Your laptop mousepad usually stops working because it was switched off, a setting disabled it, a driver failed, or the system is ignoring the built-in touchpad while another mouse is connected. Start with the quick switch check, then use the steps for Windows, Mac, or Chromebook. Every fix below uses current vendor-documented controls.
1. Check the touchpad switch first
The fastest fix is the one built into the keyboard. Look along the function-key row for a touchpad icon, then press that key. If the touchpad stays off, hold Fn and press the marked touchpad key again.
On Lenovo laptops, check F6, F8, Fn plus F6, Fn plus F8, or Delete, depending on the model. On some Dell laptops, use Fn plus F7. On many ASUS laptops, use F6, F9, or Fn plus the marked key.
On HP notebooks with a touchpad on/off corner or indicator zone, double-tap that area to turn the touchpad back on.
2. Turn the Windows touchpad back on
On Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad, then turn Touchpad on.
No pointer? Use the keyboard. Press Windows plus I, go to Bluetooth & devices, then open Touchpad. You can also press Windows plus S, type Touchpad settings, and press Enter.
If the touchpad turns off only when a USB or Bluetooth mouse is connected, open Touchpad, expand Touchpad, and select Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected.
3. Restore taps and gestures
- 1.Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.
- 2.Expand Touchpad, then choose Reset.
- 3.Open Gestures & interaction.
- 4.Expand Taps and enable the two-finger tap or lower-right-corner option for right-click.
- 5.Adjust Cursor speed if the pointer feels too slow or too fast.
- 6.Open Three-finger gestures and Four-finger gestures, then choose the gesture actions you want from the drop-down menus.
Precision touchpad models include the full gesture set. Other Windows laptops show fewer controls.
4. Update the Windows driver
Use Windows Update first. Open Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates > Download & install. For optional touchpad drivers, open Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates > Driver updates.
Next, open Device Manager. Right-click Start, choose Device Manager, expand Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices, right-click the touchpad device, choose Update driver, then select Search automatically for updated driver software. If Windows offers it, choose Search for updated drivers on Windows update.
If the driver is broken, right-click the touchpad device in Device Manager, choose Uninstall device, select Uninstall, then restart by right-clicking Start and choosing Shut down or sign out > Restart (or use the Start menu power button > Restart). Windows attempts to reinstall the driver after the restart.
If the mousepad stopped working right after an update, open the device Properties, choose Driver > Roll Back Driver, choose a reason, select Yes, and restart when prompted.
5. Use the brand tools
ASUS: Open MyASUS from Windows search, go to Device Settings > Input Device Settings > Touchpad, then choose Unlock. If your ASUS has NumberPad on the touchpad, set NumberPad Lock to Unlock.
Still on ASUS? Open Device Manager > Human Interface Devices, right-click Microsoft Input Configuration Device, and choose Enable device. If that device is already enabled, choose Uninstall device, select Uninstall, then restart the PC. For model-specific repairs, use the ASUS Support page for your exact laptop. If the touchpad hotkey does not work, reinstall the ASUS System Control Interface driver. To repair the touchpad itself, install Intel I2C from the Chipset category when applicable (AMD systems skip this), then install ASUS Precision Touchpad from the Pointing Device category.
Dell: Run the Dell SupportAssist touchpad diagnostic from Dell’s support article, then follow the prompts for driver updates or repair options. You can also restart the laptop, tap F12 at startup, choose Diagnostics, and move your finger on the touchpad during the test. For model-specific updates, use Dell Support with your service tag and install the listed touchpad/input drivers, chipset drivers, BIOS/firmware, or SupportAssist-detected updates.
HP: Use HP Support to identify the laptop, run Diagnostics, or install keyboard, mouse, and touchpad driver updates from HP or Windows Update.
Lenovo: Use Lenovo Support, enter the model or serial number, open Drivers & Software, and install available touchpad, chipset, BIOS/UEFI, or system-interface updates.
6. Fix a Mac trackpad
Use one finger to move the pointer. Two or more fingers trigger scrolling and gestures instead of normal pointer movement.
