Solutions for Dell Touchpad Not Working | Updated October 2025

Is your Dell touchpad not working properly when you need it most? A malfunctioning touchpad can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of important work. The good news is that most Dell touchpad issues can be fixed with simple troubleshooting steps you can do yourself.

Whether your touchpad suddenly stopped working, won’t show up in settings, or works only sometimes, this guide will walk you through every solution to get your Dell laptop touchpad working perfectly again.

Key Takeaways

• Most Common Fix: Restart your laptop first – this resolves 60% of touchpad issues
• Quick Activation: Press Fn+F3 (or similar key) to activate touchpad on Dell laptop
• Settings Check: Go to Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad to enable it
• Driver Issues: Outdated or corrupt drivers cause 80% of touchpad problems
• Hardware vs Software: Test with an external mouse to identify the problem type
• Intermittent Issues: Usually driver-related or caused by conflicting software
• When to Seek Help: If nothing works after trying all steps, contact Dell support

Why Is Your Dell Touchpad Not Working Properly?

Your Dell touchpad not working properly can happen for several reasons. Understanding the cause helps you find the right solution faster. Most touchpad issues fall into two categories: software problems and hardware failures.

Software problems are the most common and include:

• Outdated or corrupt touchpad drivers
• Disabled touchpad settings in Windows
• Conflicting software or recent updates
• Incorrect BIOS settings
• Tablet Mode being enabled

Hardware problems are less common but more serious:

• Physical damage to the touchpad
• Loose internal connections
• Faulty touchpad hardware
• Motherboard issues

The easiest way to tell if it’s software or hardware is to connect an external mouse. If the external mouse works perfectly, you likely have a software issue with your touchpad. If no pointing device works at all, you might have a hardware problem.

How to Activate Touchpad on Dell Laptop?

If your Dell touchpad is not working because it’s been accidentally disabled, activating it is usually simple. Most Dell laptops have a keyboard shortcut to turn the touchpad on and off.

Using Keyboard Shortcut:

1. Look for a key on your keyboard with a touchpad icon (usually looks like a rectangle)
2. This is typically F3, F5, F7, or F9 on most Dell laptops
3. Press the Fn key + the touchpad key simultaneously
4. Wait a few seconds and test your touchpad

If the keyboard shortcut doesn’t work:

1. Click the Start button and go to Settings
2. Select “Bluetooth & devices” then “Touchpad”
3. Make sure the Touchpad toggle is turned on
4. If it’s already on, turn it off and back on again

For older Dell laptops:

1. Go to Control Panel > Mouse
2. Look for the “Dell Touchpad” tab
3. Check the box that says “Enable touchpad”
4. Click Apply and OK

This should activate touchpad on Dell laptop in most cases. If it still doesn’t work, continue to the next troubleshooting steps.

What to Do When Your Dell Touchpad Suddenly Stopped Working?

When your Dell touchpad suddenly stopped working without warning, it can be alarming. This usually happens after a Windows update, driver installation, or system change. Here’s what to do immediately:

First: The Quick Fixes

1. Restart your laptop – This fixes most temporary glitches
2. Check for physical damage – Look for cracks or spills on the touchpad
3. Test with an external mouse – This helps identify if it’s hardware or software
4. Check for Windows updates – Sometimes updates cause issues that need fixing

If the quick fixes don’t work:

1. Boot into Safe Mode to see if the touchpad works there
2. If it works in Safe Mode, a recently installed program is likely causing the conflict
3. Uninstall recently installed software or drivers
4. Run a virus scan to check for malware

For Windows update-related issues:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
2. Click “View update history” and uninstall recent updates
3. Restart your computer and test the touchpad

When your Dell touchpad suddenly stopped working, these steps usually resolve the issue within minutes. If not, move on to more detailed troubleshooting.

How to Enable Touchpad on Dell Laptop in Windows Settings?

Sometimes you need to enable touchpad on Dell laptop through Windows settings, especially if the keyboard shortcuts aren’t working or the touchpad was disabled in software.

For Windows 10 and 11:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings (gear icon)
2. Choose “Bluetooth & devices” from the left menu
3. Click on “Touchpad” in the main window
4. Make sure the main Touchpad toggle is turned on (blue)
5. Expand the Touchpad section by clicking on it
6. Check that “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” is enabled

Advanced Touchpad Settings:

1. In the same Touchpad settings, scroll down and click “More touchpad settings”
2. This opens the classic Mouse Properties window
3. Go to the “Dell Touchpad” tab if available
4. Click “Settings” or “Properties” to access advanced options
5. Ensure all touchpad features are enabled

If touchpad settings are not opening:

1. Press Windows + R and type “control” then press Enter
2. Select “Mouse” from the Control Panel
3. Look for touchpad-specific tabs
4. If still not accessible, try System File Checker:
   • Open Command Prompt as administrator
   • Type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter
   • Restart after completion

These steps should help you enable touchpad on Dell laptop when Windows settings aren’t cooperating.

Why Is Your Dell Touchpad Not Showing Up?

When your Dell touchpad not showing up in Device Manager or settings, it indicates a deeper system issue. This usually means Windows isn’t detecting the touchpad hardware at all.

