Advice for switching to Zorin

Hardware Support
1

Hello everyone,
I don't know if this is the right place for this question so i apologize in advance if this is not acceptable.

So i was debating to switch to Zorin from windows 10 but just couldn't convince myself. Now suddenly my trackpad on my windows 10 device stopped working and digging around I found the possible cause is error 10 on I2C HID driver now none of the fixes around on internet seems to work plus the testimonies of people who just live with the issue now convinced me to switch to Zorin so i made a bootable usb but the issue persist is Zorin as well, now I am not sure why this is?
Question:
I previously disregarded hardware issues with trackpad as simple clicks and movements were working, but after using live Zorin i think there might be a possibility of hardware issue, And thus if anyone could tell if
live booting Zorin might somehow carry over driver issues from windows or this 100% confirms that this is a hardware issue:
Additional info:
Device Dell Vostro 3491
(Pls tell what else I can add)
I am not very tech save but can follow instructions reasonably well
Thanks

2

No. Neither Operating system can rely on dependent system files of the other operating system.
There is no way that Windows drivers on Windows OS can carry over onto Zorin OS.

Is this an Elan touchpad?
If so, then the answer may also lie in Elan as a manufacturing company.

Microsoft set standards and protocols for hardware manufacturers to follow, including using HID for touchpad. Elan prefers I2C.
So what we see is the two companies struggling with each other for dominance and control.

On Linux, whether it is Fedora, Zorin or Mint... we only have access to the drivers that Elan Provides to open source. Or, if an independent developer opens the Elan driver package, analyzes it and then distributes an open source version.
So it is entirely possible that on Linux, you can end up with the Same Drivers being used on Windows, even if both operating systems have the drivers independently installed and not shared between them.

On Zorin OS and Linux as a whole, users can sometimes disable HID in their BIOS Settings - If their computer manufacturer was considerate enough to include that setting - thereby allowing the psmouse kernel module to manage running the touchpad.

2 Likes
3

Really sorry but i can't understand it's implications with respect to my problem, could you simplyfy it if possible
Additional info:
I did boot up Zorin live before when trackpad on windows was working and it worked fine in Zorin as well not it doesn't work in either.

Also how do I check what is my trackpad manufacturer

4

Is it touchpad or trackpad?

5

Trackpad, I didn't realise before that they were different.

6

It kind of only comes up when a person is trying to fix it.:wink:

A lot of people use the words interchangeably, but they are different hardware side.
Kind of like using the word "Theory". People (mis)use the word when they mean "guess" or "hypothesis."
A Theory is a model that has been vigorously tested and shown to be accurate. It is not a guess.
Yet people use that word all the time when they mean "guess." It's... annoying.

A Trackpad operates in much the same way that a Mouse does, by tracking the movements on a flat surface.
A Touchpad can handle gestures, such as using two fingers to expand - a mouse tracking can only handle one motion, not two spreading motions. Touchpads often include the ability to Tap for mouse button press, whereas trackpads usually have separate physical buttons for the mouse clicks.

Sorry for the long delay- I was skim reading too quickly and missed your question:

In terminal, please run

xinput list

IF you see Elantech listed - then you know it is Elan.
Otherwise, please say what Make you have for your touch/track pad

7

It says xinput is not recognised as an internal or external operable command or batch file

In device manager after selecting 'view hidden Devices' all i can see is HID compliant trackpad which shows error code 45 (device not connected to computer)

Another question:
Searching online the above issue occurs due to driver issue registery issues or hardware issues Since
I can still use trackpad to move cursor and use right and left click buttons is there a possibility of trackpad hardware failure or beacuse i think i can't use gestures properly as a result of corrupt software for trackpad (i can see PS2 compatible mouse working so i suspect my trackpad is working like a mouse?)

Additional info:
I have tried downloading hid compliant trackpad driver's but they aren't available on dell's site
Tried few other hid compliant trackpad drivers from Lenovo,Asus and Intel but couldn't install them

8

I am so confused...

All of the above, at least how it is worded - relates to Windows OS, not Zorin OS (Linux).
Linux does not have an Application called Device Manager. Windows does.
The xinput command is included in Zorin OS.
Linux operating Systems do not have a Registry - only Windows has that.
Can you please clarify?

9

Iam sorry if I wasn't clear enough before.Iam currently on windows 10

My question wrt Zorin was,with regards to the issues iam am facing is there a chance that switching to Zorin would fix them

10

Oh... I was here trying to troubleshoot the issue on Zorin OS.

Why not test it?
Create a LiveUSB of Zorin OS and run the Try Zorin mode and see if i works.
This is not a guarantee - since the Try Zorin contains the generic drivers... But if it works there, you have a very good chance of it working on installed Zorin OS.

1 Like
11

Yup, run Live USB of Zorin to test it. It may not run as quick because it runs from the USB. If it works for you, you can always do a real installation.

12

As I mentioned before,i did run live Zorin and it didn't work, hence my question if there is a chance that real installation would be any different or there is 100% certainty that it won't work after a complete installation as it didn't work in live Zorin

13

I'm sorry. It's right there in the O.P. and I know I read it... I think once I got a few posts in, I forgot...

There is not 100% certainty.
I think it is likely that if it is not working in the "Try Zorin" demo, that it also won't be working on bare metal install.
But there cannot be 100% certainty because the "Try Zorin" mode uses pretty generic drivers just to give a general idea.

You are left with two possibilities; That it is a hardware issue or that the drivers are at fault. Which is where you were when you started.

I did some searching to see and found this:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i2c-hid-device-this-device-cannot-start-code-10-a/589aa31d-295f-41b2-9b79-9e20e2032ac0

That is one example of users pointing hardware side. In the above example, the contacts needed to be cleaned. In another, a wire connector was loose enough that it caused intermittent working touchpad.

There is not enough information yet to know if you are affected the same way. I agree with your thinking - that if it is not working properly on two very different OS's, that the hardware may be the issue.

If it is Driver side... Then we are only very slightly better off.
The Drivers are supplied by the manufacturer. The User Operating System Developer must then apply those drivers, usually through the kernel.
You may note in the above link where the helper in the thread suggested trying different or more generic drivers. Using the Windows Tool, it is catch-as-catch-can. Whereas on Linux, you have more precise control over which drivers you install and use. So, on Linux, you might have more luck in getting drivers to work. That is no guarantee, though, since if the error is in the code provided by the manufacturer, then few developers may know what the issue is and how to find it.
So...

No... this cannot happen.

No, because there is not enough information to determine with 100% or even 90% accuracy that failing to work on both OS's means it must be a hardware issue.
It does make it seem a bit more likely.
But since the drivers come from the same source, either for Linux or Windows, it does not eliminate them.

1 Like
14

Thank-you very much

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