cr370

hey guys, I found out that the solution is a combination of 2 solutions given in this place, you need to uninstall the alps pointing device that comes preinstalled in every vaio computer, and every time your computer shuts down completely switch the wireless to off,then when you turn it back on wait untill it boots completely and switch the wireless back to on.. I´ve been doing this for a couple of days and works fine for me.. good luck

jmartin3

i have the same problem here, i have a VGN SZ-360P and the mouse started inverting about 5 months after i bought it. ive tried the methods posted here to no avail, but what i usually do is just repeatedly double tap the touchpad/ mouse button throughout startup and it helps sometimes. when the cursor freaks out and starts closing windows i press the windows button on the keyboard and it stops. one thing that ive noticed is that sometimes if i log out of my user profile and am on the log in screen, the mouse will behave normally, but when i log in it inverts again. ive almost gotten used to the touchpad being inverted, but its still just someting that irritates me just out of principle. i almost want to say that the touchpad started inverting when i installed the printer driver, or maybe when i plugged in a usb mouse for the first time. i love the design of the vaios, but the guts are just pure crap.

cr370

try the wireless switch method.. I´ve heard from other vaio owners that have that and other problems and all of them said the wireless switch was the problem/solution.. but you have to wait unill it shuts down before you do it, and wait until you log on to turn it on.. if hat doesnt work may be you´ll have to send ir back to sony and have it checked up... good luck

SPINHEIRO

I'm experiencing the same problem with my Sony Vaio VGN-SZ440N, I've tried to reinstall the mouse driver, then to uninstall the alps pointing device software, then clean all the registry. No sucess within the last 3 months. At first it was a intermitent problem, but now it is the standard behaviour.
I will try the proposed solution of turning the wireless off, but if this corrects the problem, then it is a hardware issue and Sony MUST repair it.

hill

Ok, I was using the wireless method for a few weeks and then decided that it was time for me to just bring in the laptop to get it fixed (luckily I was still under warranty). The sales assistant at the Sony store said it was a known issue and would send in my laptop right away for repairs. I was somewhat relieved and pissed off at the same time. Why did online customer support make me reinstall device drivers, perform system restores, and also reformat my C: drive if this is a F(*#$ known issue. Well I was glad that it is a known issue and that it would get resolved. The store sent in my lapotp and 9 days later they shipped it back to me.

I uninstalled as much of the crap ware as I could (and there's a ton of it), and then got all my old programs back on the laptop. A few days went by and no problems at all. I thought the problem was fixed, but then after using the laptop a few days, the problem came back. I came out of hibernate and the touchpad was reversed again! Well I rebooted and the touchpad was back to normal. A couple more days went by before I saw the problem again. Well now I'm trying to figure out what caused the problem to begin with. When I got my laptop over a year ago I was almost always on the "stamina" mode. I pretty much only used the laptop for word processing and surfing the web. Then I got a couple games that required some video power. I'm thinking this is when the problem started occuring. This seems to be the case again, since I didn't play any games the few several days when I got my laptop back. But just a few days ago I started playing some car racing games and the problem has happened 3 times since then. I know it will only get worse and I'm sure I'm going to bring it back to the shop before my warranty gets close to expiring.

Well for those of you who have this problem, I was wondering if you also play games on your laptop and if your video mode is set to "speed". Does anyone who has this problem have there laptop set to "stamina"? Its pretty clear that Sony has no idea what is causing the issue since I've seen people with 1, 2, 3, and 4 series of the sz with the problem. Maybe we can figure out the root of the problem and try to prevent it.

cr370

I have mine set to speed, but I still think he problem comes from the wireless because the problem started on my laptop when I started taking the computer to school, since its a diferent wireless it gets the computer all messed up, but I´ve been using the on-off wireless method and works great, I got tired of dealing with sony´s tech support, so its easier to just switch it on and off and sotp wasting my time...

SPINHEIRO

For me the switching wireless on/off didn't work in variooouss combinations. A recall from Sony is welcome, in order to show some respect with their customers.

jmartin3

ok i found a way to get the mouse to work right without having to restart--
1.open up the windows task manager and then terminate apoint.exe
2. go: my computer-> C -> program files-> apoint -> and then click on apoint (the icon should look like the touchpad in the taskbar)

for me the cursor freezes for a second and then will work, hopefully not inverted... if it is still inverted, just repeat the process (make sure to terminate apoint again).. it usually helps if you move the mouse around/ double tapping while is initializing (when the cursor freezes for a second)
it may take a couple of tries to get it to work right, but it works for me without having to restart... i just made a shortcut of that onto the desktop, but still no solution on how to prevent it from doing it tho... ps if anyone has written this solution already- my bad

