Laptops are very portable. However, if the touchpad stops working, it can look more like a brick than a Windows computer.
There are many reasons why the touchpad doesn’t work, but it may not have anything to do with your laptop hardware.
How to fix touchpad on Windows laptop
Here’s how to troubleshoot your touchpad on your Windows 10 laptop so you don’t have to bring your touchpad for repairs.
Note that you need to click on an object to perform most of these steps. When the touchpad is not working, you need to connect an external mouse to replace the touchpad. If the mouse doesn’t work either, there’s a big problem that you may not be able to fix here.
Find keyboard shortcuts
William Antonelli / Business Insider
Some computers have keyboard shortcuts or switches that allow you to turn the touchpad on and off. Look for unusual buttons near your computer’s touchpad, especially those that contain icons that somehow resemble the touchpad (for example, a rectangle or finger with a line underneath).
Pressing the Fn key at the top of the keyboard and one of the numbered F keys at the same time is another common touchpad enable / disable shortcut on many computer models. If you do not find this shortcut, refer to your computer’s documentation.
Update the touchpad driver
Chrissy Montelli / Business Insider
A driver is software that controls how your computer’s hardware works. If the driver does not work, you will have problems with your computer.
Right-click on the Windows icon at the bottom left[デバイスマネージャー]Select to open Device Manager on your computer.
Once there, select the touchpad from the Mouse and Other Pointing Devices section. When you’re done, right-click on it and[ドライバーの更新]Select an option.
For more information on the best way to update your drivers, check out the article How to update or reinstall drivers in Windows 10 to keep your computer running smoothly.
Uninstall the touchpad driver
Chrissy Montelli / Business Insider
Follow the same steps as above, but instead of clicking Update Driver, click Uninstall. You can also click Properties and find the uninstall option there.
After uninstalling, restart your computer.
When the computer restarts, Windows will detect that the touchpad is still there and reinstall the driver. This is a great way to update things and fix problems.
Download the driver from the computer manufacturer’s website.
William Antonelli / Business Insider
If Windows says your drivers are up-to-date, but you think they aren’t, go to your computer manufacturer’s website. We may publish your own driver updates that you can manually download and install.
Contact the manufacturer or a third-party repair shop
Acer
If all else fails, you may need to contact your computer manufacturer to replace the touchpad and run it. They can help you with technical support and also check your warranty.
If there is no warranty and the manufacturer cannot support you, consider a third-party repair shop. Depending on where you live, there may be dozens of repair shops around you. Repairs can usually be done at a lower cost than the manufacturer offers.
Calling Microsoft is also a convenient option. They may not know much about your particular computer model, but they are experts in Windows 10.
