Fix Touchpad Not Working in Windows 10/11: Settings, Drivers

Prerequisites and compatibility​

• Have a USB mouse available if possible. If you do not, use the keyboard:
  • Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  • Press Windows + X, then M to open Device Manager on most systems.
  • Use Tab, arrow keys, Enter, and Spacebar to move through controls.
• Save open work before restarting. Several steps below require a restart.
• These instructions concern a built-in laptop touchpad, not an external USB or Bluetooth mouse.
• Touchpad names vary. In Device Manager, it may appear as:
  • HID-compliant touch pad
  • Precision Touchpad
  • Synaptics, ELAN, ASUS Precision Touchpad, Dell Touchpad, or similar
  • An I2C HID Device under Human Interface Devices
• Some gesture settings are available only on PCs that display “Your PC has a precision touchpad” at the top of the Touchpad Settings page.

Primary procedure​

1. Check the laptop’s touchpad shortcut and external-mouse setting​

Many laptops include a function-key shortcut that turns the touchpad on or off. Look across the

–

keys for a touchpad icon, sometimes shown with a diagonal line through it.

1. Hold Fn and press the key with the touchpad icon once.
2. Wait several seconds and move one finger across the touchpad.
3. If nothing changes, press the same key combination once more. The shortcut is a toggle, so its current state may be unclear.

Common examples include

,

,

, or

, but the correct key is specific to the laptop model.

Next, check whether Windows is configured to disable the touchpad when another pointing device is connected.

Windows 11

1. Press Windows + I.
2. Select Bluetooth & devices.
3. Select Touchpad.
4. Turn the Touchpad switch On.
5. Expand Touchpad if needed.
6. Enable Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected.

Windows 10

1. Press Windows + I.
2. Select Devices.
3. Select Touchpad.
4. Turn the Touchpad switch On.
5. Enable Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected, if that option appears.

Expected result: The pointer moves when you slide one finger on the touchpad. If the pointer works but scrolling or gestures do not, leave the touchpad enabled and continue to Step 5.

2. Restart Windows fully​

A restart reloads the touchpad driver and its controller. Use Restart, not Shut down, for this test.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete.
2. Select the power button in the lower-right corner.
3. Select Restart.
4. After sign-in, test the touchpad before opening many programs.

Expected result: A touchpad that failed to initialize after sleep, hibernation, a driver update, or a brief system fault may begin working immediately after the restart.

3. Check Device Manager and re-enable the touchpad​

1. Press Windows + X.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
4. Also expand Human Interface Devices.
5. Look for a touchpad-related entry such as HID-compliant touch pad, Precision Touchpad, Synaptics, ELAN, or I2C HID Device.

If you find the touchpad device:

1. Right-click it, or select it and press Shift + F10.
2. If the menu shows Enable device, select it.
3. Wait a few seconds, then test the touchpad.

If the menu shows Disable device instead, it is already enabled. Do not select Disable device; proceed to Step 4.

Expected result: If the touchpad had been disabled in Device Manager, it should work immediately after choosing Enable device. A restart is not normally required, but perform one if Windows does not detect input at once.

4. Update the driver, then reinstall it if updating does not help​

Start with the least disruptive option: updating the driver.

1. In Device Manager, right-click the touchpad entry.
2. Select Update driver.
3. Select Search automatically for drivers.
4. Let Windows complete the search.
5. Restart the laptop, even if Windows does not explicitly request it.
6. Test the touchpad.

If Windows says that the best driver is already installed or the issue remains, check optional driver updates.

Windows 11

1. Open Settings with Windows + I.
2. Select Windows Update.
3. Select Advanced options.
4. Select Optional updates.
5. Expand Driver updates.
6. Select an update that clearly matches the laptop maker, touchpad maker, chipset, Serial IO, or I2C controller.
7. Select Download & install.
8. Restart when installation is complete.

