How to enable touchpad on a laptop. How to set up a touchpad on a laptop Setting up a touchpad on a Windows 10 laptop
The TouchPad is a very useful device, quite compact and easy to use. But sometimes laptop users may encounter a problem such as a disabled touchpad. The reasons for this problem can be different - perhaps the device is simply disabled or the problem is with the drivers.
The reason for the touchpad not working may be problems with drivers, malware entering the system, or incorrect device configuration. The touchpad can also be accidentally disabled by keyboard shortcuts. All methods for fixing this problem will be described below.
Method 1: Using keyboard shortcuts
The reason for the touchpad not working may be due to user inattention. You may have accidentally turned off the touchpad by holding down a special key combination.
- This is normal for Asus Fn+F9 or Fn+F7.
- For Lenovo - Fn+F8 or Fn+F5.
- On HP laptops this can be a separate button or a double tap in the left corner of the touchpad.
- There is a combination for Acer Fn+F7.
- For Dell use Fn+F5.
- Try it at Sony Fn+F1.
- At Toshiba - Fn+F5.
- For Samsung they also use the combination Fn+F5.
Please note that different models may have different combinations.
Method 2: Setting up the TouchPad
The touchpad settings may be configured so that when you connect a mouse, the device turns off.
Often laptop manufacturers make special programs for touchpads. Therefore, it is better to configure the device using such software. For example, ASUS has Smart Gesture.
Similar steps will need to be performed on a laptop from any other manufacturer, using the pre-installed client to configure the touchpad.
Method 3: Enable TouchPad in BIOS
If the previous methods did not help, then you should check the BIOS settings. The touchpad may be disabled there.
Method 4: Reinstalling drivers
Often reinstalling drivers helps solve the problem.
The touchpad is quite easy to enable using a special key combination. If it is configured incorrectly or the drivers no longer work correctly, you can always solve the problem using standard Windows 10 tools. If none of the methods help, you should check your laptop for virus software. It is also possible that the touchpad itself has physically failed. In this case, you need to take the laptop for repair.
Users who have just installed Windows 10 on a laptop are experiencing various problems. One of the most common is that scrolling on the Windows 10 touchpad does not work. How to fix the problem is written in this article.
Causes of malfunctions
The main reason why this malfunction occurs is the “young” age of Windows 10. Not all manufacturers have managed to release high-quality working drivers. It is also possible that the touchpad may break, but in this case you need to take the laptop to a service center. Therefore, let's focus on software problems.
Inclusion
If you notice that after installing or updating to a new version of the OS, the touchpad has stopped working, do not rush to reinstall the system or take the gadget to a service center. Try to turn it on correctly.
Using the keyboard
On almost all laptops, the touchpad is activated by pressing Fn and a key with the corresponding icon (F1-F12). On an Aser laptop this is the combination Fn+F7, Asus - Fn+F9. After the first press, the touchpad turns on, after the second press it turns off (it will also be useful for you to read Turning off the sticky keys function on a computer with Windows 10). The manufacturer can separately place the input device power button on the laptop body.
In laptop settings
If the touchpad still doesn't work after using the special keys on your keyboard, check your Windows settings.
Driver Update
Another item that will restore the functionality of the touchpad is installing the correct drivers.
Automatically
RMB on the Start menu → Device Manager → Mice and other pointing devices → select the input device (name of the touchpad manufacturer) → RMB → Update drivers → Automatically search for updated drivers. 
Manually
Download the drivers from the laptop manufacturer's website yourself and install them. When choosing, indicate the correct laptop model, as well as the OS that is installed on it.
In BIOS
If all else fails, check your BIOS settings. How to enable it, read the article How to start the BIOS and change the boot priority in it? . In some laptop models, the touchpad is activated there. Go to the BIOS, find the section responsible for the input device (in most cases it is called “Internal Pointing Device”), move the parameter to the “Enable” position.
Video
The video contains visual information on how to enable the touchpad on a laptop.
Conclusion
After upgrading to Windows 10, the touchpad on your laptop may stop working. To restore its functionality, check whether it is enabled in the system and BIOS settings, install the latest version of drivers. If all else fails, take the laptop to a service center.
