Problem caused by ALPS Touchpad Pointing Device Driver
You've likely arrived at this blog post as a result of reading the response that you should contact HP for an update to the ALPS Touchpad Pointing Device Driver software. This software is responsible for providing access to enhanced functionality in HP (and other laptop manufacturer's) touchpad devices.
The version of the software you currently have installed is not the latest available from HP. To update to the latest version of this software, you should follow these steps:
- Navigate to https://www.hp.com.
- Click on the "Software & Driver Downloads" link on the left hand side of the page.
- Select "Download drivers and software (and firmware).
- Enter your product name (e.g. "Compaq Presario C700") or use HP's automatic product detection.
- Select your OS (which is "Microsoft Windows Vista" if you're seeing this response).
- Find the section titled "Driver - Keyboard, Mouse and Input Devices".
- Click the link titled "ALPS Touchpad Pointing Device Driver".
- Under "Step 3: Obtain software:" click on the filename (e.g. "sp38629.exe") or click the "Download only" button.
- Download and run the file, following the instructions in the setup utility after the program begins executing. You may have to restart your computer at the end of this process.
Hopefully this process won't be too difficult, and you should stop seeing errors related to this software after applying this update. If you do encounter problems, or feel that the response or these instructions can be improved, please leave a comment here on the blog. You can also contact me directly via email at mweber@microsoft.com.
Additionally, if you've reached this response and your computer is not branded HP or Compaq, I'd like to hear from you!
Comments
Anonymous
January 01, 2003
i'd been go through the step by step procedures you have had given above but i ended up on the step 3 as i couldnt find OS or the word microsoft vista.please reply ASAP.thanks! [ Please try downloading the update from this link. If you still have trouble, pleaseemail me. -Matt ]Anonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi Alexandra, The problem should be resolved after updating the Alps driver as described above. Are you having a problem installing the update, or are you still having the problem after applying the update? Thanks, MattAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi Greg, The update provided by HP should resolve the problem. Have you tried to download and install it? Are you having a problem getting it or installing it? Please let me know. Thanks, MattAnonymous
January 01, 2003
Hi Johnie, The basic operation of the touchpad may not be affected by the driver failure. If the failure isn't causing you any actual problem (aside from the error notification), you should feel free to ignore it. If you later find that your touchpad isn't operating as expected after seeing this error, or if the error popups are annoying, you should upgrade the touchpad driver to correct the software problem. You can download the updated driver using the steps above or by visiting this link: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericSoftwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=ob-58982-1 Please feel free to post again or email me if you have other questions or concerns. Best regards, MattAnonymous
January 01, 2003
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January 01, 2003
Hi BASIRAT, If your computer was made by HP, you should try following the link in the response or following the steps above to download and install an updated driver. If you've done so and are still having this problem, or if your computer was not made by HP, please follow up with some more details about what's going wrong. Thanks, MattAnonymous
June 12, 2008
CAN U PLS SOLVE THIS PROBLEM FOR MEAnonymous
June 18, 2008
Please fix all of these problems A.S.A.PAnonymous
June 18, 2008
Its about Alps I don't know what is a alps so please fix this problemAnonymous
June 25, 2008
Please can this be sorted asap?Anonymous
June 26, 2008
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June 30, 2008
I received this message but as far as I know I don't have a problem with touch pad operation.Anonymous
July 10, 2008
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July 19, 2008
I also do not SEEM to have a problem with the pointer. I see I have quite a list of times it has occurred. I am new to computers so will ignore future notices that it has stopped working. Do you agree? [ Ultimately, you have to decide whether or not updating the driver makes sense. If you're not bothered by the error messages, it's certainly reasonable to decide not to install an update. Personally, if it were my system I would update it after being sure I could roll back to the previous version in case I experienced a worse problem with the newer driver. You should feel empowered to decide whether or not to install an update on your system. -Matt ]Anonymous
July 19, 2008
HI GOT A TOUCH PAD MESSAGE AND I DONT NO THE NAME OF MY LAP TOP [ If you arrived at this blog post via Problems and Solutions, odds are you have an HP system. You should see an HP or Compaq logo on the laptop. If so, this update applies to you. If not, please contact me via email (mweber@microsoft.com) and I'll help you find the appropriate update for your system. -Matt ]Anonymous
July 31, 2008
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July 31, 2008
Need help. My Touchpad is not working at all. It works with the mouse only. Install and download all done. Still not working. My pointer is not moving at all. Compacq Presario C751NR [ If your touchpad isn't working at all, it's probably not the result of this issue, and installing this update isn't likely to make it start working. If your touchpad was working prior to installing this update, please send memail. Otherwise, your best bet is to contact HP for support, which you can do by followingthis link and choosing your language/region.-Matt ]Anonymous
August 06, 2008
pls assist in solving the problem alps touchpad,your assistance would be appreciated. [ If you're seeing error reports regarding your touchpad, installing the update referred to in this post and in the problem response should correct that. Pleaseemail me if you're unable to obtain or install the update. If you're having other touchpad-related problems, your best bet is to get in touch with HP support (http://support.hp.com).-Matt ]Anonymous
