The touchpad on a Dell laptop, like any other computer component, may malfunction. The touchscreen is susceptible to failure, particularly when used in high humidity or temperature environments.
Touchpad problems are widespread across all laptop models and operating systems. You might experience difficulties regardless of which brand and operating system you use.
More people are reporting problems with their Dell laptops, but you can generally fix them with these solutions.
What Causes The Issues With The Dell Touchpad?
You must know the causes of the malfunctioning Dell touchpad before finding a solution. A faulty operating system might make the Dell computer freeze, making the touchpad stop working, and you would think there is something wrong with the laptop.
The faulty operating system will lead to a non-responsive touchpad that does not react to your command. Laptop freezes are like a computer stroke as they make all the laptop components stop working for an extended time. You will quickly know when the laptop has an operating system issue, and you should be patient until the computer recovers from the frozen state.
Sometimes shutting down the Dell laptop restores its functions. The laptop will unfreeze, but you would let it rest for some time.
Moreover, if the touchpad is disabled, it will not respond to your commands; many factors would turn off the Dell touchpad. For instance, the BIOS, mouse properties, touchpad disable zone, and Fn lock might disable the touchpad.
You should check if the touchpad is disabled and restore the default settings to enable the touchpad. You can reset these options if you believe you disabled the touchpad mistakenly.
Therefore, if you remember the steps you took, you can go back and undo them. However, if you don’t, the drivers’ settings will undo the freezing.
The drivers play an essential role and impact how the touchpad responds to the instructions. If you don’t install the drivers well or if they are outdated, the laptop’s touchpad will malfunction. You should install the drivers effectively and check for any updates from the manufacturer’s website.
Although you will receive the push message on new updates, you may need to check by yourself. If the touchpad does not work with the update, you may roll back to previous updates to deal with the non-compatibility.
You can easily update the drivers, but you may visit the customer care shop to sort out the issue if you cannot do it by yourself.
Possible Solutions to a Dell Touchpad Which Is Not Responsive
Start By Enabling the Dell Touchpad
Disabling the touchpad might be the first thing that will make the Dell touchpad non-reactive to instructions. You will need to check if the touchpad is enabled before thinking about further steps to solve the problem.
You can easily disable and enable the Dell touchpad with the Fn lock.
You will combine the Fn lock with different keys depending on the Dell laptop model, as what works for one model might not work for the next. For instance, you may use the Fn key+ F6 or the Fn key+ F7; you will monitor how your laptop reacts when pressing these keys.
For instance, some of the keys might turn off the screen, and you will find one which enables the touchpad. Whenever you press the wrong combination, you will undo it by pressing the same button again.
To enable the touchpad, you will hold the Fn key and press the F key functions located at the top of the Dell laptop. Sometimes the Dell model might have symbols on each key that show different functions; choose one that looks like the touchpad.
However, if you don’t find any symbol that guides you, you can experiment with all the keys. In the next section, you will learn how to disable and enable different features, making it easy to use your laptop.
Check the Mouse and Touchpad Settings
The touchpad settings might be an issue, and you should navigate the settings to reset the touchpad. Start by navigating the Dell settings menu; you can search for the touchpad settings. Then open the touchpad settings and ensure the ON/OFF toggle switch set is ON; if it is on OFF, turn it ON.
If resetting the touchpad settings does not help, you may consider changing the mouse settings. Choose the mouse settings on the windows, and select the mouse settings option in the search results. Then on the right-hand side, choose the additional mouse option settings; when you click it, you will find a pop-up that reveals the mouse properties.
On the mouse properties window which opens, you will locate the Dell touchpad settings. Click on the touchpad settings to enable the touchpad and save the new changes. Once you are done, you will test the touchpad to ensure it works properly.
Change the BIOS settings
Another factor that impacts the Dell touchpad is the BIOS settings. Press the power button which will turn on your Dell laptop. Immediately the laptop comes on, press the F2 or F1 continuously until you receive Setup mode.
Different Dell laptop models will have different layouts, and you should navigate the layout until you find the Internal Pointing Device.
Ensure the internal pointing device is enabled; you should look at the advanced heading if the BIOS has one. Then save and exit and test the touchpad. If the touchpad does not respond, the issues might not be related to the BIOS, and you can look for the next solution to resolve the problem.
You Can Check the Touchpad Disable Zone
Sometimes the Dell laptop will have a touchpad disable zone, which might be a small square logo or button at the top left corner of the Dell laptop touchpad. If the device has this logo or button, it might be possible to disable the touchpad erroneously.
To unfreeze a laptop using the touchpad dial zone, you would double tap on the button to enable and disable the touchpad. If you had disabled it with the button, pressing on the button will enable the touchpad.
This will resolve touchpad issues, but you should find other ways to resolve the problem if it does not.
