How to Fix “Touchpad Not Working” Problem for Your Laptop/Notebook

If your laptop’s touchpad stopped working, then you might have probably tried a few methods to fix it. And if you are technically challenged, and worried about the issue, then perhaps visiting a service engineer is your next option. But do you know that fixing the “touchpad not working“ issue can be manually fixed at home and that too without hiring a service engineer? You might think that it is a major issue, but the problem can be minor too. So before you decide to carry your laptop to the service center, let’s try out a few fixes to repair your touchpad.

 

How to troubleshoot the ‘laptop touchpad not working’ issue?

(1) Reboot the laptop

Sometimes, the issue looks bigger, but a small attempt can fix it immediately. So before attempting any bigger method, try rebooting your laptop, and see if that resolves the issue. Sometimes people tend to overlook this method and try out the complex ones. Rebooting can fix most of the major computer problems that even the other troubleshooting methods cannot.

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(2) Check the touchpad enable/disable key

At times, you might have accidentally pressed the touchpad enable/disable key while rapidly typing the keyboard. So make sure you haven’t pressed the touchpad key and disabled it. Different laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS, Acer, and Toshiba, provide the different combinations for the touchpad key which will toggle the touchpad on or off if you press it. It generally includes holding the Fn key, which is located at the lower left corner of the keyboard. Meanwhile, you need to press another key which is diversely executed in different laptops, for e.g. Fn + F4. It could be the F1 key or the F4 key or any other. In determining this, you need to pay attention to the keys with the little icons that denote the touchpad. Sometimes, the touchpad icon is difficult to figure out. In such a case, you can check your laptop user manual or Google the touchpad key specifying your laptop model number.

 

(3) Change mouse settings

If this does not troubleshoot the problem, then check your mouse settings on your laptop. For this, we recommend you to connect an external mouse with the laptop and follow the next troubleshooting steps.

For Windows

• Click on the Windows start menu icon and type ‘mouse settings’, hit Enter.
• A panel will open. Locate the touchpad settings.
• Check whether the touchpad is on or off or which option is selected.
• If it is off, then turn it on.

For Mac

• Go to System Preferences in the Apple menu at the top of the desktop screen.
• If you are a MacBook Pro user, then locate the System Preferences option at the bottom of the screen.
• In the System Preferences window, click on the Touchpad icon, and open the Trackpad settings.
• Adjust the trackpad settings you want to change.
• Test the trackpad whether now it works or not.

If the setting is already correctly configured, then proceed to the next step.

 

(4) Check device manager and driver updates

You should check your system’s device manager, along with the driver updates. The device manager will give you a detailed information about the hardware issues and help you update the drivers. Similarly, you can locate the touchpad driver in Device manager, and follow the instructions to fix it as given below:

• Click on the Windows start icon and type ‘Device manager’, then hit Enter.
• Click on the arrow beside ‘Mice and other pointing devices’.
• Find your Touchpad, for e.g. Synaptics PS/2 Port Touchpad.
• Right-click on it and click Update Software Driver.

• Click ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’.
• Follow the instructions.

Windows will automatically find the available updates for the touchpad.

 

(5) Check CMOS (BIOS) setup

Still, if you are unable to troubleshoot your problem “laptop touchpad not working” with the above method, then check the touchpad settings in the CMOS (BIOS) setup.

• Press F2 to enter the BIOS setup. Different laptop manufacturers provide different keys to enter the BIOS setup. So it’s better to confirm whether your laptop supports the F2 key to enter BIOS or the Del (Delete) key.
• Once you have entered, you may use the arrow keys to move up or down to select categories and enter their values.
• Check the hardware device settings to see if the touchpad is disabled.
• If disabled, then re-enable it.
• Reboot the computer.

 

(6) Check for corrupt system files

Another potential cause for the non-functioning touchpad can be corrupted system files. Most problems in a computer occur due to the corrupt system files. And this could result in the touchpad not functioning.

To fix this, either you should activate a restore point at a date preceding to when the touchpad stopped working, or you may need to attempt an operating system repair installation. The repair installation will require you to access a restore partition on the hard drive or use an operating system install disc.

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(7) Faulty hardware

Even after attempting all these steps, if your laptop touchpad fails to function, then perhaps it has malfunctioned. In such a scenario, you’d require to contact your laptop manufacturer or take it to the service center. They can either repair the hardware or replace it with a new touchpad. The cost of the replacement depends on whether your laptop is still under warranty period or not. If it is under warranty period, then they would probably replace it free of cost. And if your laptop is running out of warranty, then the replacement would cost a certain amount. Still, if you are not ready to pay for it, then we recommend you to use an external mouse for a workaround.

 

We hope we could help you with the “touchpad not working” problem, and probably you found a solution out of it. The procedures we’ve mentioned can be attempted by anyone because it’s not any kind of rocket science. So if you are having trouble with your touchpad, then try these methods, and do let us know your views on this.