Gather information. Make sure that your device comes with a Synaptics trackpad. Visit your Device Manager, and look for a product with the brand name "Synaptics" in "Mice and other pointing devices." Depending on your setup, if there's one or more starting with "Synaptics," chances are high that your device has a Synaptics trackpad. Windows PCs may have come with other branded trackpads. However, Synaptics is favored in most companies of most-recent including for HP, Gateway, Dell, and more. If you've used a PC, there's a high chance that it's powered by a Synaptics touchpad.
Visit your Synaptics Control Panel. This isn't a Windows Control Panel (desktop) program, nor a Windows Metro Settings page. Chances are that if you have a Synaptics trackpad, your device manager installed the Synaptics Control Panel - most manufacturers have been doing this since the Windows XP days in the early 2000's. Search for "Synaptics", "Synaptics TouchPad" or "Synaptics Pointing Device" in your search box on your device, not on a search engine. If you don't find this control panel and are sure you have a Synaptics touchpad according to your Device Manager, consult your manufacturer to ensure this program wasn't forgotten. Synaptics can be a bit sketchy in keeping their program locked behind closed doors. But most manufacturers have kept these programs in the initial backups to your PC. But you must reach out.
Make sure that you have arrived at the Device Settings tab. Although Synaptics Pointing Device only has one tab, it can be helpful to ensure you're on this page.
Look below the list of (pointing) Devices, and a line of buttons. Don't play with any other buttons. One can even disable the trackpad - forever - and that's not good for your PC - because that'll make the trackpad not work as expected until you re-enable it using any external mouse until it's re-enabled. Others (Settings) give Synaptics the information of other functionality uses of the trackpad and remove gestures that only the advanced can tweak.
Look for and click the checkbox to "Disable internal pointing device when external USB pointing device is attached". The checkbox is to the left of the option.
Make sure not to forget to click the Apply button. This button is at the very bottom right and will become enabled the moment you check the box. After clicking Apply, feel free to test it out on your screen. Try moving your mouse pointer with the trackpad - external mouse plugged in. If it moves, you will have missed a step.
Click the OK button. This button is two buttons to the left of Apply, and is directly to the left of Cancel.
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