(long story made short)

Turns out that the AM station next to where I work is causing the
mouse cursor on my Toshiba M200 to move around on it's own.

Is it possible to turn off the touch screen abilities of the tablet
for when I am at work, and use the tablet as it was intended
elsewhere?

The M200 isn't a touch screen, Phil. I would check all your drivers
(especially graphics and pen) and make sure you're current on them. This is
very true if you've updated the Toshiba to XP SP2 and the Tablet PC Edition
2005. Wacom released new Penabled drivers at the end of December, 2004:
http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/driver.cfm

The only time the digitizer is in action is if you're using the pen and have
it within 3/4 of an inch of the screen, otherwise you're using normal
mouse/touchpad sensing like a regular computer.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Phil" <polstein@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:ptmkv05tq28610sh5pttk9gije26dmpo5r@4ax.com...
> (long story made short)
>
> Turns out that the AM station next to where I work is causing the
> mouse cursor on my Toshiba M200 to move around on it's own.
>
> Is it possible to turn off the touch screen abilities of the tablet
> for when I am at work, and use the tablet as it was intended
> elsewhere?

On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 07:59:40 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
wrote:

What would be the proper term to refer to the tablet's
pen-mouse-screen thing?

I use a wacom tablet also, so I was hoping that the pen-mouse-screen
thing would be a feature that I could turn off as needed.

The model I got already had XP SP2 on it, but I could try updated
drivers - I assume you have them installed - is there an option to
turn the pen-mouse-screen features off?

Regarding "only time the digitizer is in action is if you're using the
pen and have it within 3/4 of an inch of the screen" - I wish, I wish
this were true. But in this case, something in the air here is
causing the mouse to move around on it's own. Take the tablet away
from work, and it works normally.

BTW, here at work, the AM interferance causes many problems. Some of
our computer heavy room have metal shielding on the walls to keep the
radio waves out.

>The M200 isn't a touch screen, Phil. I would check all your drivers
>(especially graphics and pen) and make sure you're current on them. This is
>very true if you've updated the Toshiba to XP SP2 and the Tablet PC Edition
>2005. Wacom released new Penabled drivers at the end of December, 2004:
>http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/driver.cfm

>The only time the digitizer is in action is if you're using the pen and have
>it within 3/4 of an inch of the screen, otherwise you're using normal
>mouse/touchpad sensing like a regular computer.

It is exactly as I've said, the true Tablet PCs, except for a couple special
models, are digitized, not touch screens. The mouse/touchpad operating is
the same as on a regular laptop, i.e., slower sampling rate and analog - not
digital.

If you have other equipment which needs to be shielded just to function,
perhaps it isn't a good environment for computers at all. You may want to
contact Toshiba support for advice. I know Motion Computing at one point
had an issue, since resolved, I believe, with use in the medical field where
certain machinery (I don't recall what it was specifically) would interfere.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Phil" <polstein@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:jhukv09c9gnoc7ie78u059dfktbcfk9m6t@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 07:59:40 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
> wrote:
>
> What would be the proper term to refer to the tablet's
> pen-mouse-screen thing?
>
> I use a wacom tablet also, so I was hoping that the pen-mouse-screen
> thing would be a feature that I could turn off as needed.
>
> The model I got already had XP SP2 on it, but I could try updated
> drivers - I assume you have them installed - is there an option to
> turn the pen-mouse-screen features off?
>
> Regarding "only time the digitizer is in action is if you're using the
> pen and have it within 3/4 of an inch of the screen" - I wish, I wish
> this were true. But in this case, something in the air here is
> causing the mouse to move around on it's own. Take the tablet away
> from work, and it works normally.
>
> BTW, here at work, the AM interferance causes many problems. Some of
> our computer heavy room have metal shielding on the walls to keep the
> radio waves out.
>
>>The M200 isn't a touch screen, Phil. I would check all your drivers
>>(especially graphics and pen) and make sure you're current on them. This
>>is
>>very true if you've updated the Toshiba to XP SP2 and the Tablet PC
>>Edition
>>2005. Wacom released new Penabled drivers at the end of December, 2004:
>>http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/driver.cfm
>
>>The only time the digitizer is in action is if you're using the pen and
>>have
>>it within 3/4 of an inch of the screen, otherwise you're using normal
>>mouse/touchpad sensing like a regular computer.
>

On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 10:07:31 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
wrote:

It defanitly is not the best environment for computers, but I'm kind
of stuck with it... unless I quit my job for the same of the tablet :)

I think I've exausted all of my support options. Been on the phone
with level 3 guys at Toshiba (they said to take it up with Microsoft -
it's part of the os), talked to Microsoft (they say take it up with
Toshiba, it's hardware), and have a email pending with Wacom just in
case someone knew something. Posted here and on tabletpcbuzz.

