If you routinely work with an external mouse hooked to your Windows laptop, disabling the trackpad only when the external mouse is connected could be time-saving. You won't have to manually enable and disable the mouse whenever you plug in an external mouse. Here's how to disable the touchpad automatically when you attach an external mouse to your PC. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously on your laptop's keyboard to pull up Settings. Next, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth and Devices > Touchpad. If you're running Windows 10, you should notice a checkbox that says Leave Touchpad on when a mouse is connected. Uncheck the checkbox, and you're set. On Windows 11, you must perform an intermediate click since the option is cleverly buried beneath the Touchpad part. To access the drop-down menu, click on the small arrow symbol near the touchpad toggle. Uncheck the option next to Leave Touchpad on when a mouse is connected, and your Windows PC will automatically disable the touchpad the next time you connect an external mouse.