Hi EFM,
Assuming that your laptop is 'Dell Inspiron XPS', then the following is
taken from the owner's manual. Hope this helps.
Dwarf
"Customizing the Touch Pad and Track Stick
You can use the Mouse Properties window to disable the touch pad and track
stick or adjust their settings.
1 Click the Start button, click Control Panel, click Printers and Other
Hardware, and then click Mouse.
2 In the Mouse Properties window:
• Click the Device Select tab to disable the touch pad and track stick.
• Click the Pointer tab to adjust touch pad and track stick settings.
3 Select the desired settings and click Apply.
4 Click OK to save the settings and close the window."