How to Turn on the Touchpad on Your Laptop

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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

  1. Open your Windows Settings by clicking the gear icon in the Start Menu .
  2. Click Devices (usually paired with a keyboard and speaker icon).
  3. Click Touchpad (paired with an icon of a touchpad).
  4. Click the switch under “Touchpad” to the “On” position.

Steps

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    You'll find the gear icon after you click the Start Menu icon. [1]
    • 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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    This is usually in the second column next to an icon of a keyboard and speaker. [2]
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    You'll see this in the menu on the left side of the window next to an icon of a touchpad. [3]
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    " You can also change the other settings for your touchpad here, including the cursor speed. [4]
    • 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]
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      • 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]
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      • 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]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings-6c32fd32-23f4-c2d3-a3f9-cfc70feff233
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings-6c32fd32-23f4-c2d3-a3f9-cfc70feff233
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-touchpad-use-and-settings-6c32fd32-23f4-c2d3-a3f9-cfc70feff233
      4. ↑ https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000124374/disabling-or-enabling-the-touchpad-on-a-dell-notebook
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/pointer-move-trackpad-mchlp2857/mac
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204054
      7. ↑ 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."

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