Disabling Touchscreen in Windows

So you had a nice laptop with a touchscreen, then something happens - ok you dropped it - and the screen or a corner gets cracked.  The laptop still works but now it acts "wonkie" (it's a technical term). Maybe you just don't like using a touchscreen, and in some cases, it can even be a hindrance to productivity. 

An easy workaround is to turn off you touchscreen.  Here are 3 ways to do it:

Method 1: One way to turn off the touchscreen is by disabling the device in Device Manager. Here's how:

1. Open Device Manager by typing "Device Manager" in the Windows search bar and selecting it from the results.
2. Find "Human Interface Devices" in the list of devices and expand it by clicking on the arrow next to it.
3. 
   Look for the touchscreen device in the list. It may be listed as "HID-compliant touch screen" or something similar.
   
4. Right-click on the touchscreen device and select "Disable device" from the context menu.
5. Confirm that you want to disable the device by clicking "Yes" in the pop-up window.

Your touchscreen should now be disabled, and you won't be able to use it until you re-enable it.

Method 2: Another way to turn off the touchscreen is by using the Control Panel. Here's how:

1. 
   Open the Control Panel by typing "Control Panel" in the Windows search bar and selecting it from the results.
2. Click on "Hardware and Sound."
3. Under "Devices and Printers," click on "Device Manager."
   
4. Find "Human Interface Devices" in the list of devices and expand it by clicking on the arrow next to it.
5. Look for the touchscreen device in the list. It may be listed as "HID-compliant touch screen" or something similar.
6. Right-click on the touchscreen device and select "Disable" from the context menu.

Again, your touchscreen should now be disabled.

Method 3: If you're comfortable editing the Windows Registry, you can also turn off the touchscreen using the Registry Editor. WARNING - only use this option if you are sure you know what you are doing.  Always make a backup just incase!  Here's how to change the registry:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type "regedit" in the box and press Enter.
3. 
   Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AutoRotation
   
4. Double-click on the "Enable" value in the right-hand pane.
5. Change the value data from 1 to 0.
6. Click "OK" to save the changes and close the Registry Editor.

Your touchscreen should now be disabled.

Disabling the touchscreen on your Windows device can be a useful way to improve productivity and reduce accidental touches or just work around a cracked screen. There are several methods you can use to turn off the touchscreen, including using Device Manager, the Control Panel, and the Registry Editor. Just remember that if you want to use your touchscreen again, you'll need to re-enable it using the same method you used to disable it.