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Follow this easy guide to enable your touchpad and get back to clicking and scrolling
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This wikiHow will teach you how to activate the touchpad on a Windows laptop if you disabled it or it's not working. You'll also find tips about how to activate your touchpad without a mouse and troubleshooting steps you can take on a Mac laptop.
How to Unlock the Touchpad on a Laptop
- Open your Windows Settings by clicking the gear icon in the Start Menu .
- Click Devices (usually paired with a keyboard and speaker icon).
- Click Touchpad (paired with an icon of a touchpad).
- Click the switch under “Touchpad” to the “On” position.
Steps
-
Open your Windows Settings . You'll find the gear icon after you click the Start Menu icon. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- This method will only work if you can navigate menus. If you don't have an external mouse, you can also the keyboard--press the Windows key, type "touchpad," and press Enter , and the touchpad Settings menu will open. You can skip the next steps that use a mouse.
- Some laptops have a hotkey that activates/deactivates the touchpad, so check your laptop's manual to see if it has a FN + F1-12 hotkey that will enable it instead of going through the Settings > Touchpad menu.
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Click Devices . This is usually in the second column next to an icon of a keyboard and speaker. [2] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to sourceAdvertisement
-
Click Touchpad . You'll see this in the menu on the left side of the window next to an icon of a touchpad. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
-
Click the switch to enable it under "Touchpad. " You can also change the other settings for your touchpad here, including the cursor speed. [4] X Research source
- If you're not using a mouse, you can tap the Tab key until the touchpad toggle switch is highlighted (usually 3 times), then tap the Space key to switch it on.
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Tips
- If you're experiencing issues with a Mac trackpad, you can check to see if there are software updates available for your trackpad. Click the apple logo > software update > trackpad firmware update (if applicable) > Install [5] X Research sourceThanks
- Check for a swollen battery in your Mac by turning your Macbook off and flipping it over. A swollen battery can push on the trackpad mechanism and cause it not to function correctly. [6] X Research sourceThanks
- If your touchpad on your Windows laptop is enabled, but you're still having trouble, make sure your drivers are up-to-date in Device Manager > Mice and other devices . If the driver doesn't work or updating didn't solve your problem, you can use the generic Windows driver. Right-click your touchpad driver in Device Manager, select Update driver software > Browse my computer > Let me pick > HID-compliant mouse > Next . [7] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings-6c32fd32-23f4-c2d3-a3f9-cfc70feff233
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings-6c32fd32-23f4-c2d3-a3f9-cfc70feff233
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings-6c32fd32-23f4-c2d3-a3f9-cfc70feff233
- ↑ https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000124374/disabling-or-enabling-the-touchpad-on-a-dell-notebook
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/pointer-move-trackpad-mchlp2857/mac
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204054
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4027866/windows-fix-touchpad-problems-in-windows-10
About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Open Settings
.
2. Click Devices
.
3. Click Touchpad
.
4. Click the switch to enable it under "Touchpad."
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 224,393 times.
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