Fix Firefox Scrolling Issues on Dell with Synaptics Touchpad
Dell Touchpad Scrolling Issue in Firefox: A Resolution
Many frequent visitors to this site are aware that I recently acquired a high-performance Dell laptop. However, a minor inconvenience arose: the touchpad functionality was unable to scroll within the Firefox browser.
Recognizing this as a significant impediment to my workflow, and acknowledging the impracticality of consistently utilizing an external mouse, I initiated a search for a solution. The issue stemmed from a conflict with the Circular Scrolling feature in Firefox, effectively preventing any scrolling action. The following steps detail how to disable this feature.
Please note: These instructions are based on a Windows 7 operating system. However, users of Windows Vista may encounter a similar problem, given the shared driver infrastructure.
Resolving the Firefox Scrolling Problem
Begin by accessing the Control Panel and locating the Mouse properties window. Alternatively, simply type "mouse" into the Start menu search bar.
Within the Mouse properties, you should find a dedicated section for Dell Touchpad settings. Click on this to open the configuration options.
Proceed to select the "Scrolling Settings" link…
To rectify the issue, deselect the checkbox associated with the Circular Scrolling option. This was the root cause of the scrolling malfunction in my case.
Confirm your changes by clicking the "Apply" button. Ideally, this should immediately restore scrolling functionality within Firefox.
An Alternative Solution
Should the preceding fix prove ineffective, consider removing the Dell touchpad drivers and replacing them with the generic Synaptics drivers. While this may result in the loss of certain Dell-specific features, these generic drivers often provide improved compatibility and performance.
If basic touchpad functionality is restored, the trade-off may be worthwhile.
You can find the latest Synaptics drivers at: http://www.synaptics.com/support/drivers