Hello Bryan,
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!
I'm really sorry you're dealing with this. I know how frustrating it can be when your touchpad suddenly stops working, especially after you've already checked all the settings. Since your mouse and keyboard seems to be working fine, we can rule out a total input failure. To best assist you, I'd like to know if the issue only happens recently, what is your device model and Windows version.
It's worth to note that some laptops have a physical button, or a function key (Fn) that can turn on/off touchpad use, so you should try to see if your F1-F12 row on the keyboard has any related icon. Also make sure that you have ENABLED your settings to Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected. Besides those basic checks, here’s what you can try next:
1 - Open Device Manager to check/reinstall driver:
- Expand Human Interface Devices (or Mice and other pointing devices)
- Look for anything labeled Touchpad, Precision Touchpad, or your laptop brand.
- Right-click it and choose Enable (if available), or Update driver.
- If the issue persists, choose Uninstall device instead > restart your PC
Note: If Windows doesn’t reinstall the driver automatically, visit your laptop manufacturer’s support site and download the latest touchpad driver manually.
2 - Run troubleshooter:
- Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
- Find and run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
- If you can't find it > open Command Prompt as Administrator
- Run
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic > let it finish.
3 - Check for conflicting software:
- If you recently installed any third-party input or gesture software, try uninstalling it.
- Follow this guide on How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support:
- Search
msconfig in the Taskbar > open System Configuration > Disable all non-Microsoft startup items/services > restart PC
- If the problem's gone, you may need to manually disable/enable one item after another to identify the offender, then consider removing it.
Disclaimer: A "clean boot" starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. To avoid any trouble, please follow the steps in order so that it will help you get back on track.
4 - Reconfigure BIOS/UEFI settings:
- Restart your PC and enter BIOS/UEFI:
- Usually by pressing F2, Del, or Esc during boot
- Research the exact key on your laptop brand.
- Look for Touchpad, Internal Pointing Device, or similar > Enabled.
Disclaimer: If you are going to modify BIOS Settings, please back up all your personal files first to ensure you do not lose data.
If you’ve already tried some of these steps, let me know what worked or didn’t. Please let me know if you need further assistance, and consider providing the specific model of your laptop and Windows version in your reply, as this will help us narrow down the issue.
If this reply is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it to assist others who might face similar problem. If the issue persists or you have extra questions, please click "Comment" instead.
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