What is a Precision Touchpad or Touchpad? These are precision touch panels (English touchpad: touch - touch, pad - pad), they are more sensitive and have more capabilities compared to standard touch touchpads. Input is carried out by touching the surface of the touchpad with one or more fingers. Precision touchpads were first introduced with Windows 8 laptops and are found on most laptops available today.
If your Windows 10 laptop has a precision touchpad, you'll see the touchpad settings under Settings → Devices → Touchpad. But what if your laptop doesn't have an accurate touchpad? Instead of the Settings page in Windows 10 Settings, you will see:
You will only be able to adjust the sensitivity of your touchpad, It's a shame isn't it?
Fortunately, it turns out that standard touchpads Synaptics or Elan installed on most laptops meet the requirements of a precision touchpad. So, you can enable precision touchpad on your Windows 10 laptop by simply installing the precision driver.
If your laptop doesn't officially support a precision touchpad, then your laptop manufacturer probably hasn't made a precision driver available for download for your laptop model. So you need to do it yourself install the Synaptics driver or Elan for Touchpad to provide a high-precision touchpad experience on your Windows 10 laptop.
Follow the steps below to install the touchpad driver on any Windows 10 laptop and enable precision touchpad.
Install the driver and enable precision touchpad.
Step 1: First of all, check if your laptop has a touchpad Synaptics or Elan. To do this, enter in the command field "Run" or in the address bar of Explorer, press the Enter key to open the window Properties: Mouse, and then click the button "Additional settings" to see if your laptop has an Elan or Synaptics touchpad.
Step 2: Download the Synaptics or Elan drivers for your touchpad from Lenovo website or Softpedia.
These precision touch drivers are supported by most laptop manufacturers. So if you use Dell, Lenovo, HP, Toshiba, Acer or any other laptop, these drivers will most likely work on your PC.
Step 3: Extract the downloaded zip file to get the folder containing precision touchpad drivers. Save this folder on your desktop for easy access.
Step 4: Open Device Manager by right-clicking on the button "Start" and select "Device Manager".
Step 5: In Device Manager, expand " Mice and other pointing devices". Right-click on the entry " Synaptics Pointing Devices", and then click the " Update driver" to open the update wizard.
Step 6: Click . This option will help you install the touchpad driver you downloaded.
As you can see in the screenshot below, the Driver Update Wizard will show a list of compatible devices.
Step 8: Click the button "Install from disk".
Step 9: In the next window, click the button "Review" to navigate to the location of the driver you previously downloaded and select the file " Autorun.inf" in the root folder and click the buttons "Open" And "OK".
Step 11: Once the precision touchpad driver is installed, you will see a message.
This is it!
Save your work, close all running applications, and restart your computer.
Step 12: After reboot, open the application "Options", go to "Devices"→ to view all available precision touchpad settings.
I hope you find this guide useful!
Most laptops have a touchpad, which requires configuration after installing the new Windows 10 operating system. Therefore, if your touchpad does not work properly, is not sensitive enough or does not respond well to gestures, you should use these instructions.
How to enable or disable the touchpad?
Enabling and disabling the touchpad is done through the keyboard. To do this, use the keys of the “F...” row. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the buttons “F1”, “F2”, “F3”, etc. One of the keys will be marked with a special symbol and will be responsible for turning the touchpad on and off.
IMPORTANT! In the instructions that come with the laptop, there is a section dedicated to shortcut keys.
Some laptop models have more than one button responsible for the touchpad. The key combinations in this case are as follows: “Fn+F7”, “Fn+F9”, “Fn+F5”, etc.
You can also enable or disable the touchpad using a special sensor located on the touchpad itself. Often, you need to double-click on this “dot” for the touchpad to stop functioning.
If enabling and disabling the touchpad through key combinations does not work, it means that this function is disabled in the system settings. To fix this, you should do the following:
- Select “Control Panel”. Open the “Mouse” section.
- Go to the touchpad tab “Device Settings” or “Hardware”. If the touchpad is turned off, you need to select it and click on the “Enable” button.
If the touchpad still does not work, you should check the settings in BIOSe, update or roll back the drivers (they may be outdated or damaged by viruses). If these manipulations do not bring results, it is worth checking whether the physical part of the touchpad is damaged. To do this, you should entrust the laptop to a specialist.
Adjusting touchpad sensitivity on a Windows 10 laptop
In order to adjust the sensitivity of the touchpad, you should open the properties of the mouse and go to the “Click Pad” tab. Next, click on the “Options” button.