EKID

Same pb here
noticed that having a usb mouse connected will prevent the inversion of the toutchpad on restart.
Connecting a usb mouse when the touchpad is inverted SOMTIMES causes the touchpad to return to normal operation

Fokkerman

I have a Sony VGN-SZ430N laptop with the same problem with mouse pointer moving in opposite direction. I have been having problems with it over two weeks. I tried the tips from the other post but it did not work. Once in a while I will have the mouse work in the correction direction after a full boot up but most times it will not work and I have to use my mouse. Also I had the mouse working moving in the correct direction but during 10mins of use the screen flickered and the mouse pointer started to move in opposite direction. This is very frustrating and I have spent way too much time trying to fix it. I have called Sony support they could not fix it and all drivers are up to date. I bought the computer at Bestbuy with extended warranty so I am going to give it to Bestbuy. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. I think it’s the touchpad that is faulty.

Kgordon1942

OK. I have been working on a Sony Vaio VGN-SZ240P for the last couple of days and I **THINK** I have discovered a solution to this problem.

First, some background and a sequence of events. I am the Tech Support for the University of Idaho's College of Science.

The sequence of events vis-a-vis the reversing touchpad for me here was as follows:

1) The owner of the computer has had ongoing problems with the touchpad for a couple of years now. It randomly starts reversing, sometimes even in the middle of an operating session. Finally, in frustration, he asked me to wipe the HD and reinstall everything that is necessary.

2) Therefore, I removed the HD, installed it in my desktop, completely wiped it, and did a complete clean install of XP-Pro, but DID NOT do any updates. Then I thoroughly tested the touch pad. Repeatedly rebooting the computer and turning it off, then on, had no effect. Touchpad operating correctly. Left the 'pooter for a day, and when returned to it, still working properly.

3) Installed the Nvidia video driver supplied by Sony. When testing touchpad, discovered that now it would reverse on approximately every other re-boot. Contacted Sony. No joy.

4) Installed all updates to Windows XP. Touchpad appears to be randomly reversing. No apparent solution.

5) Install Sony supplied ALPS touchpad driver. Touchpad now FIXED in reverse mode!!!

(BTW, all this time, the wireless/bluetooth switch is in the OFF position.)

6) Installed several other Sony supplied drivers for various bits, including NIC, WirelessNIC, Bluetooth stack, Intel chipset, etc. Touchpad STILL reversed at all times.

7) Visit www.driveragent.com and find that a lot of the drivers are out-of-date, so start to update each one. Nothing, so far, makes any difference, and touchpad is still in reverse mode.

8) ONE of the out-of-date drivers listed is for the ALPS/UGX driver. After installing THAT one, touchpad is now correct and STAYS correct after being logged in.

HOWEVER, when rebooting, with the wireless/bluetooth switch EITHER off or on, the touchpad is REVERSED at the Welcome screen, but immediately switches to CORRECT as soon as anyone is logged in. And it STAYS correct.

Conclusion: VERY BAD interaction between at least TWO drivers, most likely between the video driver and the ALPS drivers. Probably some hardware conflicts also.

If conditions change, I will report back here.

Kenneth G. Gordon

Kgordon1942

Followup and more information:

After leaving the Vaio VGN-SZ240P off all night long, I came in this morning and fired it up.

No surprise to find that the touchpad was reversed all the time, whether or not the Wireless/Bluetooth switch was on or off.

Still believing that the ALPS touchpad driver was at fault, I first did some searching for info on ALPS. Discovered that it uses touchpads made by Cirque, but writes its own "Windows Certified" drivers for it.

I then UNINSTALLED the Alps pointing device under Mouse in Device Manager, AND deleted the Alps Vaio Touchpad software in ControlPanel>Add or Remove Programs, then rebooted.

Touchpad now working correctly...until Windoze automatically reloaded the Alps driver and rebooted.

After some more research on the web, discovered that in at least ONE case, someone had used a Synaptics Touchpad Driver to overcome similar problems.

Downloaded Synaptics latest Win2000/XP driver for their touchpad from their website.

Killed all ALPS related processes in Task Manager.

Deleted the Apoint directory in Program Files.

Dumped the recycle bin.

Went into regedit and deleleted every key that I could find which had Alps pointing device listed, studiously ignoring anything which had "Alps" and "BLuetooth" in the same key.

After rebooting, of course, the touchpad was not working at all. (Good!!!!!)

Using the keyboard, I installed the Synaptics touchpad drivers I had previously downloaded.

