How to Fix a Touchpad That's Not Working on Windows 10

The touchpad on Windows 10 laptops and computers might occasionally stop working. Sometimes the touchpad won't scroll correctly, while at other times, the touchpad can't be detected by the Windows 10 computer at all.

Causes of Windows 10 Touchpad Problems

Issues relating to the touchpad on Windows 10 tablets, laptops, and computers can be caused by conflicting software and drivers or an out-of-date version of the Windows 10 operating system.

Faulty hardware can also be a common cause of touchpad problems, as can the changing of essential settings.

How to Fix Windows 10 Touchpad Issues

Touchpad issues can either come from the hardware or the drivers powering it in Windows. Once you track down which it is, solving the problem is straightforward. These steps can help you narrow the cause and get your touchpad working.

1. Confirm that the trackpad is connected correctly. If you use a touchpad that connects through USB, check that both ends of the connecting cable are fully plugged in.

   If the touchpad is part of the keyboard, such as with the Type Cover on the Surface Pro and Surface Book, ensure that the keyboard is completely connected to the tablet with no foreign objects obstructing the connecting prongs.

   If the touchpad and keyboard are built into your system, skip to Step 5. If the subsequent steps don't solve your problem, you may have a hardware issue and need to take your system to a computer repair shop.

2. Remove and reconnect the touchpad. Unplugging and reconnecting the touchpad may fix connection issues. If you use a Type Cover on a Surface device, disconnect and reattach the Type Cover.

3. Check the touchpad's battery. If the touchpad connects to the Windows 10 device using Bluetooth and stops working properly, its batteries might be running out of power. Replace the old batteries with new ones to see if this fixes the problems you experienced.

4. Turn on Bluetooth. If your Bluetooth touchpad is turned on but doesn't connect to your Windows 10 computer, see if Bluetooth is disabled. You can check this by opening the Action Center and looking at the Bluetooth tile. If it's lit up, it's enabled. If it's dim, it's turned off. Turn on Bluetooth by pressing the tile.

   To open Action Center in Windows 10, click the Notifications icon in the lower-right corner of the screen. If the device has a touch screen, open the Action Center by swiping in from the right side of the screen.

5. Restart the Windows 10 device. Restarting a Windows 10 computer, laptop, or tablet can often fix problems, including a touchpad that isn't working properly. To restart a Windows 10 device, open the Start Menu, select Power, and choose Restart.

6. Enable Touchpad in Settings. The touchpad may have been disabled in Windows 10 by yourself, another user, or an app. This varies by device, but in general, to check if the touchpad has been disabled in Windows 10 and turn it back on, open Settings, select Devices > Touchpad, and make sure the switch is set to On.

   To open Settings in Windows 10, open the Start Menu and click the Settings gear icon. Alternatively, you can open Settings by clicking the All Settings tile in the Action Center.

7. Check for a Windows 10 update. A Windows 10 update installs the latest version of the operating system and device drivers for your devices, in addition to firmware updates needed to help the touchpad and other devices run correctly.

   Ensure the Windows 10 device is plugged into a power source while updating, as the process can drain battery power. Errors can occur if the device turns off while new files are installed and changes are made.

8. Update device drivers. Sometimes you need to update a device driver to make it more compatible with the hardware and operating system.

   If Device Manager doesn't appear when searching for it, click the Filters menu at the top of the search results and select Settings.

9. Manually install drivers. If you use a third-party Windows 10 laptop or computer such as one made by Acer, HP, Lenovo, or Dell, you may need to manually install new device drivers to get the touchpad to work correctly with the latest version of Windows 10. Like Dell, most companies have a page on their official website where you can download and install drivers.

   When installing drivers manually, download the correct ones for your product model. To check the Windows 10 device name and model number, go to Settings > System > About.