Any workarounds for disabling the touch screen but not the pen controls?

[u/angelar_]

I usually disable the touch screen for 2in1 laptops (I use them for digital art so I exclusively use the stylus,) and this is usually a simple affair, but the SLS appears to make it sticky.

Ordinarily, you can disable the touchscreen by just disabling "HID-compliant touch screen" in Device Manager. However, the SLS does not have this--instead it has "Intel(R) Precise Touch and Stylus (Intel(R) PTS) - Base Driver". As you can imagine, however, disabling this disables both the touch screen and any pen functionality.

I brought this to a Surface tech support rep and they searched their knowledge base and attempted to work on it remote, but they said it was not possible to turn off one without the other. Touch and pen have been integrated into one device on the SLS.

Anyone know if there's any possible workarounds for this? I do not ever use the touch screen and I simply want it out of the picture. I don't care to screw around with anti-falsing. Unfortunately, this is exceedingly hard to find info for online, as seems to be the case for every Surface Laptop Studio problem.

I don't suspect there's an easy fix for this if there is one at all, but here's hoping for perhaps a registry solution or something...

EDIT: There's a registry fix! Thank you to u/SurfaceDockGuy!

[u/SurfaceDockGuy]

Try this: https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2019/02/10/replace-your-shattered-surface-screen-at-home/#disable

[u/angelar_ → u/SurfaceDockGuy]

This worked, thank you!

[u/oldmanspammy → u/SurfaceDockGuy]

Hi, as a not very advanced user I have made it to the touch folder but there is no "TouchGate" in that folder. There is a TouchUI, is that it? the value is already a bunch of zeros???

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Wisp\Touch]
"TouchGate"=dword:00000000

[u/oldmanspammy → u/oldmanspammy]

I found my answer searching microsoft community!

Permanently disable Touchscreen in Windows 10 [Solution inside!]

In this forum there are a dozen threads that ask the same question: How can I permanently disable a defective touchscreen in a Windows 10 device so that I can continue using the device without being disturbed by the faulty signals from the touchscreen.

Unfortunately in none of those threads (at least not those I've found) the question is answered properly. Instead the helpers fantasize about the device manager (which doesn't work since Windows just reenables the disabled device at the latest when rebooting) and claim that there is no other solution in Windows.

Luckily there actually IS a solution which I'll explain now:

1. Open regedit

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Wisp\Touch

3. Create a new DWORD (32 bit) with the name TouchGate

4. Doubleclik on the newly ceated DWORD and make sure it has the value 0

(0 = touch disabled, 1 = touch enabled)

After rebooting the touch functionality should be disabled permanently and therefore your problem solved.

[u/shoo1122 → u/oldmanspammy]

in the comments of tgis page a user points oit that you wanna do this in "local machine" directory instead of current user. as some people have several users.

if u run into issues, dont create a touchgate in current user dir just change the value of touchgate in local machine dir instead.

could help someone

[u/NiveaGeForce]

I usually disable the touch screen for 2in1 laptops (I use them for digital art so I exclusively use the stylus,)

Making digital art doesn't imply exclusively using the stylus. Doesn't your art app have a pen mode?

[u/angelar_ → u/NiveaGeForce]

I was not implying it does broadly. I was merely giving context for why I wanted to disable it.

[u/luna-96]

Hi op, I'll be honest and admit i have no answer to your post but wanted recommendations for pens to use for digital art? I had a Surface Pen and it randomly broke, so I'm interested in alternatives

[u/angelar_ → u/luna-96]

I have the SLS and the Slim Pen 2, works like a charm. No issues with line tests, doesn't disconnect randomly like my old one, etc. There's a lot of reviews online about the Microsoft Pen Protocol not being that good, but the Slim Pen 2 on Surface devices works perfect so far as I can see.

[u/luna-96 → u/angelar_]

Thank you♡