1 - there should be a setting either in the bios or in an app included with the laptop's system drivers (or both) that will let you switch whether you have to press the Fn key for F1-F12, or for the special functions (volume control, wifi toggle, etc.)
2 - Start > Settings; in the search bar, start typing "Mouse & touchpad settings" and click it when it comes up. Then click the "Additional mouse options link" to pull up the old-style Mouse Properties dialog. If it's a Synaptics touchpad (which most of them are), there will be a "Device Settings" tab with an icon on it. Click that, then click the "Settings..." button. A new dialog will open where you can configure multitouch gestures, scrolling, etc.