A trackpad that suddenly stops working on your ASUS VivoBook 15 is incredibly frustrating. It turns your portable laptop into a desktop that needs a mouse. Whether the cursor is frozen, clicks aren't registering, or multi-finger gestures have stopped, these steps will get you back on track.
Toggle the Touchpad On
First, check if you accidentally turned it off. On many VivoBook 15 models, you can press the Fn + F9 keys to toggle the touchpad. Look for a small icon of a touchpad with a line through it on the F9 key. If that doesn't work, you can also check in Windows settings.
Navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad. Make sure the main touchpad toggle at the top is switched to "On." This is the most common quick fix for a trackpad that seems dead.
Perform a Full Restart
If the trackpad stopped working after the laptop woke from sleep, a simple restart can work wonders. It reloads all the drivers, including the one for your touchpad. Since you can't use the trackpad, use the keyboard.
Press the Windows key, then use the Tab key to navigate to the power icon. Hit Enter, arrow down to "Restart," and press Enter again. Let the laptop fully shut down and boot back up.
Disconnect Any External Mouse
Your VivoBook might be set to automatically disable the internal trackpad when a USB or Bluetooth mouse is connected. Unplug any wired mouse or turn off your Bluetooth mouse and see if the trackpad springs back to life.
To stop this from happening in the future, go back to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad. Look for a setting that says something like "Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected" and make sure it's checked.
Update Your Touchpad Driver
Outdated or corrupted drivers are a frequent culprit. Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager. Expand the section called "Mice and other pointing devices."
Right-click on your touchpad driver (it might be listed as an ELAN, Synaptics, or "I2C HID" device) and choose Update driver. Select "Search automatically for drivers." For the absolute best results, I'd recommend getting the latest driver directly from the ASUS support website for your specific VivoBook 15 model.
Use the MyASUS App
ASUS includes a handy tool called MyASUS on your laptop. Open it and look for sections like "Live Update" or "Customer Support." This app can automatically find, download, and install the correct drivers for your specific hardware, including the touchpad.
It also has system diagnostic tools that can check for hardware issues. Running a check here can tell you if Windows is even detecting the touchpad component correctly.
Reinstall the Touchpad Driver
If updating didn't help, try a clean reinstall. Go back to Device Manager under "Mice and other pointing devices." Right-click your touchpad driver and select Uninstall device. If given the option, check the box to "Delete the driver software for this device."
Restart your laptop. Windows will install a basic, generic driver upon reboot. This often fixes weird glitches. After that, use the MyASUS app or the ASUS website to install the full-featured ASUS driver for proper gesture support.
Check the BIOS Setting
The touchpad can be disabled at a very low system level. Restart your VivoBook 15 and immediately start tapping the F2 key repeatedly to enter the BIOS setup. Be careful in here.
Use your keyboard arrow keys to navigate. Look for a menu like "Advanced" and find an option for the "Internal Pointing Device" or "Touchpad." Make sure it is set to "Enabled." Save and exit (usually by pressing F10).
Clean the Trackpad Surface
Sometimes the issue is physical. Oils from your fingers, crumbs, or a bit of moisture can make the trackpad behave erratically or not respond at all. Make sure your hands are clean and dry.
Gently wipe the trackpad surface with a dry, soft microfiber cloth. If needed, you can dampen a corner of the cloth with a tiny bit of water, wipe the surface, and then immediately dry it with the other end of the cloth.
Inspect for Hardware Problems
If none of the software fixes work, the issue could be physical. Does the trackpad also not work in the BIOS screen or if you boot into Windows Safe Mode? If it's dead there too, it points to hardware.
On the VivoBook 15, the trackpad is connected to the motherboard by a thin ribbon cable. If the laptop was dropped or had something spilled on it, that cable could be loose or damaged. In this case, you would likely need to have it inspected by a repair technician.