The touchpad sensitivity control panel will open. You can use the slider to adjust the sensitivity or click “Restore all default settings.”
What gestures work on the touchpad?
The touchpad basically acts as a mouse. If you are not using a USB device, you can customize the touchpad to suit your needs as follows:
- Scrolling the page. You need to use two fingers at the same time to make up and down gestures (depending on the direction of scrolling).
- Move pages right and left - swipe in the desired direction with two fingers.
- Calling the context menu (analogous to the right mouse button). You need to press with two fingers at the same time.
- Call up a menu with all running programs (analogous to Alt+Tab) - swipe up with three fingers.
- Closing running programs. Same gesture as above. You just need to swipe down with three fingers.
- Minimize all windows. Swipe down with three fingers when windows are maximized.
- Calling the system search bar or voice assistant. You need to click three fingers at the same time.
- To zoom in, drag your fingers from the center of the touchpad to the corners.
If all these gestures do not work, it is worth checking the touchpad for serviceability.
Most laptops have a built-in touchpad, which in Windows 10 can be customized to your liking. It is also possible to use a third-party device for gesture control.
Enabling the touchpad
The touchpad is activated via the keyboard. But if this method does not work, then you will have to check the system settings.
Via keyboard
First of all, look at the icons on the F1, F2, F3, etc. keys. One of these buttons should be responsible for turning the touchpad on and off. If possible, review the instructions that came with the laptop; they usually describe the functions of the main shortcut keys.
Click on the hotkey to enable or disable the touchpad
On some models, key combinations are used: the Fn button + any button from the F list, which is responsible for turning the touchpad on and off. For example, Fn+F7, Fn+F9, Fn+F5, etc.
Press and hold the desired combination to enable or disable the touchpad
Some laptop models have a separate button located near the touchpad.
To enable or disable the touchpad, click on the dedicated button
To turn off the touchpad, press the button that turns it on again.
Through system settings
Video: how to enable/disable the touchpad on a laptop
Setting up gestures and sensitivity
The touchpad is configured through the built-in system parameters:
Popular gestures
The following gestures will allow you to completely replace all mouse functions with touchpad capabilities:
- page scrolling - swipe up or down with two fingers;
Use two fingers to scroll up or down
- moving the page to the right and left - swipe two fingers in the desired direction;
Use two fingers to move right or left
- Calling the context menu (analogous to the right mouse button) - press with two fingers at the same time;
Press with two fingers on the touchpad
- calling a menu with all running programs (analogous to Alt+Tab) - swipe up with three fingers;
Swipe up with three fingers to open the application list
- closing the list of running programs - swipe down with three fingers;
- minimizing all windows - swipe down with three fingers when windows are maximized;
- calling the system search bar or voice assistant, if it is available and enabled - press with three fingers at the same time;
Three-finger tap to search
- change the scale - slide two fingers in opposite or identical directions.
Zoom via touchpad
Solving touchpad problems
The touchpad may not work for the following reasons:
- the virus blocks the operation of the touchpad;
- touchpad is disabled in BIOS settings;
- device drivers are damaged, outdated or missing;
- The physical part of the touchpad is damaged.
The first three points above can be corrected yourself.
It is better to entrust the elimination of physical damage to the specialists of the technical center. Please note that if you decide to open the laptop yourself to repair the touchpad, the warranty will no longer be valid. In any case, it is recommended to immediately contact specialized centers.
Removing viruses
Launch the antivirus installed on your computer and enable a full scan. Remove any viruses found, reboot your device and check if the touchpad works. If not, then there are two options: the touchpad does not work for other reasons, or the virus has managed to harm the files responsible for the operation of the touchpad. In the second case, you need to reinstall the drivers, and if this does not help, then reinstall the system.
Reinstalling and updating drivers 
Video: what to do if the touchpad does not work
What to do if nothing helps
If none of the methods described above helped fix the problem with the touchpad, then there are two options left: the system files or the physical component of the touchpad are damaged. In the first case, you need to reinstall the system, in the second, you need to take the laptop to a workshop.
The touchpad is a convenient alternative to the mouse, especially when you have learned all the possible quick control gestures. The touchpad can be enabled or disabled through the keyboard and system settings. If the touchpad stops working, remove viruses, check the BIOS and drivers, reinstall the system, or have the laptop repaired.
