A non-responsive touchpad almost always has a software cause — accidental disabling is by far the most common reason. Start with the quickest fixes and work down the list only if needed.

Look for a Keyboard Shortcut

Many laptops have a dedicated key to toggle the touchpad on and off, usually found in the function-key row and marked with a touchpad icon. Press it once. On some laptops you must hold Fn while pressing the key. If the touchpad activates, you are done.

Enable the Touchpad in Windows Settings

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad (Windows 11) or Devices > Touchpad (Windows 10).
  3. Make sure the toggle at the top is switched On.

Also check for a setting labelled something like Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected. Windows can be set to automatically disable the touchpad whenever a USB mouse is plugged in — which explains why it stops working after you add a peripheral.

Check via the Control Panel

Some laptop touchpad software installs separately from the standard Windows settings. Search for Mouse in the Start menu and open Mouse settings from Control Panel. Look for a tab labelled Device Settings, TouchPad, or your touchpad manufacturer's name. There may be an enable/disable toggle in that panel.

Update the Touchpad Driver

Open Device Manager and expand Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices. Find the touchpad entry (often labelled with the manufacturer — Synaptics, ELAN, or Precision Touchpad). Right-click and choose Update driver. If that does not help, try Uninstall device, then restart the laptop — Windows will reinstall the driver fresh on reboot.

Test in Safe Mode

If the touchpad works in Safe Mode (hold Shift while clicking Restart, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Enable Safe Mode), a third-party program is disabling it in normal Windows. Common culprits are third-party mouse utilities from gaming peripherals.

If the touchpad is completely unresponsive in all modes including Safe Mode, a hardware fault or disconnected cable is likely. Ask us before opening the laptop.