Touchpad Not Working on Windows 11? 10 Fixes That Work

Your laptop's touchpad suddenly stopped responding, the cursor won't move, or two-finger scrolling stopped working. A touchpad not working on Windows 11 is usually caused by a setting, a keyboard shortcut or a driver problem, not broken hardware. Below are 10 fixes, starting with the quickest ones. Plug in a USB mouse (or use the keyboard) to follow the steps if your touchpad is completely dead.

Why is my touchpad not working on Windows 11?

• The touchpad was turned off with a keyboard shortcut or in Settings.
• Windows turns the touchpad off when a mouse is connected.
• A Windows update installed a bad or generic driver.
• The touchpad driver is missing or corrupted.
• The touchpad is disabled in the BIOS.
• Rarely, a loose cable or damaged hardware.

How to use Windows 11 without a touchpad or mouse

Press Windows + I to open Settings, use Tab and the arrow keys to move around, Enter to select, and Space to switch toggles on or off. That's enough to complete most of the fixes below.

1. Restart your laptop

It sounds simple, but a restart fixes many touchpad glitches, especially after sleep or an update. Press Windows + X, then U, then R to restart with the keyboard.

2. Press the touchpad shortcut key

Most laptops have a key that turns the touchpad on and off. It's usually one of the F1 to F12 keys with a touchpad icon, and you may need to hold Fn while pressing it (for example, Fn + F7 on many laptops). Some HP laptops instead have a small light in the corner of the touchpad that you double-tap to turn it back on.

3. Turn the touchpad on in Settings

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.
2. Make sure the Touchpad toggle is On.
3. Expand the Touchpad section and tick Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected.

If that last option is unticked, your touchpad turns off whenever a USB or Bluetooth mouse is connected.

4. Reset touchpad settings and gestures

If the cursor moves but scrolling, tapping or gestures don't work, the settings may have been changed. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad, open the Touchpad section and click Reset. You can also check Taps and Scroll & zoom to make sure tap-to-click and two-finger scrolling are turned on.

5. Check for Windows updates and optional driver updates

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates.
2. Then open Advanced options > Optional updates > Driver updates.
3. Install any touchpad, input or chipset drivers listed there and restart.

6. Update the touchpad driver in Device Manager

1. Right-click the Start button (or press Windows + X) and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Mice and other pointing devices and Human Interface Devices.
3. Look for your touchpad. It may be called HID-compliant touch pad, Synaptics, ELAN or Precision Touchpad.
4. Right-click it and choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.

If you see a yellow warning icon, the driver has a problem, so continue with the next fixes.

7. Roll back the driver after a bad update

If the touchpad stopped working right after an update, the new driver may be the cause. In Device Manager, right-click the touchpad, choose Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver, then restart. If the button is greyed out, there's no older driver saved.

8. Uninstall and reinstall the touchpad driver

In Device Manager, right-click the touchpad and choose Uninstall device. Restart your laptop, and Windows will reinstall the driver automatically. This fixes many corrupted driver problems.

9. Install the driver from your laptop maker

Windows' generic driver doesn't always support every touchpad feature. Download the latest touchpad driver for your exact model from your laptop maker's support page (HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer and others). Enter your model or serial number, find the Touchpad, Mouse or Input driver, install it and restart.

If a USB mouse or other device isn't being detected either, see our fix for USB Device Descriptor Request Failed.

10. Make sure the touchpad is enabled in BIOS

If the touchpad doesn't show up in Device Manager at all, it might be turned off in the BIOS.

1. Restart your laptop and press the BIOS key while it starts (often F2, F10, Del or Esc).
2. Look for an option like Internal Pointing Device or Touchpad under the Advanced or Main tab.
3. Set it to Enabled, then save and exit.

Be careful not to change other BIOS settings you're not sure about.

Still not working?

If none of these fixes work, and the touchpad also doesn't work in the BIOS screen, it's likely a hardware problem such as a loose cable or a swollen battery pressing on the touchpad. A swollen battery can be dangerous, so stop using the laptop and take it to a repair shop or your laptop maker's service centre.

For more Windows fixes, check our PC tricks section, including how to make Windows 11 faster on 8GB RAM.

FAQs

How do I turn my touchpad back on in Windows 11?

Press the touchpad key on your keyboard (often Fn + an F key), or go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad and switch it on.

Why does my touchpad stop working when I connect a mouse?

The "Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected" option is turned off. Turn it on in Touchpad settings.

Why is two-finger scrolling not working on Windows 11?

Check Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad > Scroll & zoom and turn on "Drag two fingers to scroll". Updating the touchpad driver can also help.

Can a Windows update break the touchpad?

Yes, sometimes. Rolling back the driver or installing the driver from your laptop maker usually fixes it.

Which fix got your touchpad working again? Tell us in the comments.