpad, or if it's a software problem in Windows. If clicking the USB mouse buttons stop working after a bit, then we'd know that the problem is most likely a software issue, but I doubt it is. You can pick up a generic USB mouse at your local PC store for under $10. In the meantime, you can always use keyboard commands to navigate through Windows. For example, CTRL+ESC will open open the Start menu just as if you had clicked on the 'Start' button, you can then use the arrow keys and 'Enter' to make selections; you can use ALT+F4 to close open windows; ALT+F4 will also bring up the 'Shut Down' dialog if all open programs/windows are closed, you can then use the arrow keys and 'Enter' to make the selection to shut down or restart. There's TONS of keyboard commands for Windows, check out this guide and this guide to Windows XP keyboard shortcuts and commands.
I hope this helps!
:-D

[dlb]

 

Yes, I'm referring to it failing to respond to a tap on the touchpad to make selections. I DID discover that the right/left buttons below the touchpad work to make selections even when the touchpad taps have stopped working entirely. So using that I can still navigate around and don't have to reboot at least.

Thanks for suggestion on shortcuts - I'd realized that was an option also, and there are some shortcuts I use regularly already such as cut & paste - but really don't want to have to memorize a zillion different ones, although that's become moot (thank heavens) by discovering that the right/left buttons work fine for selections.

I'd REALLY like to fix/get the touchpad tap function, however. Its FAR easier for things like doubleclick functions to select an entire word and so on. Also, just discovered that AFTER the touchpad taps stop responding, if I keep using the computer for awhile, the tap function magically starts working again, sometimes for a few minutes, and then cuts out again.

Suggestions?

 

Yup-