Laptop Touchpad Not Working? How to Unlock It, Turn It Back On and Fix the Driver
Top: the touchpad of an HP EliteBook Revolve 810 business laptop. The checks below work on any Windows laptop. Photo: TechnologyGuide TestLab, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
Before you change anything, check whether the touchpad has been switched off. Press the top-row key with a crossed-out touchpad icon, on its own and then with Fn. On some HP laptops, double-tap the top-left corner of the touchpad. Then open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Touchpad and make sure it’s On. If a USB mouse works but the touchpad still doesn’t, reinstall the driver. If the touchpad looks raised, stop using the laptop: the battery may be swelling.
Start from what you see:
- Nothing moves at allCheck the 5 off switches. How
- You have no mouse to click withUse the keyboard. How
- It stopped after an updateFix the driver. How
- It moves but won’t click or scrollCheck the settings. How
- It’s raised or hard to pressStop and check the battery. Why
- Still dead after all thatTest for a fault. How
Laptop touchpad not working, disabled or locked? Check the 5 off switches
Your touchpad (or trackpad) can be switched off in five places, and each one leaves it looking dead. Work down the list and test the touchpad after each step.
| Switch | What turns it off | Turn it back on |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The touchpad key | A key on the top row with a crossed-out touchpad icon | Press it. If nothing happens, hold Fn and press it again. |
| 2. The corner tap | On some HP laptops, a double-tap on a marked spot or small light in the top-left corner of the touchpad | Double-tap the same spot firmly. |
| 3. The Windows switch | Touchpad set to Off in Settings | Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad and switch it On. On Windows 10 it’s under Devices > Touchpad. |
| 4. The mouse setting | Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected is cleared, and a mouse is plugged in directly or through a dock | Tick the box in the same Touchpad settings. Some older laptops have a similar option in the Synaptics or ELAN tab of Control Panel > Mouse. |
| 5. The BIOS setting | Touchpad or Internal Pointing Device set to Disabled in the BIOS | Open the BIOS at start-up, set it to Enabled, save and restart. |
If all five are on and it still won’t respond, restart the laptop once before you touch the driver.
Laptop cursor not moving? How to turn on or enable the touchpad without a mouse
You don’t need a mouse to reach the Touchpad switch. Your keyboard can do it:
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Type touchpad, use the down arrow to pick Touchpad settings, and press Enter.
- Press Tab until the Touchpad switch is highlighted, then press Space to turn it On. Space also ticks the box for Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected.
A USB mouse is quicker if you have one. A basic wired mouse such as the Logitech B100 works the moment it goes into a USB port, with no Bluetooth setup and no battery to run flat. It also narrows down the fault: if the mouse works and the touchpad doesn’t, the problem is the touchpad’s setting, driver or hardware, not Windows.
Logitech B100 USB Optical Mouse
- 800 DPI optical tracking for precise cursor control
- Ambidextrous design suitable for both left and right-handed users
- Plug-and-play USB connectivity with 1.8 m cable
For a mouse you’ll use all day, see the best mouse for work, or browse wired mice.
HP, Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell, ASUS and Acer laptop touchpad not working: what changes by brand
The five switches apply to every brand. What changes is the shortcut you press and the maker’s own tools.
| Brand | Shortcut to try | If that does nothing |
|---|---|---|
| HP | On some models, double-tap the marked top-left corner of the touchpad. Others use an Fn key combination that varies by model. | Check the BIOS for a setting such as Touchpad or Internal Pointing Device, which varies by model. Then run the touchpad test in HP PC Hardware Diagnostics. |
| Lenovo | IdeaPad and Yoga: the key with a crossed-out touchpad icon. Press it alone or with Fn, depending on whether FnLock is on. | ThinkPad: go straight to the Windows switch (Windows key + I, then type touchpad), then check the driver. |
| Dell | Restart, test with a USB mouse, then check the Windows Touchpad switch. | Reset the touchpad settings, then reinstall the driver from Dell’s support site. |
| ASUS | The touchpad hotkey, usually F6 or F9. A “Touchpad is enabled” message confirms it worked. | If the hotkey does nothing, reinstall the ASUS System Control Interface driver. MyASUS also has touchpad settings under Device Settings. |
| Acer | Fn + F7 on many models. | Use the Windows switch, then the driver. |
Touchpad stopped working or not responding in Windows 11? Fix the touchpad driver
If your touchpad died after an update, or it comes and goes, look at the driver next. Microsoft points to a missing or out-of-date driver first.
- Update it. Run Windows Update and install any driver updates it offers.
- Reinstall it. Press the Windows key, type Device Manager and press Enter. Find the touchpad under Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices. Select it, choose Uninstall device, then restart, and Windows installs it again. Without a mouse, use the arrow keys and press Shift + F10 for the menu.
- Get the maker’s driver. Download the touchpad driver for your exact model from the laptop maker’s support site. On laptops with Intel processors, also install the Intel Serial IO (I2C) driver, usually listed under Chipset. AMD laptops don’t use it.
- Go back. If it broke straight after an update, System Restore to a point from before can undo it.
On a work laptop, ask IT before you install drivers yourself, and tell them the model and what you’ve tried.
