Comment 45 for bug 868400

I tried a little experiment to see if I could get my laptop back in usable condition. I downgraded xserver-xorg-input-synaptic from 1.4.1-1ubuntu2 to the one from Natty (1.3.99+git20110116.0e27ce3a-0ubuntu12) and then restarted and gave it a spin. This had NO EFFECT. It works fine for about 5 minutes, three-finger window dragging and all. Then it goes nuts. I have to type with my hands elevated because if I accidentally palm this huge touchpad, I lose control of the system.

I also can't seem to disable the touchpad. Fn+F9 doesn't work, nor does synclient touchpadoff=1. Even with an external mouse connected, I have to stay completely clear of the touchpad at all times. This is a 4 inch touchpad and I have big hands, so... that's a problem.

Something else I noticed is that when it locks up and won't let go of a window, I can make it release sometimes by giving it one tap. It's almost like I had the window drag-locked and it thought my finger was both on and off at the same time.

What else might I try to fix it? This bug has been on file for over a month and hasn't been fixed, and it's gotten to the point where I have to reclaim my laptop, even if that means reinstalling Natty. I wish I could help more, but I'm not a programmer. If there are any other suggestions, I'll be more than happy to try them.