Working with a Touchpad in Windows XP

Supplemental Chapter to Windows XP for SENIORS

Owners of a laptop can either use a computer mouse or the touchpad to move the pointer on the screen, and to click and drag.

A touchpad is used to move the pointer, using the motions of the user's finger.
It's a substitute for a computer mouse.

Touchpad: The buttons below or above the pad serve as standard mouse buttons: click (single click with left mouse button) and right-click (using right the mouse button). On this laptop these buttons are below the touchpad: Some touchpads also allow clicking by tapping your finger on the touchpad.
This model also has a special button for dragging the scroll bar of a window:
Hotspots Some touchpads also have "hotspots": locations on the touchpad that indicate user intentions other than pointing.

For example, on certain touchpads, moving your finger along the right edge of the touch pad will control the scrollbar in a vertical direction for the window that is presently active. Moving the finger on the bottom of the touchpad often scrolls in horizontal direction. Some touchpads can emulate multiple mouse buttons by either tapping in a special corner of the pad, or by tapping with two or more fingers.

Read your instruction manual to learn what types of features are available for your specific laptop's touchpad. As soon as you have read the information, you can try it.