Update the Touchpad Driver
If non-responsiveness persists, you may need to roll back the Dell touchpad driver with simple, easy-to-follow steps.
Follow these steps:
- Start by clicking on the Windows logo Key and find the Device Manager.
- Then run the Device Manager.
- Once the Device Manager opens, you can locate the pointing device and click on the drop-down.
- You may need to update different drivers on the Device Manager.
- Then right-click on the drivers and update all the drivers.
- You will find a message which asks how you want to search for the drivers, and it would be wise to choose the Automatic Update.
- You will let the Windows search for the drivers automatically. If drivers are not up to date, the laptop will update automatically.
- When done with the Automatic update, you will restart the laptop.
- Proceed to the next step and confirm if the touchpad works.
- Sometimes the touchpad might not work after the update; it would be better to revert to the previous settings.
Rollback to Previous Touchpad Driver Settings
If your laptop does not respond to the new updates, you may consider rolling back to the touchpad driver.
Follow these steps:
- Search for the Device Manager on your Windows and run the Device Manager.
- When the Device Manager opens, you will locate the other pointing device and click on the drop-down.
- You will revert all the drivers you have updated.
- You may right-click the Driver Properties and navigate the Driver tab.
- Then choose the rollback driver option on the menu to revert to the previous touchpad driver settings.
Update the Drivers Manually
Sometimes updating the Device Manager automatically might not resolve the touchpad issues, and you would need to update the settings manually.
Follow these steps:
- You will start by launching the Device Manager.
- Then press Windows key + R as it launches the command window.
- Then on the Run Command textbox, type the following command:
devmgmt.msc- Click on the Windows start button, press the Windows key + S, type Device Manager, and press enter when the results return.
- Press the Windows key + X or right-click on the Start button, select Device Manager, and expand on the Mice and other pointing devices.
- Select the Dell touchpads properties and switch to the Driver tab on the new window.
- Click Uninstall on the driver button, which removes corrupt and outdated driver software running on your device.
- Update the new settings, save the new changes, and check the touchpad to see if it is working correctly.
Check the Device for Hardware Issues
Checking the Dell laptop for hardware problems might be challenging, especially if you are not knowledgeable about computer hardware parts. You should consult with a Dell expert to resolve the issues.
Moreover, you can reach out to Dell support if the issue does not resolve with software updates. If the laptop is still under warranty, service is covered if it has not undergone any accidental damages. You will find cheap hardware replacements from the electronics shop if the warranty period is over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is My Dell Touchpad Not Working?
Your Dell touchpad might not respond to commands if it is disabled, and you should check the control button on the left corner of the touchpad. It may fail to work also because of outdated drivers and software, and it will be better to update the drivers and software on your device.
Sometimes the issue might result from device hardware issues, and you would need to check the motherboard for any severe problems.
How Can I Fix a Touchpad Which is Not Responding?
You will ensure the touchpad is enabled, as a disabled touchpad will not respond to instructions. If the touchpad is enabled, you will reset the settings, update BIOS and software, and check the hardware. The hardware might be challenging to check, especially if you are not knowledgeable.
Can You Update the Dell Software Manually?
Although it is better to update the Dell software settings automatically, sometimes, it does not resolve issues with your touchpad. You would need to update it manually, choose the specific drivers that control the touchpad, and update manually, but you should know the terms.
What Do You Do When the Software Updates Do Not Resolve the Issues?
Sometimes updating the software might not resolve the touchpad issues, and you would revert to the previous settings. You might need to follow the steps and retrace ways to revert to the original settings.
How Do You Enable the Dell Touchpad?
You can enable the Dell touchpad using the Fn lock and specific F keys on the laptop. Different F keys will work for different Dell laptop models. However, you can try different combinations to determine which key works for the specific model.
Moreover, you can reverse the actions by pressing the FN lock for an extended time and double pressing the F key.
Can Dell Resolve Any Issues With the Touchpad?
Dell support system will help resolve any issues with an unresponsive touchpad, especially if you have tried enabling the touchpad and setting the BIOS and software. If the issue results from hardware problems, the company will sell hardware that meets your needs.
Moreover, if the computer is still under warranty, you will receive free services if the device has not had a traumatic accident or damage to the hardware.
Conclusion
Your Dell touchpad might fail to respond to instructions, and you must know the causes of a malfunctioned Dell touchpad before finding a solution. The issues might arise from a faulty operating system that freezes your computer.
You might think that laptop freeze is like a computer stroke as it makes all the laptop components stop working for an extended time. Sometimes the non-responsive touchpad would result from BIOS and software issues, and you would need to update the BIOS to resolve the problems.
Furthermore, it might occur due to hardware issues, and you might need to replace the hardware to resolve the problems. You can fix the Dell touchpad, which is not functioning efficiently. Good luck fixing your non-responsive touchpad issues.