August 18, 2008
I have an Alps touchpad in a DV4000 HP laptop. If I plug in a USB mouse it works better for CAD drawings. When the USB mouse is unplugged the mouse driver stays as a PS-2 and I have to reinstall the Alps software to recover the touchpad. This is DUMB! What's the fix? [ You will most likely need to work with HP support to determine the cause for this. One thing you might try is uninstalling the ALPS driver altogether and seeing if the same problem occurs with the built-in driver. Please feel free to email me if you have trouble contacting HP or if there's anything you think I can do to help.-Matt ]Anonymous
August 23, 2008
What's wrong with this?! Internet Explorer cannot open the webpage when I try to download the update, but I'm not sure it would even have helped in the first place! The error report claims that the ALPS device is no longer working, and I can continue to use the touchpad--but without the convenient scrolling capabilities. Any clue what is wrong with this stupid piece of machinery?! [ As you noted, the ALPS driver provides additional functionality for the touchpad. The touchpad itself will continue working when the ALPS driver fails. The download fromthis link appears to be working. Pleaseemail me if you continue to encounter problems getting the updated driver.-Matt ]Anonymous
September 01, 2008
necesito saber qué problema tengo con esta pagina ,no entiendo ingles [ (Please forgive the machine translation): Mire en el "News" a la derecha de la página. -Matt ]Anonymous
September 02, 2008
The whole computer just shuts down or cuts me off the web in the middle of typeing an business email notes [ It sounds like you may have a problem, or possibly multiple problems, that extend beyond the touchpad driver. You should certainly update that driver if you're reaching this response, but I would not expect it to fix shutdown or disconnection issues. I would recommend that you contact your computer's manufacturer to do some in-depth troubleshooting to try to diagnose the problem(s). You can find a comprehensive listing of contact information for various manufactures atthis link. -Matt ]Anonymous
September 13, 2008
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September 28, 2008
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December 27, 2008
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December 30, 2008
The touchpad scroll bar doen't work on a HP ver dv4000 laptop. This started after having to install a new hard drive. Tried a new driver and contacted HP.Anonymous
December 30, 2008
Solved the touchpad scrollbar not working by deleting the Alps driver. The system found the device after reboot. Did a second reboot and the default driver came back. It works! Aomeone needs to tell HP support! I spent an hour with them wasting our time.Anonymous
January 11, 2009
try downloading web site and was told by ALPS that there a problem somthing to do with the touchpad pointing device driver this computer is a compac presario c700Anonymous
February 10, 2009
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February 28, 2009
Hey Matt, I have a Compaq Presario C700 - Windows Vista I used the link you sent in a reply to Maureen on Thursday, June 26, 2008 3:27 PM. I downloaded and restarted my computer and my touchpad scrolling works again after receiving my usual error. Restarting always fixed this problem temporarily, but I was hoping this update would permanantly fix it. Anyway, I can no longer see my "network" status in the notification toolbar. How do I fix this. When I try to add "network" or "volume" to the toolbar, they are shaded and I'm unable to check those boxes. Or how do I undo the driver update I just went through? Thanks for your help. [ Please give this KB article a try: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945011/en-us. This should re-enable the notification area icons, or at least allow you to add them back. With regard to undoing the driver update, I believe there should be an entry in the control panel's Programs and Features section for the "ALPS Touchpad Pointing Device Driver". If not, it appears as though an uninstallation utility named "Uninstap.exe" ships with the driver package, and running that manually should uninstall. That utility should be located where the driver files were installed, which by default is C:Program FilesAPoint. If you still have trouble, please feel free to email me. - Matt ]Anonymous
May 05, 2009
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May 11, 2009
I have downloaded the fix twice and still can't use my mouse [ This fix won't correct a non-working mouse. It only fixes the problem described, a crash in the apoint.exe touchpad software. If that is not the problem you are experiencing, your best starting point is likely going to be the manufacturer for your computer. You can find support contacts for most manufacturers here. Feel free toemail me if you have trouble getting the assistance you need. - Matt ]Anonymous
May 18, 2009
i can't believe someone else is having the same problem i'm having; hp tech acted like it was all new to him. my cursor just seems to have a mind of its own. problem is, this is the second computer i've had, both hps, that experiences this problem. got rid of the first one; my daughter bought me another & same problem. most individuals i talked to seemed to think it was me. couldn't find a way to cause it, never mind stop it. this problem is deadly. can't retire another computer, just not that rich. can't find help at hp. any other suggestions; taking a standardized test in july and need my computer but this problem causes big problems and drives me insane. marjAnonymous
July 07, 2009
Igot COMPAQ LAO TOP its about ALPS so please can you fix this problems when Igo to eny page they block me, please. [ It's not clear to me whether you mean you are having trouble downloading the ALPS update or whether you have problems accessing web sites in general. It's hard to offer a good suggestion without a more precise understanding of your problem, but you might try using Internet Explorer in no add-ons mode to download the update, if that is what you are trying to do. The shortcut for no add-ons mode can be found under the Programs menu beneath Accessories and System Tools. Please feel free toemail me if you need further help.-Matt ]