Fix: Dell touchpad not working

Some Dell users have reported issues with their touchpads. Most of the affected users report that they suddenly lost the ability to use the touchpad after it worked for a long time. While some users report encountering this problem after performing a Windows update, some have no apparent trigger in mind. Even more curiously, most users report that even if an external mouse is connected, the touchpad works just fine.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, the following fixes will help you recover your touchpad functionality on your Dell computer. Below is a collection of methods that other users have successfully used to fix this particular issue. Follow each potential fix in order until you recover your touchpad. Let's start.

Method 1: Enable Touchpad Using Function Key

The most common reason for the touchpad to stop working is that the user ends up disabling the touchpad function by mistake. Most laptops have a dedicated touchpad function key built into the F keys. The most common location is on the key

F9

.

To re-enable the touchpad on your Dell computer, press the button that looks like a touchpad button and see if you regain touchpad functionality. Some models require you to press the function key while pressing the touchpad key.

Method 2: Re-enable Touchpad from Control Panel or Dell Settings

Users who reported losing the touchpad after installing a Windows update managed to resolve the issue after discovering that their touchpad was disabled in the

Control Panel.

Although it is unclear what causes this problem, most users suspect that the problem is caused by an incorrect Windows update.

Here is a quick guide on how to re-enable a Dell PC's TouchPad functionality through the Control Panel:

Press on

to open a Run dialog box. Then type "

control

" and press

Entrance

to open

Control Panel p>

.

In Control Panel, navigate to

Hardware and sound

, then click

Mouse and touchpad.

Then click on

Additional mouse options

and see if your touchpad is enabled in

Mouse Properties

. If not, click

Activate device

under the tab

Dell TouchPad

and restart your computer. p>

Remark:

If you cannot find the settings options specified above, open a Run dialog box (

Windows key +R

) , type "

main.cpl

" and press

Entrance

to open the Mouse Properties window. Next, navigate to the Dell Touchpad and click

Click to change Dell Touchpad settings

. Next, in the section dedicated to the Dell touchpad, change the touchpad button from

Disabled

to

Enabled

and press p>

Save button

.

On the next boot, check if the problem has been solved and if you can use the touchpad. If you are still facing the same issue then proceed to the below method.

Method 3: Update/Restore Touchpad Driver via Device Manager

Loss of touchpad functionality in your Dell can also be caused by a faulty driver or improper installation performed by WU. Some users with the same problem have managed to regain touchpad functionality on their Dell laptops by updating the touchpad driver or reverting it to a previous version that worked properly.

Here is a quick guide on how to use

Device Manager

To update or roll back the touchpad driver on Dell laptops or notebooks:

My dell touchpad has stopped working - laptop not 6 months old!

— Stephanie Disbury Mon Tue 02 20:07:46 +0000 2009

Press

Windows key + R< /p>

to open a Run box. Then type "

devmgmt.msc

" and press

Entrance

to open

Device Manager

.

In Device Manager, expand the

Mice and other pointing devices

drop-down menu, right-click< /p>

Dell Touchpad

and select

Properties

.

In the

Dell Touchpad Properties

window, click the tab

Pilot

to move it forward, then click

Update driver p>

box.

In the next window, click on the box

Automatically search for updated driver software

and wait for the new driver to be installed on your computer.

Remark:

If the wizard tells you that you already have the latest driver, go back to the

Driver< /p>

tab and click

Rollback Driver

.

Once the touchpad driver has been updated or restored, restart your computer and see if you can fix the problem on the next boot. If you are still having issues with the touchpad on your Dell laptop or notebook, continue to the final method.

Method4: Creating Linux Bootable DVD

This may sound like a strange solution, but many users have successfully used it to regain touchpad functionality on their Dell computers. This method involves creating a Linux bootable DVD, using it to boot into Linux, and then rebooting into Windows 10.

Many users reported that this method was successful in bringing back the functionality of the touchpad. Here is a quick guide on creating a Linux bootable DVD and booting your computer from it to fix the Dell touchpad issue:

Download any Linux distribution ISO. If you don't know which one, visit this link (

here

) and download the latest version of Ubuntu LTS.

Once the Linux ISO is downloaded to your computer, insert a blank DVD and burn the Linux ISO on it.

Remark:

If you don't have a DVD handy, you can also copy the Linux distribution to a USB stick using this guide (

here

).

Restart your machine and boot from the Linux media you recently created. If your DVD drive (or USB port) is not configured as boot options, you may need to change this from your BIOS settings.

Once your computer manages to boot from the Ubuntu ISO, select

Try Ubuntu without installing it

and press

Entrance

.

Wait until your system is completely booted into Linux, then restart your computer and remove the Linux media to make your system boot into Windows.

On the next boot, wait for your system to boot and check if you were successful in restoring your

Touchpad functionality

.