Fix a touchpad not working
First check that the touchpad is switched on in Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Touchpad, and that a laptop key has not turned it off. Then update its driver through Windows Update, or uninstall it in Device Manager and restart so Windows reinstalls it. Your laptop maker has the driver made for your model.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the manufacturer's own pages.
The short version
What to install and where it comes from. Every link goes to the manufacturer or Microsoft, never to a copy.
Official files only, nothing bundled
Step by step
Plug in a mouse or use the keyboard
A USB mouse makes the next steps easier. Without one, press the Windows key and I together to open Settings, then move with Tab, the arrow keys and Enter.
Switch the touchpad back on
Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Touchpad. Make sure the touchpad is turned on. While you are there, check that the gesture and tap options you rely on are still turned on.
Check the laptop's touchpad key
Many laptops have a function key with a touchpad symbol, sometimes used together with Fn. Pressing it by accident turns the touchpad off. Your laptop's manual shows which key it is on your model.
Get a touchpad driver from Windows Update
Microsoft recommends Windows Update for touchpad drivers. Open Settings, Windows Update, Check for updates, and also open Advanced options, Optional updates to see any touchpad or input driver waiting there.
Reinstall the touchpad in Device Manager
Right-click Start, Device Manager, and look under Human Interface Devices or Mice and other pointing devices. Right-click the touchpad, choose Uninstall device and restart. Microsoft says this makes Windows download the latest driver again.
Use the laptop maker's driver
If it still fails, go to the support site of your laptop maker, such as Dell, Lenovo or HP, enter the model and install its touchpad or input driver. Contact the maker's support if nothing above helps.
When it stops after an update
A touchpad that worked yesterday and failed after a restart usually lost its driver or its settings. Open Device Manager, right-click the touchpad, choose Properties and use Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab if the button is available. That returns the previous driver without a download.
Signs of a hardware fault
If the touchpad does not react in Safe Mode, does not appear in Device Manager, and the laptop maker’s diagnostics also fail to find it, the problem is likely the hardware or its cable inside the laptop. At that point a repair by the laptop maker is the next step, especially while the laptop is under warranty.
Questions
What is a precision touchpad?
It is a touchpad type that Windows supports with its full set of touchpad gestures. Microsoft notes that some gestures only work on precision touchpads, so a missing gesture on an older laptop is not always a fault.
The pointer moves but gestures fail. Why?
Gestures are set separately from the pointer. Check the gesture options on the Touchpad page in Settings. If your touchpad is not a precision model, some gestures are not available at all.
The touchpad is missing in Device Manager.
Then Windows cannot see it, so a setting or driver will not help yet. Install the laptop maker's chipset and input drivers, and if it is still missing, contact the maker, since the touchpad may be off in firmware or faulty.