I2C HID Device showing an error in Device Manager
Many touchpads appear as I2C HID Device under Human Interface Devices. A yellow warning with “This device cannot start. (Code 10)” means its driver has failed. Reinstall the Intel Serial IO driver first, then the touchpad driver, and restart. If the touchpad works in the BIOS but keeps failing in Windows, it’s a software problem. If it fails in the BIOS too, suspect the hardware.
Touchpad click, right-click or two-finger scroll not working
If the cursor moves, the touchpad is alive. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad and check these:
- Taps: make sure tapping is on. To right-click, tap with two fingers or press the lower-right corner.
- Scroll & zoom: tick Drag two fingers to scroll.
- Gestures: you can change what three- and four-finger gestures do, and some only work on a precision touchpad.
- Reset: select Reset in Touchpad settings to put everything back to default.
No tap or scroll options at all? The touchpad’s settings may live in the Synaptics or ELAN tab of Control Panel > Mouse instead.
Touchpad not clicking, or raised? Check the battery first
If your touchpad has lifted, feels stiff or won’t click, something may be pushing it up from underneath. The battery sits below it. Dell’s battery advice names a trackpad that “does not click properly or feels raised” as one way a swelling battery shows itself. That is a safety problem, not a touchpad fault.
- Stop using the laptop and unplug the charger.
- Don’t press on the touchpad, and don’t try to open the case or puncture anything.
- Get the battery replaced by the maker or a repairer. On a work laptop, tell IT the same day.
Laptop mouse not working at all? Test for a hardware fault
Two tests tell you whether the touchpad itself has failed:
- Plug in a USB mouse. If it works, Windows is fine and the fault is in the touchpad’s setting, driver or hardware. If the USB mouse fails too and the keyboard is stuck as well, the whole laptop may be frozen. See laptop keeps freezing.
- Try the touchpad outside Windows. On laptops whose BIOS screen shows a pointer, move it there. If it works, the problem is in Windows. If it doesn’t, the touchpad or its cable is likely at fault. HP laptops also have a touchpad test in HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, which runs before Windows starts.
If the laptop is under warranty, contact the maker before anyone opens it. On a work laptop, give IT the result of both tests. A USB mouse keeps you working meanwhile. If the keyboard has stopped too, see laptop keyboard not working. And if the laptop is old enough that a repair isn’t worth it, the best laptop for work guide compares current models.
Laptop touchpad not working: your questions
The one with a crossed-out touchpad icon on the top row. On ASUS laptops it’s usually F6 or F9, and many Acer models use Fn + F7. Press it on its own, then with Fn.
Press Windows key + I, type touchpad and press Enter on Touchpad settings. Press Tab until the Touchpad switch is highlighted, then press Space to turn it On.
If there’s a marked spot or light in the top-left corner, double-tap it, then check the Windows Touchpad switch. If it’s still dead, check the BIOS for a Touchpad or Internal Pointing Device setting, and run the touchpad test in HP PC Hardware Diagnostics. See HP EliteBook laptops.
Press the key with the crossed-out touchpad icon, alone or with Fn depending on FnLock. On a ThinkPad, go to the Windows Touchpad switch. Then reinstall the driver for your model from Lenovo’s support site.
If it’s the built-in touchpad, check the five off switches first. If it’s a USB or wireless mouse, try another port, plug a wireless receiver straight into the laptop rather than a hub, and check the mouse battery.
Use the same switches in reverse: the touchpad key, or Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Touchpad, Off. To turn it off only while a mouse is plugged in, clear Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected.
Sources
- Microsoft, fix touchpad problems in Windows. A missing or out-of-date driver, Windows Update first, and reinstalling from Device Manager.
- Microsoft, touch gestures for Windows. The Touchpad settings path, two-finger right-click, gestures and precision touchpads.
- Microsoft, keyboard shortcuts in Windows. Windows key + I, Shift + F10 and Space.
- ASUS, touchpad troubleshooting. The F6 or F9 hotkey, Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected, the BIOS test, the Intel Serial IO driver and System Restore.
- Lenovo user guide, hotkey functions and using hotkeys with FnLock. The crossed-out touchpad key.
- Lenovo, enable or disable the ThinkPad touchpad. The Windows key + I route.
- Dell, fixing a laptop touchpad not working, enabling the touchpad and resetting touchpad settings. Restart, external mouse test, the Windows switch and Reset.
- Dell, laptop battery FAQ, and handling swollen batteries. The raised trackpad as a warning sign, stopping use, and not pressing or puncturing it.
- HP, keyboard, mouse and touchpad issues. Testing the touchpad with HP PC Hardware Diagnostics.
- HP Support Community: touchpad not working, locked touchpad, I2C HID device has failed and disabling the touchpad when a mouse is plugged in. The corner double-tap, Fn keys that vary by model, Internal Pointing Device, the diagnostics test, and the BIOS test.
- Microsoft Q&A, I2C HID Device Code 10 and restoring two-finger scrolling. The Code 10 error, and Synaptics or ELAN settings in Control Panel.
- Gigabyte, disable the touchpad while a USB mouse is plugged in. The ELAN option in Control Panel.
- Acer Community, touchpad and mouse problems. Fn + F7.
- Computer Hope, laptop touchpad not working. The touchpad disabled in the BIOS.
- Logitech, B100 wired mouse. Plug-and-play USB.
- Photo: HP EliteBook Revolve 810 by TechnologyGuide TestLab (CC BY 2.0, cropped).
