P52 - Trackpad middle click not working anymore

[H-Atkinson]

For whatever reason a Windows update has broken the middle click button on my trackpad. I know it still works in hardware and that the issue isn't the trackpad firmware since it still works in the BIOS self test, but for whatever reason something happened to break the driver (presumably) with Win10 22H2. I've tried everything I can think of (trackpad firmware reflash, clean driver reinstall, using generic Windows drivers, forcing it to use a whole bunch of versions of Lenovo's driver), and nothing has worked. A factory 1809 install works fine, a clean 22H2 install does not, even with drivers. Ideas? I don't have my P53 on-hand to test if it has the same issue, am dailying the P52 while Lenovo replaces the faulty motherboard in my P1 Gen 5, and this is a seriously hinderance to my work, and I've run out of ideas.

I've found one dead-end reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... correctly/) that described the same issue a year ago, but I have no idea if its actually the same problem, or if they ever fixed it.

[RealBlackStuff]

Can't help you here with W10, but that Reddit link shows the problem already existed with W10 21H1.
They also mentioned an Elan touchpad, which sounds iffy to me.
Sure enough, further searching finds this: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... t14s_with/
HTH.

[H-Atkinson]

I should clarify, its not the middle trackpoint button, that works fine, its the dedicated middle click for the touchpad.

As for the issue existing in 21H1, I'd believe it, I went straight from a clean factory 1809 to 22H2.

[RealBlackStuff]

Dare I say it: why not use a mouse?
Nowadays I use a small Logitech M330 Silent mouse with my T440p.
Its clunkpad was upgraded with Alps touchpad+buttons, but the touchpad has been disabled.
I use the trackpoint maybe once or twice a month.

[H-Atkinson]

I have a mouse, and I mainly use the trackpoint in daily use, but navigating CAD with 1 hand while holding the laptop in the other is best done with a trackpad. Middle button not optional.

[RealBlackStuff]

Replace the trackpad?

[H-Atkinson]

Considering it, but again, the issue isn't hardware. The buttons work in the BIOS self test and in a clean Win10 1809 install.

[cerij101]

Did you ever resolve this issue? I have a similar problem.

[H-Atkinson]

Only fix I've found that works so far is resetting the trackpad settings after every restart (in the Windows setting menu). That, for some reason, fixes it. No idea why, haven't bothered to try to automate it yet since I'm dailying the P1 Gen 5 now.

[Saucey]

Hows the P1G5 vs the P52? ive yet to make the leap from P50, T460p to something newer.
X1C3 was the "newest" Ultrabook ThinkPad I've came across, but I do like the HP Zbook 15 G4 Studio "ultrabook workstation".
So I wonder what other's think of their machines.

[H-Atkinson]

I quite like it, save for the QC issues (see my thread in the P-series forum). Beyond that, its light, its fast, its decently rigid (nowhere near as monolithic as the P52, but its solid), and it gets decent battery life. I'm enjoying it, and the cooling system is seriously impressive, and its the first Thinkpad I can really say that about honestly.

[Saucey]

Thank you.
My Dell Precision 7730 has it's hiccups, but I was looking to get a P1/X1E for it's centered keyboard and screen.
Mostly want it for photoshop, as video rendering is done with the behemoth.
I'll read up on your issues, but missing that centered keyboard and "thinness".

[Qrani]

Dare I say it: why not use a mouse?
Nowadays I use a small Logitech M330 Silent mouse with my T440p.
Its clunkpad was upgraded with Alps touchpad+buttons, but the touchpad has been disabled.
I use the trackpoint maybe once or twice a month.

Dare I say it: why not use the International Business Machines/Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint IV Integrated Keyboard Pointing Device?
As it is just an objectively better alternative to the touchpad.

In all seriousness a mouse is better than either but you can't always use a mouse if you actually use your laptop as a portable computer, and in my opinion the TrackPoint is definitely the better choice over a touchpad. Despite only having been a user of it for about five months (since I got my P52), I can confidently say it is miles ahead of even the best touchpads I've used.

[milos2000milos]

I've found a workaround that works for me:

- Open up your startup folder (C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup) and create a shortcut there. It should ask "type location of the item", paste this code there:

C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "YOURPATHTOTHISFILE\touchpadFixer.ps1"


Then create new ps1 file called touchpadFixer.ps1 and paste this code into the file:

# SetTouchPadStatus.ps1
& "C:\Windows\System32\reg.exe" add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad\Status" /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
& "C:\Windows\System32\reg.exe" add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad\Status" /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

This script will fix the middle click (only the bottom middle click for me) automatically everytime you startup the laptop.

[H-Atkinson]

Ill get my P52 out this weekend and try this, but that looks promising. Thanks for figuring it out!