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How to perform a simple drag using trackpad

Apple Macbook Pro (Early 2008) 17" Trackpad

Image via Wikipedia

Using trackpad may be more difficult to use and handle for some people. Even though it has some buttons for left and right clicks including drag and scroll, the mouse offers more freedom and flexibility. It is because people feel it more natural as they move their hand rather than finger around. However, trackpad also offers similar functionality as the mouse.

There are three ways people perform a drag on the trackpad.

A. Press and hold then slide

This procedure may require two fingers working at the same time. One finger needs an effort to press one of its buttons.

  1. Point into the item you wish to move or drag
  2. Press and hold the left trackpad button.
  3. As you hold down that button, move the cursor into preferred location.
  4. Release trackpad button.

B. Tap, tap then slide

This method is what I prefer to use. It only requires one finger. To do this:

  1. Point into the item you wish to move or drag.
  2. Lift your finger shortly then tap twice in succession.
  3. Instead of releasing your finger on the second tap from the trackpad, slide your finger towards the position where you want to move that item.
  4. Release.

C. Push then slide

If you are working with Mac notebooks, this method is the most convenient since the entire trackpad is a button.

  • Simply point into the item, push and slide your finger into the direction where you want to move that item then release.

What if I reach the edge of the trackpad?

Simply retain your finger into that position until the mouse pointer (supposed to be trackpad pointer) reaches its position then release. The pointer will continue moving even though your finger has stopped moving. It will work as long as you have not yet released your finger from the trackpad.

What if the pointer stopped moving when my finger reached its edge?

Your trackpad may not support continuous dragging. However, you may change a setting in your Control Panel to enable continuous dragging.

To enable continuous dragging,

  1. Simply search for Mouse in the Start Menu.
  2. Click Mouse to open the program.
  3. You will see an option usually a tab dedicated by your manufacturer. Click it to open. Some may see a settings button for trackpad. Click it to open.
  4. Find the option for Continuous Dragging or something similar and enable it by placing a check mark next to it.
  5. Click OK to save changes.

What I can’t find the setting customised for my trackpad?

A. Install software and drivers for your trackpad

If you can’t find any customised setting for your trackpad, the software designed by manufacturer for your trackpad is not yet installed. To install this,

  1. Go to Start – Windows Update
  2. Click Check for Updates
  3. Choose Optional Updates
  4. Look for the trackpad driver update and put a check mark next to it.
  5. Click Install.
  6. Your computer will download and install updates including your trackpad software.
  7. You will be prompted to restart. Select Restart Now to apply changes.

B. Repeat your preferred dragging method.

If everything above still won’t work, simply repeat the method you usually use or use another method.