touchpad stops working after login

Question

My gf's touchpad has started acting funky since she hooked it up to a projector. It works alright on startup, but as soon as she gets out of the login screen, the cursor freezes up and she has to use a USB mouse.

I saw another thread for the same problem here, but none of the five solutions seemed to work.We're in 12.04

Solution 1

The following is adapted from the OP's comment. It is a very similar technique, but not in the OP's own words.

1. Install dconf-tools :

   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install dconf-tools
   

2. Open dconf Editor by pressing Alt+F2 and running dconf-editor (Or run it in a terminal.) or search for it in the Unity Dash.

3. Go to:

   setting → org → gnome-settings-daemon → peripherals → touchpad

4. Set the key touchpad-enabled to true.

Solution 2

I had the same problem after closing a VLC session. With none of the dconf solutions working. The 'trackpad' was dashed as enabled, but was actually not working. I was under 12.04, and upgraded to 12.10 but still had the same issue.

I recovered the trackpad with the proto=imps option of modprobe:

sudo modprobe -r psmouse
sudo modprobe psmouse proto=imps

(c.f. https://superuser.com/questions/384885/ , no idea of what the proto option does!)

but then the 'two-finger scrolling' went 'off', and the 'trackpad' tab of the 'mouse&trackpad' entry in 'System Settings' just disappeared.

And still, the dconf editor says that the trackpad scroll method is two fingers...

I'll unfaithfully reboot ...

Comments

[teslasmoustache]

nvm, fixed. sudo apt-get install dconf-tools. open dconf-editor. Then go to setting-->org-->gnome-->settings-daemon-->peripherals-->touc‌​hpad and set touchpad-enabled to true.

[Admin]

if there is a yellow light on the touchpad , just tap it twice and u r done

[Steve-B]

Thank you so much. There is another post with a different answer which didn't work for me. Your solution did. I will add a comment to the other post as well.

[Steve-B]

As a bonus question: What is the difference between the two settings btw?

[user1315621]

What if there's no voice "touchpad" in this menu? I have a macbook pro 15" late 2013

[Devendra Bhat]

Please don't put confusing answers as people do follow your steps.

[lepe]

this worked for me. Worked better this way: sudo modprobe -r psmouse && modprobe psmouse (without the proto parameter)