Most of us use the touchpad to interact with our laptops. External input devices, such as mice and keyboards, are preferred by some. When the touchpad scroll on a Windows 10 computer stops working, it becomes impossible to browse the screen.
There are a few ways in the section below:
Enable/Re-enable Touchpad
Most keyboards, whether external or built-in, provide a keyboard shortcut for quickly disabling the touchpad. When you wish to avoid inadvertent taps, this feature comes in handy. This option is also available in Windows 11 Settings.
- To access Settings, press Windows key+I and look for Touchpad settings.
- Check to see if the touchpad is turned on. Below that, there is another option worth mentioning. When a mouse is attached, it’s termed ‘Leave touchpad on.’ Disabling it, as you may expect, also disables the touchpad when using an external mouse.
- To kickstart or revive the feature, disable and then re-enable touchpad if it is previously enabled.
- Scroll a little further down the touchpad settings screen to locate the Scroll and Zoom options. If you can’t scroll with several fingers on a touchpad, enable the Drag two fingers to scroll option.
Disconnect Input Device
It could be the consequence of a conflict with another USB-connected input device, such as a mouse or keyboard. If any such devices are connected, disconnect them and check if the touchpad scroll on your Windows computer works. If this is the case, one of the devices is malfunctioning. Reconnect each device one at a time to determine which is interfering with touchpad gestures.
Update/Reinstall Drivers
Drivers are software components that enable your computer’s hardware to interface with external hardware devices such as your graphics card, mouse, and keyboard. The touchpad is a physical hardware device that requires drivers to interface with the motherboard and send input data. The Device Manager is where you can manage all of your drivers.
- Windows Search (Windows key+S) can be used to find and access the Device Manager.
- The driver for your touchpad can be found under Mice and other pointing devices. It’s the ELAN l2C Filter Driver in my instance. Select Update Driver from the context menu by right-clicking on it. Select Properties if that doesn’t work.
- You may also take other troubleshooting actions under the Drivers tab, such as Roll Back Driver to a previous version if you think the new version is problematic, Update Driver (as we saw above), and Uninstall Device.
- Only use the final option if you know how to restore the device or drivers. When you reboot the computer after deleting drivers, Windows will usually try to restore the touchpad drivers automatically, but if it fails, you need know how to install manually.
- The drivers for the touchpad can be found on the manufacturer’s official website. This holds true for all devices, including mice, keyboards, and hard drives. Before you uninstall anything, be sure you have everything you require.
Reset Touchpad
All of your customizations will be lost if you reset the touchpad on Windows. Everything you altered will be reset to its default state. That can simply be adjusted, and there are only a few variables to play with in the first place.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page in Windows Settings (Windows key+I) > Devices > Touchpad. The Reset button can be found there. Select it by clicking on it.
- On the same screen where you find the reset option, you can modify the touchpad.
Change Mouse Pointer
- Return to Windows Settings and select Devices > Mouse > Additional mouse options.
- A pop-up window will now appear in front of you. One of the Windows Black/Default/Inverted/Standard options under the Pointers tab in the Scheme heading.
- Change these settings by going to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers > Mouse and selecting Scheme from the Pointers tab in the pop-up.
I trust your issue has now been fixed. If nothing else has worked, you are left with two options. Purchase a mouse and keep it with you until your laptop is restored. Mice are small, light objects that are easy to transport. In truth, mice are faster and more handy than touchpads, and for some users, they can increase productivity.