After rebooting, everything is now completely normal, and under "Mice and other pointing devices" in Device Manager is shown "Synaptics PS/2 Port Pointing Device".

Turned computer off and went to lunch.

On return, fired up 'pooter and everything still normal. Touchpad working exactly as it should.

Conclusions:
1) The major, main, cause of this "reversing touchpad" problem IS faulty ALPS drivers, probably in conflict with at least ONE OTHER driver, and possibly more than one.
2) There is nothing wrong with the hardware in most cases of this sort.
3) Synaptics probably buys their touchpads from Cirque.

I will perform further and more rigorous tests and report back here if I have not yet solved the problem. However, at this point, it looks good.

Kgordon1942

One last thing:

Be sure to go into Device Manager > Mice and other pointing devices > Synaptics PS/2 Port Pointing Device > Properties > Advanced Settings, and DISABLE Wheel Detection (set to Detection Disabled), and then UN-check the Fast Initialization box.

Smelly

KGordon,

That solved it for me, thanks so much. Really been frustrating trying to solve this problem.

Not bad for a Vandal... :)


Thanks again
Go Cougs!

viviandz

Hi KGordon, Smelly

Ive been suffering with this same issue on my sz360P model for a very long time now and was under the impression that something was screwed up with "my" vaio alone.... not any more, i can see that there are hundreds other who've been going through this nightmare. I've tried reinstalling the alps driver, formatting my pc.. nothing helped!!

What is good to know is that you have a solution for this problem.
Can you please point me to the link from where you got the synaptics driver?
Also if any one of u cud mention the steps to be followed in rectifying this problem it would greatly help.
Hoping to hear from you soon...its been a long wait wondering if a solution ever existed for this dumb problem.

Thanks in advance
Viv

LisaMay86

I too have a Sony Vaio whose track pad began to work backwards about a year after purchase. It has gotten progressively worse: initially happening about 25% of the time, now almost 100% of the time. I had previously suspected it was a hardware problem resulting from when my computer fell to the ground while in a laptop bag, but it seems that might not be the case. I had googled the problem before, but found no help from Sony, and only now stumbled across this site. I'm glad to know I'm not alone, but quite disheartened by the responses- it seems like there is little hope. I was just about to back up my files and send it in to Sony, but now I don't know if it's worth the trouble. In fact, I think I would recommend to all those who have not succeeded in fixing the problem to just do what I have done- learn to use it backwards! It's really not very hard, if you keep at it for a week or two it just becomes natural, in fact, now when the mouse occasionally decides to move correctly I am disoriented because I am so used to using it backwards. The only thing is that scrolling (now on the left side) can be a little tricky sometimes. Sure it will drive other people crazy if they try to use your computer, but at least it's fun to watch their reactions to your strange incurable computer problem :/

Smelly

I downoloaded the drivers from here.

I didn't have to remove anything in the registry to get mine to work.

I removed Alps from Control Panel and from device manager and Rebooted. Windows did not try to install ALPS again. I installed the above synaptics driver using the keyboard and rebooted. in Device Manager the mouse was installed as synaptics and no problems since.

I was running Vista and KGordon, I believe was running XP.

hope that helps.

cr370

I used the wireless switch method for about 4 months and worked fine utill a couple days ago... got tired of it and went into add/remove programs and got rid of alps, rebooted and worked perfect, but just to be safe I downloaded the synaptics driver from the link and is working great with the 32-bit vista driver, great work smelly.. thanks

mrhattie

I have tried following this procedure on our VGN-SZ38GP but find that there are a couple of Registry entries in the path System / ControlSet001 / Control / Class which will not permit me to delete them. Yes, I am an Administrator of the machine. I restarted the machine once I had deleted all Registry keys that I could, but still had a mouse, so I then used the Control Panel / Mouse to uninstall the drivers and attempted the Registry deletion again. Still no luck. One reboot later, and the system reinstalled the mouse drivers, reinstating the Apoint folder under Program Files, even though I had deleted it from the machine and the Recycle Bin. Interestingly enough, the Mouse management window under Control Panel is now different and, so far, mouse is behaving properly. I will continue to monitor it and report on progress.

bakergm

Hi
Many thanks for all your work. Have followed your instructions but when I do the last step "One last thing:

Be sure to go into Device Manager > Mice and other pointing devices > Synaptics PS/2 Port Pointing Device > Properties > Advanced Settings, and DISABLE Wheel Detection (set to Detection Disabled), and then UN-check the Fast Initialization box.................... I lose the facility to turn tapping off in the mouse control and it is turned on by default. Any Idea's how to get the tapping control back ????