Check Device Manager:

1. Right-click Start and select “Device Manager”
2. Look under “Mice and other pointing devices”
3. Also check “Human Interface Devices”
4. If you see a yellow exclamation mark, there’s a driver issue
5. If no touchpad appears at all, continue troubleshooting

Common solutions when touchpad isn’t detected:

1. Restart your computer – This can reinitialize hardware detection
2. Check BIOS settings:
   • Restart and press F2 or F12 during boot
   • Look for “Internal Pointing Device” or similar
   • Ensure it’s set to “Enabled”
3. Reinstall drivers:
   • In Device Manager, click “View” > “Show hidden devices”
   • Uninstall any touchpad-related devices
   • Restart to let Windows reinstall drivers

For persistent issues:

1. Download the latest touchpad drivers from Dell’s website
2. Use your Service Tag to get exact drivers for your model
3. Install the drivers and restart
4. If still not working, try a system restore to when it worked

When your Dell touchpad not showing up anywhere, it’s often a driver or BIOS setting issue rather than hardware failure.

What to Do When Dell Touchpad Settings Are Not Opening?

When Dell touchpad settings not opening, you can’t adjust sensitivity, gestures, or even enable the touchpad. This is frustrating but usually fixable.

Quick fixes for settings not opening:

1. Restart your computer – Simple but often effective
2. Use the search bar – Type “touchpad settings” directly
3. Try alternative paths:
   • Windows + R → “control” → Mouse
   • Settings → Devices → Touchpad
   • Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Mouse

If settings still won’t open:

1. Run System File Checker:
   • Open Command Prompt as administrator
   • Type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter
   • Wait for completion and restart
2. Check for Windows corruption:
   • Open Command Prompt as administrator
   • Type “dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth”
   • Restart after completion
3. Create a new user account:
   • Sometimes profile corruption causes this issue
   • Test if touchpad settings open in the new account

Advanced solution:

1. Press Windows + R and type “regedit”
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad
3. Right-click and export this key as backup
4. Delete the PrecisionTouchPad key
5. Restart and test if settings open

When Dell touchpad settings not opening, these solutions should restore access to your touchpad controls.

Why Does Your Touchpad Stop Working Randomly on Dell?

When your touchpad stops working randomly on Dell, it’s incredibly frustrating. This intermittent behavior usually points to driver conflicts, software issues, or resource problems.

Common causes of random touchpad failure:

1. Driver conflicts – Other software interfering with touchpad operation
2. Background processes – Heavy CPU usage affecting touchpad responsiveness
3. Power management – Windows trying to save power by disabling devices
4. Recent updates – Windows or driver updates causing compatibility issues
5. Overheating – System heat affecting hardware performance

Immediate troubleshooting steps:

1. Check Task Manager for high CPU usage
2. Close unnecessary programs running in background
3. Update touchpad drivers to latest version
4. Roll back recent updates if problem started recently
5. Adjust power settings:
   • Go to Control Panel > Power Options
   • Change plan settings > Advanced power settings
   • Disable “USB selective suspend” if enabled

For persistent random issues:

1. Clean boot troubleshooting:
   • Type “msconfig” in Run dialog
   • Select “Selective startup” and uncheck “Load startup items”
   • Go to Services tab, check “Hide Microsoft services”
   • Click “Disable all” and restart
   • If touchpad works, re-enable services gradually to find the culprit
2. Update BIOS from Dell’s website
3. Perform a system restore to when touchpad worked consistently

When touchpad stops working randomly on Dell, these steps usually identify and resolve the underlying cause.

How to Fix Dell Touchpad Working Intermittently?

When your Dell touchpad working intermittently, it might work fine for minutes then freeze or become unresponsive. This specific issue requires targeted troubleshooting.

Step-by-step intermittent touchpad fix:

1. Update touchpad drivers properly:
   • Download latest drivers from Dell website
   • Uninstall current drivers in Device Manager
   • Restart computer
   • Install fresh drivers
   • Restart again
2. Adjust touchpad sensitivity:
   • Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad
   • Under “Cursor speed,” adjust the slider
   • Too high sensitivity can cause erratic behavior
3. Disable pointer while typing:
   • In Touchpad settings, click “More touchpad settings”
   • Go to “Pointer Options” tab
   • Uncheck “Hide pointer while typing”
4. Check for hardware issues:
   • Restart and enter BIOS (F2 or F12)
   • Test touchpad functionality in BIOS
   • If it doesn’t work in BIOS, it’s likely hardware failure

Advanced solutions for persistent issues:

1. Reinstall I2C HID Device driver:
   • In Device Manager, find “I2C HID Device” under Human Interface Devices
   • Right-click and uninstall
   • Restart and let Windows reinstall
2. Registry fix for Code 10 errors:
   • Backup registry first (important!)
   • Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class{4D36E96F-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
   • Delete “Upperfilters” value
   • Create new “Upperfilters” with value “mouclass”
   • Restart computer

For Dell touchpad working intermittently, these technical solutions usually resolve the issue when basic steps fail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Dealing with a Dell touchpad not working properly can be frustrating, but as you’ve learned, most issues have simple solutions. Start with the basics: restart your laptop, check the keyboard shortcut (Fn+F3), and verify touchpad settings in Windows. These quick fixes resolve the majority of touchpad problems.

Remember that driver issues cause most touchpad troubles, so keeping your drivers updated is crucial. Always download drivers directly from Dell’s website using your laptop’s Service Tag for the most compatible versions. When your Dell touchpad suddenly stopped working or works intermittently, it’s often related to recent updates or driver conflicts that can be easily fixed.

If you’ve tried all the solutions in this guide and your touchpad still isn’t working properly, it might be time to contact Dell support. Hardware issues, while less common, do happen and may require professional repair. However, with the comprehensive troubleshooting steps provided here, you’re well-equipped to fix most Dell touchpad problems yourself and get back to work quickly.