If the pointer still will not move, connect the Mac to an electrical outlet. You can also connect an external keyboard to reveal a hidden low-battery alert.
Open Apple menu > System Settings > Trackpad. In Point & Click, adjust Tracking speed, Click, Tap to Click, Secondary click, and Force Click and haptic feedback.
If the built-in trackpad stops when another mouse or Mouse Keys is active, open Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control. Under Mouse & Trackpad, turn off Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present. Under Alternate Control Methods > Mouse Keys > Info, turn off Ignore built-in trackpad when Mouse Keys is on.
7. Repair a Chromebook touchpad
Start with Google’s quick input fixes: clean dust or dirt from the touchpad, press Esc several times, drumroll your fingers on the touchpad for ten seconds, then turn the Chromebook off and back on.
- 1.Select the time at the bottom right.
- 2.Open Settings > Accessibility > Cursor & touchpad > Disable built-in touchpad.
- 3.Choose Never.
- 4.To turn the touchpad on with the keyboard, press Shift five times.
- 5.Open Settings > Device > Touchpad or Touchpad and mouse.
- 6.Adjust Tap to click, Tap and drag, Touchpad acceleration, Touchpad speed, and Reverse scrolling.
Update ChromeOS from Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates. After an update downloads, choose Restart from the update notification.
If the problem affects only one Chromebook account and the device has more than one account, delete the affected account, then add it again.
8. Run recovery and diagnostics last
Windows: Use System Restore when the touchpad stopped after an app, driver, or settings change and a restore point exists. Search for Create a restore point, choose System Restore, select a restore point from before the problem started, and follow the prompts. As the final software step, back up personal files, then open Settings > System > Recovery, then under Recovery options select Reset PC.
Mac: Update macOS from Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update. To isolate startup software conflicts, use Safe Mode. On Apple silicon, choose Apple menu > Shut Down, wait until the Mac is off, hold the power button until startup options appear, select a volume, hold Shift, then choose Continue in Safe Mode. On Intel, turn on or restart the Mac and immediately hold Shift until the login window appears.
Mac diagnostics: Shut down and disconnect external devices except keyboard, mouse, display, Ethernet, and power when applicable. On Apple silicon, hold the power button until Options appears, then hold Command plus D. On Intel, turn on the Mac and immediately hold D, or use Option plus D. In macOS Tahoe 26 and later, choose the built-in trackpad diagnostic when prompted.
Chromebook: Run a hard reset by turning off the Chromebook, holding Refresh, tapping Power, then releasing Refresh when it starts. As the final Chromebook software step, sign out, press Ctrl plus Alt plus Shift plus r, choose Restart > Powerwash > Continue, and follow the prompts. Use Chromebook recovery when reset and update fail. Powerwash and recovery erase local data.
Managed laptops: Contact the work or school administrator when updates, resets, or touchpad driver installs are blocked. Managed Windows and ChromeOS devices can restrict those changes by policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my laptop mousepad suddenly stop working?
The common causes are a disabled touchpad shortcut, a setting that ignores the built-in touchpad when another mouse is connected, changed gesture settings, driver problems, low Mac battery state, or Chromebook accessibility settings.
How do I fix my laptop mousepad without a mouse?
On Windows, press Windows+S, type Touchpad settings, and press Enter. You can also press the touchpad function key or Fn plus that key. On Chromebooks, press Shift five times to turn the built-in touchpad back on.
Should I uninstall the touchpad driver?
Use Windows Update first, then try Update driver in Device Manager. If the driver still fails, uninstall the touchpad device in Device Manager and restart so Windows can reinstall it.
Why does my touchpad stop when I connect a mouse?
On Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad, expand Touchpad, and select Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected. On Mac, open System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control and turn off Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse or wireless trackpad is present.
When is the touchpad a hardware problem?
Run the built-in diagnostics for your laptop. Dell laptops can use SupportAssist or preboot diagnostics, and Macs can use Apple Diagnostics. If the touchpad fails in diagnostics, repair service is the next step.