Windows 10

1. Open Settings with Windows + I.
2. Select Update & Security.
3. Select Windows Update.
4. Select View optional updates if it is available.
5. Expand Driver updates.
6. Select only updates relevant to the touchpad, chipset, Serial IO, or I2C controller.
7. Select Download and install.
8. Restart the PC.

If updating did not resolve the problem, reinstall the touchpad device.

Warning: Uninstalling a touchpad device will temporarily remove touchpad input. Keep a USB mouse connected or be prepared to use the keyboard. Do not uninstall random entries under Human Interface Devices; uninstall only the clearly identified touchpad device or the I2C HID device associated with the touchpad.

Click to expand...

1. In Device Manager, right-click the identified touchpad device.
2. Select Uninstall device.
3. If the dialog includes Attempt to remove the driver for this device, leave it unchecked for the first attempt. This lets Windows reuse the existing driver after restart.
4. Select Uninstall.
5. Restart the computer.

Windows should detect the hardware during startup and reinstall its driver automatically.

Expected result: The touchpad returns after sign-in. Reopen Settings > Touchpad and confirm that the Touchpad page is present and enabled.

5. Restore touchpad scrolling, tapping, and gesture behavior​

If the pointer moves but two-finger scrolling, tapping, or multi-finger gestures fail, the device may be working with basic mouse functionality or its gesture settings may be turned off.

Windows 11

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.
2. Confirm Touchpad is switched On.
3. Expand Taps and turn on the desired tap options.
4. Expand Scroll & zoom.
5. Enable Drag two fingers to scroll.
6. Enable Pinch to zoom if desired.
7. Expand Three-finger gestures and Four-finger gestures to review or reset their actions.

Windows 10

1. Go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad.
2. Confirm Touchpad is switched On.
3. Under Taps, enable the tap actions you use.
4. Under Scroll and zoom, enable Drag two fingers to scroll.
5. Enable Pinch to zoom if desired.
6. Review Three-finger gestures and Four-finger gestures.

If the cursor jumps, clicks unexpectedly, or moves while you type:

1. Stay on the Touchpad Settings page.
2. Set Touchpad sensitivity to Medium sensitivity or Low sensitivity.
3. Temporarily turn off Tap with a single finger to single-click and test again.
4. Clean and dry the touchpad surface with a soft, lint-free cloth. Moisture, debris, or pressure from a swollen battery can cause false input.

Expected result: Two-finger scrolling works in Settings or a web browser, and the pointer no longer moves or clicks erratically while typing.

6. Install the laptop manufacturer’s chipset and touchpad drivers​

Use this method if the touchpad is absent from Device Manager, appears with a warning icon, reverts to basic mouse behavior, or fails again after every restart or sleep cycle.

1. Identify the exact PC model:
   • Press Windows + R.
   • Type msinfo32.
   • Press Enter.
   • Note System Manufacturer and System Model.
2. Open the official support page for that laptop manufacturer using another device if necessary.
3. Search for the exact model, not merely the product family.
4. Download drivers intended for your installed version of Windows.
5. Install drivers in this order where available:
   1. Chipset
   2. Serial IO, I2C, or platform controller driver
   3. Touchpad driver
   4. Manufacturer hotkey or system-interface package, if the touchpad shortcut does not work
6. Restart after installing the chipset or Serial IO package.
7. Install the touchpad driver and restart again.

Expected result: The touchpad reappears in Device Manager and in Touchpad Settings, with scrolling and gestures restored.

Verification of success​

Confirm the repair with the following checks:

1. Open Settings and navigate to the Touchpad page:
   • Windows 11: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad
   • Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Touchpad
2. Confirm that the Touchpad switch is On.
3. Move one finger across the touchpad and verify that the pointer moves smoothly.
4. Use two fingers to scroll a Settings page or web page.
5. Tap once to select an item and tap with two fingers to right-click, if those options are enabled.
6. Disconnect any USB or Bluetooth mouse and confirm that the built-in touchpad remains operational.
7. Put the laptop to sleep, wake it, and test the touchpad again if the original problem occurred after sleep.