Anywhere else I can try?

>If you have other equipment which needs to be shielded just to function,
>perhaps it isn't a good environment for computers at all. You may want to
>contact Toshiba support for advice. I know Motion Computing at one point
>had an issue, since resolved, I believe, with use in the medical field where
>certain machinery (I don't recall what it was specifically) would interfere.

Just a couple more thoughts...

What bugs me the most is that for work purposes, I never really needed
the tablet. I was probably going to hook it up to a KVM stitch
anyway.

Then I thought just plug in a network cable, cause the main point is
to just synchronize with my work on my main desktop - and take all the
work home with me. In this case, the mouse jumping isn't a big deal.

Then I thought, well, I'll use this screen saver program I have that
randomly cycles through pictures I've taken in a folder. This way I
can use the laptop like an electric frame.. just keep it on the back
of my desk and have a constant stream of pleasent memories in the
backround.....

...... except everytime the mouse moves the screen saver is turned
off!! I wonder if I can rig the screen saver to only turn off with
keystrokes?

PROBLEM SOLVED - or at least worked around!

Wacom came through - making me very glad I own 2 Wacom tablets in
addition of my tablet pc.

Solution is simple, and something I thought I looked at before.

Go to device manager, and disable the tablet mouse under Human
Interface devices. This also causes a disabled device under Mouse
hardware.

They also tell me that if I upgrade the Wacom drivers (have to find
the link - anyone have it handy?) - I will also need to stop the
Tablet service.

So now, the tablet portion of the screen is stopped - and my laptop
now works.. like a laptop at work.

Next - I know I can make a bat file to turn a service on & off. I
suppose I can create 2 hardware profiles (one with tablet on and one
off) - never done it before, I but I can look it up. Idealy, I'll try
to make 2 bat files if possible - is there a command line to turn
devices on & off? How about something in Visual Basic?

...now to call Toshiba back......

What if you turn off the Touchpad? I do that, when I have no use for it
(most of the time). If you're using the pen, don't have a mouse attached
and aren't using the Touchpad, go into Control Panel/Mouse. There's a tab
which is ironically called "TouchPAD ON/OFF." There may be too much "input"
because of the electrical sources.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Phil" <polstein@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:bo3lv096q4a3pgtokob5401j8jro9ts100@4ax.com...
> Just a couple more thoughts...
>
> What bugs me the most is that for work purposes, I never really needed
> the tablet. I was probably going to hook it up to a KVM stitch
> anyway.
>
> Then I thought just plug in a network cable, cause the main point is
> to just synchronize with my work on my main desktop - and take all the
> work home with me. In this case, the mouse jumping isn't a big deal.
>
> Then I thought, well, I'll use this screen saver program I have that
> randomly cycles through pictures I've taken in a folder. This way I
> can use the laptop like an electric frame.. just keep it on the back
> of my desk and have a constant stream of pleasent memories in the
> backround.....
>
> ..... except everytime the mouse moves the screen saver is turned
> off!! I wonder if I can rig the screen saver to only turn off with
> keystrokes?
>

http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/driver.cfm
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Phil" <polstein@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:he5lv01td2vcshdmqucp43b0daui93topc@4ax.com...
> PROBLEM SOLVED - or at least worked around!
>
> Wacom came through - making me very glad I own 2 Wacom tablets in
> addition of my tablet pc.
>
> Solution is simple, and something I thought I looked at before.
>
> Go to device manager, and disable the tablet mouse under Human
> Interface devices. This also causes a disabled device under Mouse
> hardware.
>
> They also tell me that if I upgrade the Wacom drivers (have to find
> the link - anyone have it handy?) - I will also need to stop the
> Tablet service.
>
> So now, the tablet portion of the screen is stopped - and my laptop
> now works.. like a laptop at work.
>
> Next - I know I can make a bat file to turn a service on & off. I
> suppose I can create 2 hardware profiles (one with tablet on and one
> off) - never done it before, I but I can look it up. Idealy, I'll try
> to make 2 bat files if possible - is there a command line to turn
> devices on & off? How about something in Visual Basic?
>
> ..now to call Toshiba back......