Computer help

[scout86]

I fired up the laptop awhile ago & there's no cursor. Which means the thing is pretty useless. It's a refurbished Dell latitude, running Windows 10. I looked online & the only suggestions I can find seem to require the ability to talk to the machine, which is hard to do without the touch pad. Dell isn't letting me log in to my account & they seem to think the machine still belongs to it's previous owner. (The warranty "expired" before I bought it.)

So, do any of you computer savvy folks have suggestions?

 

[Teasel]

Assuming you've tried the turn it in and off thing?

 

[Ronin]

I'd hit up seller's tech support desk.

Business as usual for them, even if busy.

 

[Neverthesame]

Do you have a key that looks something like this?

This button turns off my trackpad and hides the cursor. It took me ages to figure out why my mouse cursor would randomly disappear. It carries over from a reboot too.

I was reinstalling the trackpad driver every time it happened until I figured out it was actually a feature. :hilarious:

 

[somerandomguy]

This button turns off my trackpad and hides the cursor.

What possible use could that have?

 

[scout86]

Do you have a key that looks something like this?

Not that I can see. :(

I HAVE tried restarting it. And I tried reaching out to Dell earlier, with no luck. I've found a number of online suggestions, but, I can't do any them because i can't get to a page where i can type. (I'm assuming the keyboard works.)I didn't actually DO anything, as far as i know. Guess I'll have to try Dell again.

I'm glad I've got my phone!

 

[Neverthesame]

What possible use could that have?

I have no idea why someone would want that. I thought maybe is was for when you have an actual mouse plugged in, but there's an option to have windows do this automatically.


@scout86 What windows are you running?
I'll see if I can't find you a way to use the keyboard to troubleshoot without needing a mouse.

 

[scout86]

Windows 10

Dell has not been helpful. (Machine couldn't understand my Midwestern US accent. Got stuck on listening to annoying machines. Decided to hang up because, by time i got actual person, I'd been WAY beyond reasonable.)

If all else fails, I'll have to find someone to take it to, but sure appreciate it you can come up with a fix!

 

[Tinyflame]

@scout86 I once owned a Dell and swore I never would again, as if you can even get a flash of an error code, the trouble is (at least then) it's more locked down than even a Techie friend of mine couldn't over-ride, similar to a Hosp file system. Only option to fix was through Dell- then it was about 179$ flat with no guarantee, or 389$ for one year and 'guaranteed'. :( But I couldn't risk he'd see it, anyway, because of who he knew and I had journalling/ SI stuff on there. :(:rolleyes:

However, I do recall, for any computer the on-off is as soon as turning on and drivers start to load, hold 'off' for approx 5-10 seconds, repeat 3 times (hard reset to try to get to safe mode).

But possibly more useful, right after you turn on keep tapping F11 (I think? If not try F4, F5, F6, F10 etc (only 1 of them at a time), and it may get you in to a systems page wherein you can try to get to a system restore, or even a factory reset if need be. Or simply the recovery centre/ diagnose and fix.

They usually have youtube stuff, and it matters wether it's a BSOD (blue screen of death), or a black screen of death (different problems/ options). Sometimes black screen of death responds to rebooting the router, they say.

I wish I could help more, but I know only of one person who might know (the guy above), and he'd need it or would have to work remotely. :(

Good luck! :hug:

ETA, I think I recall too, if the whole screen is black, can be the connection at the hinge, or display has burned out. Should be able to still see a light on the power or caps lock key.

 

[scout86]

I've checked out the YouTube videos. There are a lot of them, but they all seem to assume you have a mouse. Which I don't. But I'm thinking I might be able to borrow one. I guess I should check on how to start Windows 10 in safe mode.

This is the third Dell I've had & I've been happy with them. I got my first one on the recommendation of a friend who was the military. He said the warranty was so good, they'd even fix it if it got shot. LOL Of course, that was awhile ago. & his was new. This is a refurbished one. All of mine have been. They cost way less & I like the idea of keeping a computer out of a landfill. :)

 

[gealach]

do these work?

settings-devices-mouse-additional mouse options-pointers-pointer shadow (ON)-apply
settings-devices-mouse-additional mouse options-pointer options-hide pointer while typing (OFF)/show location when i press CTRL (ON)-apply
settings-ease of access (vision)-cursor & pointer-easier to see when typing (change the size)
settings-ease of access (interaction)-mouse-control mouse with keypad (ON)

 

[Mach123]

haha I had to skim way down the bottom to find out my first question, have you plugged in a mouse. I'm guessing the track pad has failed. I have a Dell and there are posts around somewhere of me trying to get the onboard camera working. I didn't. It had failed.