Windows 7 and the wacom cursor: Fixing that annoying radar animation in the latest Windows
Okay, so I recently installed Windows 7, which quite honestly is not much different than Windows Vista. Don't get me wrong, I'm one of the 5 people in the universe who didn't have a problem with Vista. It was rock solid for me and super fast. So far, Windows 7 has been Vista with an updated skin and instead of having a Taskbar and a Quick Launch area, they mushed them together and made a hybrid of the two.
Seriously, no difference. For the record, I did go from Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional. I don't know what all the other stupid versions had. Fuck Ultimate, who needs Windows even more bloated than it is?
But where was I? Oh yeah...
The Problem
Nehoo, like Vista, when you install Windows 7 and use a Wacom Tablet, Windows has some inbuilt Tablet PC functions, I don't know what they do because I don't have a Tablet PC, but all I know is they are super fucking annoying when you first try to use your Wacom in Photoshop.
It's that annoying radar circle animation that goes "Baloooop" everytime you touch the pen to the Wacom tablet, slowing down response time in Photoshop, causing a complete mess and it makes drawing or sketching directly into the computer almost impossible.
Maybe if you have a Tablet PC, Microsoft provides you with amazing touch screen capabilities, but I wouldn't know but I don't care. Either way, I don't know why it has to fuck up a Wacom Tablet in the process.
The Solution
Searching around a bit, and what worked for me was a combination of things.
- First I tried to go to the Control Panel and click on my Pen and Touch settings. Disable both the Press and hold action and the Start Tablet PC Input Panel
- Next, in the same window under the Flicks tab, uncheck the Use flicks to perform common actions quickly and easily. Press OK to save and close.
- Next go to the Programs and Features option in the Control Panel. Select the Turn Windows feature on or off option on the left of the window. A new window will open with all the Windows features.
- Scroll down to Tablet PC Components and uncheck the option. Apply the changes. Windows will do some crap and then ask you to restart for the changes to take effect. Restart and you're done.
I don't know if I'm doing it wrong or what, but that is what it took me to make the Wacom usable. I remember doing something similar in Windows Vista but it wasn't as complicated, I think it was in Tablet PC Settings in the control panel but that dick jackshit for me in Windows 7.
If it still doesn't work...
Courtesy of whitebug
You need to go to Run (Windows Key + R) type in msconfig and hit Enter. On the pop up go to Services tab. Sort the services by name to make it easier to find. look for Table PC Input Sevice and uncheck it. Leave all other Wacom services as it is. Click OK and restart. I hope this helps...
What is this?
My name is Kris Robinson, this is where I blog about art, computers, illustration, design, work, life and other stuff... basically anything that pops into my head. I'm rebuilding the site and it's in a bit of a beta stage, but I wanted to keep posting stuff to it, so forgive me for the unfinished look.
Comments
Anonymous
5 days agoI didn't know most of this information that I read here, and I do like windows 7 and fox as well.
Anonychris
1 month agoI don't know about Windows 7, but in Vista I found if you go to Pen and Input Devices and click on the Pointer Options tab, you can disable the little circles (Which are called "Dynamic Feedback") by unchecking the boxes.
Mark Perkins
2 months agoThe use of the msconfig run worked for me.
Now I'm clear to go.
Many thanks
AK
2 months agoThank fook for that. It's even more annoying when trying to use Maya...
Lor
2 months agoOMG!!! Thank you so much! I was going insane with that stupid damn circle slowing down my work in photoshop! I'm so happy I decided to google "annoying circle wacom tablet"!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Fen
3 months agoFinally a solution to a problem I have been having for the longest while now. I've been searching all over the place for this. Win 7 is great - but this aspect has been a real let down.
livingroom furniture
Freddy Bear
3 months agoHey there,
Just wanted to come in a moment to tell you about my experience with one of the most annoying problems I've ever come across and which nearly made me decide to throw out the window my brand new Dell Precision pc with Windows 7 and run to a mac store to finally make the switch.
I've suffered tremendous loss of time trying to get the annoying circle on each click out of my system and have finally found the solution. As the steps explained earlier in this post didn't work for me, I uninstalled the latest wacom driver available for windows 7 and installed a different version, namely pro612-5_int. Now my windows 7 machine and Intuos 1 tablet work together in perfect harmony.
Cheers,
Freddy Bear
Julie Chen
3 months agoHalle-f'n-lujah!
The Windows Forum doesn't say jack about solving this issue. I knew I couldn't be alone. Thank you!
Kris Robinson
4 months agoThanks whitebug, I added your suggestions to the post to make it easier to find...
whitebug
4 months agoif for some of you didnt work after trying this like me.. you need to go to 'RUN' type in 'msconfig'. on the pop up go to 'services' tab. Sort the services by name to make it easier to find. look for 'Table PC Input Sevice' and uncheck that. leave all other wacom services as it is. click OK and restart. hope this helps..
Kris Robinson
4 months agoHmmm sorry bru, let me know if you fix your problemo, I'll update the article if you find another solution, but this has worked for a lot of people so far, I wonder what your unique problem is?
Anonymous
4 months agothis did not work for me...
computer rebooted but i am still getting the little water splash effect every time i click. note, this is separate from the equally annoying rotating circle that was triggered by the "press and hold for right click" feature that i have already disabled.
Sharon
4 months agoTHANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
-Sharon
Markus
4 months agothank fuck! I almost lost hope... Vista was fucked up but at least this was easier... That was the last thing i had to figure out after booting vista and getting 7 to work... which it does now. thx!
johnP
4 months agoThank you, thank you, thank you.
Brej
4 months agoGOOD BLESS YOU !! :-DDDD
Bruno
4 months agoThank you so much for this! I don't understand how people at Microsoft work. It's like each time they're making something new, it's design to make our lifes more and more complicated. Anyway, it's good to surf on a Mac! Thanks again!
Oh and....who on earth is using a Tablet PC!?
Kris Robinson
4 months agoCool, I'm glad it worked for you guys. I can't believe that shit is so complicated.
Anonymous
4 months agoThank you so much. It was severely pissing me off. Great fix! <3
glree
4 months agoHi, Great post, funny as fuck too!!
Yeah Win 7 fucked my Wacom as well. Now its sorted thanks to you!!
Ta,
g
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