How can I turn "force touch track pad" off?

Question

How can I turn "force touch track pad" off?

Theoretically, this awful 'feature' is available only on the latest MBP models... I opted for the mid-2012 13" this time (I've had a few MBPs) since it's the latest model that still has the DVD player.

SO, there is no "force click and haptic feedback" option in my system preferences, BUT my GarageBand preferences for some reason shows the “enable force touch trackpad” option with the box GREY-CHECKED (meaning I can’t turn the *@%& thing off)!?!

I discovered its existence while trying to figure out why my GB kept popping up with a 'feedback detection, turn monitor off?' blurb that's so incredibly annoying because it pops up when I'm not even recording anything and even weirder than that is it pops up when I don't even have a vocal or 'live' instrument track in the tune!?! So, in looking for how/where to resolve THAT matter, I happened upon the "Force Touch" thing (christ, the words alone sound like an assault or rape or something, I mean, right?); now I'm pretty much sure this thing is causing the 'feedback' notice pop-up (which, by the way, holds you prisoner until you deal with it--yet another great added 'feature', thanks so much oh brilliant apple person who made this happen)... arrghhh!!!!!

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO TURN THIS AWFUL THING OFF?!? I don't even care WHY it's showing up (I usually want the 'why' answered), but I seriously despise this thing so much I JUST WANT IT GONE! Please let there be someone out there reading this who knows how to make it happen--I will be eternally grateful!!! THANK YOU!!!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Aug 30, 2016 8:13 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 30, 2016 8:19 PM in response to sarine-ImissLEOPARD_STEVE__

Hi,

See if there's something you have not tried in this support article > Using a Force Touch trackpad - Apple Support

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,861 points

Aug 31, 2016 1:54 PM in response to sarine-ImissLEOPARD_STEVE__

If you cannot disable Force Touch in the System Preferences for the Trackpad and GarageBAnd dimmed the option in the Preferences, try to change the preferences using the Terminal. I assume you are using the latest GarageBand 10.1.2?

Quit GarageBand, if it is open.
Launch the Terminal.app from Applications > Utilities
Copy and paste the command below into the open Terminal window exactly as it is. It will change the default setting for the force touch feature in GarageBand - at least it did when I tested on my Mac.

defaults write com.apple.garageband10 SupportForceTouchTrackpad -bool no

Then log off and on again and check the GarageBand Preferences.

Be careful when using the Terminal and and make sure you wrote the command exactly as above.

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Answer 3

Aug 30, 2016 8:52 PM in response to léonie

leonie to the rescue 😉

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

200,861 points

Aug 30, 2016 9:34 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

😁 Force touch has made many routine tasks in GarageBand faster and easier, especially editing midi tracks. No more command clicking to create empty midi regions. But it is a pain, when switching between macs, one with force touch and one without. I gave in and replaced my last Mac without force touch by a newer one.

And it looks like a bug to me, when GarageBand keeps prompting to enable force touch on a Mac without this feature. sarine-ImissLEOPARD+STEVE may want to file a bug report using the feedback form. Apple should fix this.

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Answer 5

Aug 31, 2016 2:08 PM in response to léonie

léonie, you are my HERO/INE(apologies, not sure of your gender)--your terminal solution worked like a charm!!!

(i'll see if that 'fix' also takes care of the 'feedback' notice pop-up issue and i'll post the results of my findings here)

so thank you SOOOO much, léonie,you totally ROCK and are very much appreciated! have a fun day...

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Answer 6

Aug 31, 2016 2:40 PM in response to léonie

p.s. just curious, léonie, have you used GB5/ilife'08 and/or GB6/ilife'09? i'm currently prepping to partition my disk and load up snow leopard and the older-but-in-my-opinion-far-better versions of GB--as well as imovie and iphoto which, in my humble opinion, all had features that were hella cooler and far more desirable (not to mention user-friendly)... so i was just wondering if you had experience with the ilife versions and what you thought of them since i see you have an appreciation for the 'force touch'... again, have a fun day and i remain ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

200,861 points

Sep 1, 2016 7:24 AM in response to sarine-ImissLEOPARD_STEVE__

You're welcome 🙂

have you used GB5/ilife'08 and/or GB6/ilife'09? i

Yes, I have used all GarageBand versions since it first came out. And because I never made a clean install since MacOS X Tiger, all loops and sound installed by previous GarageBand versions are still installed and I can use them in GarageBand 10.

Currently I have GarageBand '11, version 6.0.5 and GarageBand 10.1.2, and Logic Pro X installed. Both versions are running well on OS X 10.11.x El Capitan. GarageBand '11 is still very similar to the older versions and has the same ease of use. When I create a new project, I start it in GarageBand '11 to lay out and mix the tracks. That is necessary for me, because there is no longer a sound effect instrument in GarageBand 10. I have to set up and save the samplers in GarageBand '11. The vocal transformers are also easier to use in GB '11. And the podcasts are also only available in GarageBand '11.

I use GB10.12 mainly to add a drummer track, to add arpeggiators, and to fine tune the midi tracks in the midi draw area. That are nice new features in GB 10.1.2.

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Answer 8

Sep 1, 2016 7:23 AM in response to léonie

thx for getting back and whoa--i thought i was old school but you take the cake (i'm totally impressed by your 'resume')... i'm not much midi-fied anymore (since my triton was stolen), haven't gone podcasting at all, and making drums from scratch/nearly scratch is one of my main pleasures, so i guess you can see why i'm so not down with 10.12... you must find it extremely frustrating to go thru all of that and wish there was 1 GB version you could just load up and vroom you're off, right? or maybe you're just one of those patient 'nice' people... 😉 i don't mean to be just totally raking here either, i actually SUPER-LOVE garageband and practically live there--it's an amazing tool and i'm thrilled to have it available to me, i just think that if people are smart enough to MAKE such a cool program, they ought to be smart enough to keep the cool features, add on new ones that are at least as good as if not better than what's already there, and then WHAM be able to present an all-encompassing super-cool version that has it all ready at your fingertips, right? (any GB-developers reading this care/dare to step up to the challenge?!?) 😉 (btw, i did report the issue/bug via GB feedback as you suggested)

maybe my expections are just set way high or maybe i'm just an outspoken ***** (yikes!), but when people do things that just don't make sense (like eliminating features that are hella cool and 'replacing' them with something lame), my brain can't 'digest' it... oh well, here's to eveyone getting what they want... VOILA!

okay, that's enough now, i promise i'm done with the novelette... have a fun day, léonie and thx again!

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Answer 9

léonie

Level 10

200,861 points

Sep 1, 2016 8:26 AM in response to sarine-ImissLEOPARD_STEVE__

Have fun too 🙂

léonie, you are my HERO/INE(apologies, not sure of your gender)-

Thanks for the compliment 😊

Léonie is a female name.

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