This guide covers Windows 10 and Windows 11. Start with the settings checks, then work through drivers and power management. After each change, test the touchpad again—you may not need every step.
Before you begin: Save your work and, if possible, connect a USB mouse. Reinstalling a device can temporarily leave the touchpad unavailable. Some driver changes also require administrator permission.
1. Confirm what stops working
Restart the PC, open a long webpage or document, and slide two fingers vertically on the touchpad. Then:
Quick walkthrough
- Put the PC to sleep using Start > Power > Sleep.
- Wake it and sign in.
- Try scrolling in the same document or webpage.
Also check whether the pointer, clicking, and other gestures still work. If the problem occurs in only one app, test another before changing drivers. If it consistently appears only after sleep, that’s useful information for the manufacturer or your IT department—but it doesn’t prove that power management is the cause.
2. Check touchpad and gesture settings
Open the touchpad settings for your version of Windows:
- Windows 11: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad
- Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Touchpad
Make sure the touchpad is enabled. Look for Scroll & zoom or a similar section and check that Drag two fingers to scroll is enabled. Also review the three- and four-finger gesture settings if those gestures are affected.
On Windows 10, the touchpad page identifies a precision touchpad with the message “Your PC has a precision touchpad.” Microsoft notes that some gestures require a precision touchpad. If your PC uses manufacturer-specific touchpad software instead, its gesture controls may appear under an additional settings option or in a separate utility; the labels vary by device.
Test scrolling again, then repeat the sleep-and-wake test. If the setting is missing or already enabled, continue to the driver checks.
3. Check Windows Update and the manufacturer’s driver
Microsoft recommends Windows Update as the first place to look for touchpad drivers. Optional driver updates are not installed automatically, so they are worth checking separately.
- Open Settings and check for updates:
- Windows 11: Windows Update > Check for updates
- Windows 10: Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates
- Check for an applicable touchpad driver under:
- Windows 11: Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates
- Windows 10: Windows Update > View optional updates, if shown after checking for updates.
- Install an appropriate touchpad driver update if one is offered, then restart and retest.
If Windows Update offers nothing useful, check the PC manufacturer’s support page for your exact model and Windows version. Install a compatible touchpad driver using the manufacturer’s instructions. Avoid generic driver-download sites.
You can also check through Device Manager:
- Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
- Expand Human Interface Devices and Mice and other pointing devices.
- If you can identify the touchpad, right-click it and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
A message saying the best driver is already installed does not rule out a compatible manufacturer-supplied update. If you cannot confidently identify the touchpad entry, don’t experiment with unrelated devices; consult the manufacturer’s documentation.
If the problem began after a driver update
In Device Manager, open the identified touchpad’s Properties > Driver tab. If Roll Back Driver is available, you can use it to return to the previous driver, then restart if prompted. Microsoft says administrator permission is required. If the button is unavailable, skip this option.
4. Reinstall the touchpad device
If updating or rolling back does not help, reinstalling the identified touchpad device may repair its driver installation.
- Save your work and keep a mouse or keyboard navigation available.
- In Device Manager, find the confirmed touchpad entry under Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices.
- Right-click it, select Uninstall device, and confirm. If offered an option to delete the driver software, leave it unchecked for this initial attempt.
- Restart the PC.
Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver after restart; it is not guaranteed to succeed. If the touchpad does not return, use the compatible driver package from the PC manufacturer or contact its support team. Then test gestures both immediately after restart and after sleep.
5. Review power management—carefully
Some devices expose power controls in Device Manager; others do not. Microsoft explains that the available Power Management tab and controls depend on the driver. It also cautions against generally changing these settings on Modern Standby systems because doing so can significantly increase battery drain.
If your manufacturer recommends testing a setting, or you decide to try it as a reversible diagnostic:
- In Device Manager, open Properties for the confirmed touchpad device.
- If a Power Management tab exists, look for Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Note its original state. If the box is available and checked, clear it, select OK, and repeat the sleep-and-wake test.
- If there is no improvement, restore the original setting.
This is a test, not a guaranteed fix. Don’t change power settings for unrelated USB hubs or devices just because the touchpad misbehaves. The separate option that allows a device to wake the computer controls a different behavior; it is not the same as fixing gestures after Windows has already resumed.
If gestures still fail after sleep
Record your laptop model, Windows version, touchpad driver version, and whether pointing still works after waking. Also note which steps helped temporarily. That gives the manufacturer or your IT team a more useful starting point than “the touchpad is broken.”
One final Windows 10 consideration: Microsoft ended free Windows 10 security updates and support on October 14, 2025. The PC can still run, but users should assess their upgrade or extended-security options rather than treating an aging driver as the only maintenance issue.