Alternate method: roll back a recently changed driver​

Use driver rollback only if the touchpad stopped working immediately after a driver update and the previous driver is still available.

Warning: Rolling back restores an older driver and can remove fixes delivered by the newer version. Use it only when the timing clearly points to a driver update. If the rollback makes the device worse, return to Device Manager and update or reinstall the current manufacturer driver.

Click to expand...

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Right-click the touchpad device and select Properties.
3. Select the Driver tab.
4. Select Roll Back Driver.
5. Choose the reason that best fits the problem and select Yes.
6. Restart the PC.
7. Test the touchpad.

If Roll Back Driver is unavailable, Windows does not have an earlier driver package to restore. Use the manufacturer-driver procedure in Step 6 instead.

Troubleshooting and escalation​

The Touchpad Settings page is missing​

If Touchpad is absent from Settings, Windows is not currently recognizing the device as a touchpad.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Select Action > Scan for hardware changes.
3. Expand Human Interface Devices, Mice and other pointing devices, and System devices.
4. Look for warning symbols on I2C HID Device, Intel Serial IO I2C Host Controller, AMD I2C entries, or an unknown device.
5. Install the laptop maker’s chipset and Serial IO/I2C drivers before reinstalling the touchpad driver.

The touchpad is listed but shows a yellow warning icon​

1. Right-click the device and select Properties.
2. Read the status message under Device status.
3. For Code 10, Code 28, Code 31, or similar driver errors, uninstall the affected touchpad or I2C HID device, restart, and then install the manufacturer’s chipset/Serial IO and touchpad drivers.
4. Avoid downloading drivers from generic driver-update websites. Use Windows Update or the PC manufacturer’s support site for the exact model.

The touchpad works in Windows but not before Windows starts​

This normally indicates a firmware, BIOS/UEFI setting, or hardware-level issue rather than a Windows setting.

1. Restart the laptop.
2. Enter BIOS/UEFI setup using the key shown by the manufacturer during startup, often F2, Del, Esc, or F10.
3. Look for a setting such as Internal Pointing Device, Touchpad, or Trackpad.
4. Ensure it is set to Enabled.

Warning: Do not change unrelated BIOS/UEFI settings, especially boot mode, Secure Boot, storage controller mode, passwords, or TPM options. Changing them can prevent Windows from starting or trigger recovery-key prompts.

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If the internal pointing-device setting is already enabled and the touchpad does not work in BIOS/UEFI either, arrange service with the laptop manufacturer or a qualified repair provider. The likely causes include a disconnected touchpad cable, failed touchpad assembly, liquid damage, or physical pressure from a damaged or swollen battery.

The touchpad stopped working after a Windows update​

First use Device Manager > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver if available. If the issue began after an optional driver update, return to Optional updates and avoid reinstalling that same driver until the laptop maker publishes a replacement. Install the latest chipset, I2C/Serial IO, and touchpad packages for the exact device model, then restart.

The touchpad works only until sleep or hibernation​

Install the latest manufacturer chipset, BIOS/UEFI, Serial IO/I2C, and touchpad drivers. If it still fails after waking, use Restart as a short-term recovery method, then test after each driver update. Persistent wake-from-sleep failures that continue with current manufacturer drivers should be escalated to the PC manufacturer because the issue may involve firmware or power-management behavior rather than Touchpad Settings alone.

References​

1. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Touch gestures for Windows | Microsoft Support

   Learn the common touch gestures for Windows devices that are touch capable. Also learn the common touchpad gestures for Windows devices that have touchpads that are touch gesture capable.

   support.microsoft.com
2. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Enable and disable the virtual touchpad in Windows | Microsoft Support

   Learn how to enable and disable the virtual touchpad in Windows. The virtual touchpad provides and on-screen touchpad that can be used to control the mouse.

   support.microsoft.com