Touchpad not working on your Windows 11 laptop? Here's how to fix it

Did you swipe your fingers across the touchpad only to find the cursor not responding to your gestures? This problem happens when the touchpad is accidentally disabled, but it can also be caused by incorrect settings, outdated drivers, disabled gestures, or other issues. Here's how you can get your touchpad working normally again.

Make Sure the Touchpad Isn't Disabled

Before diving into more advanced troubleshooting, first make sure you haven't accidentally disabled the touchpad. Many laptops have a function key shortcut or a dedicated button for this. Look for a key or button with a touchpad icon and press it once to ensure it's not turned off. If your laptop doesn't have such a button, or you can't locate it, check the settings instead.

To do that, right-click the Start button and open the "Settings" app. Then, navigate to the "Bluetooth & Devices" tab on the left and open the "Touchpad" section on the right, and make sure the toggle next to "Touchpad" is turned on. If the touchpad is already enabled, you can proceed to the next troubleshooting steps.

6

Check That Touchpad Gestures Are Enabled

If your touchpad responds to basic movements but fails to recognize touch gestures like scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, or three-finger actions, it's possible that these gestures could be disabled. To check, right-click the Start button and open "Settings." Then, go to "Bluetooth & Devices" on the left and select "Touchpad."

Scroll down to the "Gestures & Interaction" section and expand the menus for each gesture category, such as scroll and zoom, three-finger gestures, and four-finger gestures, making sure they're enabled. After enabling them, try performing the gestures again to see if they work. If neither gestures nor basic touchpad functions work, skip this step and go to the next fix.

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Disconnect Any External Mouse

Sometimes, Windows 11 automatically turns off the laptop's touchpad as soon as an external mouse is connected. So, if you're using a USB or Bluetooth mouse, disconnect it - unplug a wired mouse, or for a wireless one, remove its adapter and turn off Bluetooth - and check if the touchpad starts working.

If it does, that means your laptop is set to disable the touchpad whenever a mouse is connected. To use both simultaneously, you'll need to adjust a setting. Right-click the Start button and open "Settings," then go to Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad, expand the "Touchpad" menu, and enable the option "Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected."

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Reset the Touchpad Settings

If your touchpad is still acting up, it might be due to customized settings or accidental changes, especially if you've used third-party software that modifies system-level configurations. To rule this out, you can reset the touchpad to its default settings. Right-click the Start button, open "Settings," and navigate to Bluetooth & Devices > Touchpad.

Expand the "Touchpad" section and click the "Reset" button next to "Reset touchpad settings and gestures to default." Confirm by clicking "Yes" if prompted. Once reset, check if your touchpad is fully functional again-this typically fixes issues caused by misconfigured gestures, sensitivity changes, or tap settings.

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Update or Reinstall the Touchpad Driver

If the above fixes don't work, the touchpad issue might be caused by outdated or corrupted drivers, which can make it unresponsive or behave erratically. To rule this out, you should update or reinstall the drivers. To update the driver, right-click the Start button and open "Device Manager." Then, expand "Mice and Other Pointing Devices."

Here, right-click your touchpad and select "Update Driver." Click "Search Automatically for Drivers" and follow the prompts. If updating doesn't fix the problem, you'll need to reinstall the drivers. Right-click the touchpad again, select "Uninstall Device," then download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website and install them manually.

6

Check Touchpad Settings in BIOS/UEFI

If none of the previous fixes resolve the issue and your touchpad remains unresponsive, it might be disabled at the hardware level in your laptop's BIOS/UEFI settings. Not all laptops allow this, but some do, so it's worth checking. To do this, restart your laptop and press the appropriate key-often F2, Esc, or another manufacturer-specific key-to enter the BIOS/UEFI setup.

Navigate to Advanced, Integrated Peripherals, or a similar menu, depending on your laptop model. Look for options labeled Internal Pointing Device, Touchpad, or something similar, and ensure they are enabled. After confirming the settings, save your changes and exit BIOS/UEFI. Boot back into Windows and check if your touchpad is now working.

If your touchpad problems were due to any of the issues mentioned above, the suggested fixes should restore its functionality. However, if the problem continues, check for and install any pending Windows updates, run a malware scan, and if the touchpad still doesn't respond, it may be a hardware issue. In that case, have your device inspected by a local technician.