Laptop Touchpad Not Working in Windows 11: How to Turn It Back On and Fix It

Your laptop’s touchpad has stopped moving the pointer or no longer responds to taps and gestures.

Why: Usually the touchpad has been switched off (in Settings or by a keyboard shortcut you pressed by accident), or its driver is missing or out of date. A USB mouse plugged in earlier can also auto-disable the touchpad.

You’ll need a USB or Bluetooth mouse, or the keyboard, to follow these steps while the touchpad is dead.

Fix 1: Turn the touchpad back on in Settings

The fastest cause to rule out is that the touchpad got switched off.

1. Press the Windows key, type Touchpad settings, and press Enter (or go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad).
2. Make sure the Touchpad switch at the top is set to On.
3. Click to expand the Touchpad heading and look for Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected. Tick this box if you want the touchpad to keep working while a USB mouse is plugged in.

If the switch was already on, move on to the keyboard shortcut.

Fix 2: Toggle the touchpad keyboard shortcut

Most laptops have a key that turns the touchpad on and off. It is easy to hit by mistake.

1. Look along the top row of your keyboard for a key with a small touchpad icon (often F5, F6, F7, or F9 depending on the brand).
2. Press that key on its own. If nothing happens, hold the Fn key and press it together.
3. Test the touchpad after each press. Some laptops show an on-screen “touchpad on/off” message when you get it right.

Fix 3: Update or reinstall the touchpad driver

Microsoft recommends fixing a dead touchpad through its driver. Connect a mouse first.

1. Run Windows Update: in the taskbar search box type check for updates, open it, and click Check for updates. Install anything offered, then restart.
2. If that doesn’t help, press the Windows key, type Device Manager, and open it.
3. Expand Human Interface Devices and Mice and other pointing devices and find your touchpad (it may be named “precision touchpad,” “HID-compliant touch pad,” or by the brand such as Synaptics or ELAN).
4. Right-click it and choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
5. If it’s still broken, right-click the touchpad again and choose Uninstall device, then restart the laptop. Windows reinstalls the touchpad driver on startup, pulling the latest version from Windows Update.

FAQ

My pointer still won’t move at all. Is the touchpad dead? Not necessarily. Plug in a USB mouse to confirm Windows itself works, then run through the fixes above. If the touchpad never works even after reinstalling the driver, it may be a hardware fault and your laptop maker can help.

The touchpad works but tapping doesn’t click. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad, expand Taps and make sure Tap with a single finger to single-click is ticked.

I plugged in a mouse and now the touchpad is off. Turn on Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected under the Touchpad settings (see Fix 1).

Sources: Microsoft Support — Fix touchpad problems in Windows